Description
This simple roast chicken is foolproof yet flexible!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small chicken, preferably smaller than 5 pounds
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- coarse sea salt
- pepper
- 1–2 pounds root or other vegetables, such as potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Remove chicken from wrapping and let sit uncovered at room temperature for about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 475 F.
- If you are roasting your chicken with the optional vegetables, peel and cut them into medium chunks as needed. Scatter the vegetables in the bottom of a shallow roasting pan, leaving a space in the center of the pan to nestle the chicken in.
- Liberally salt and pepper the cavity of the chicken. Then stuff the lemon, onion, garlic and herbs (or other flavorful fruits/vegetables of choice) inside.
- Dry the skin of the chicken off with a paper towel, then rub it with the olive oil (or other fat) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place chicken in the pan with the optional root vegetables.
- If using, insert temperature probe in thickest part of breast.
- Place in oven and roast for 25 minutes.
- Turn temperature down to 400 F and continue roasting for up to 45 more minutes or until the temperature reaches 160 F. If you are not using an in-oven thermometer, check temperature after 30 minutes.
- When done, remove the chicken and transfer to a platter to rest for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, if you are cooking vegetables with your chicken, toss to redistribute them and return the roasting pan to the oven to continue roasting while the chicken is resting.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the hot roasted vegetables.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 95 mins
- Category: Main