Name: Classic Roasted Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6 People
Ingredients: 1 Whole chicken (Remove neck and giblits); 1 Stick Butter; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary Removed From Stem (Dry is ok 2 tsp); 2 Tsp Cracked Pepper; 1 Red Onion (Thick Slices); 2-3 Lemons; 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt; 1 Red Onion (Thick Slices)

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One of my husband’s favorite meals is a Classic Roasted Chicken over potatoes. It’s so simple and satisfying, but the best part is that my husband and I can’t eat a whole chicken. So, we are especially excited for this meal, because the meals I can make with the leftovers guarantee home cooking for a least a few days. I know what your thinking, “Diana, you cook for a living, don’t you always have great home-cooked meals?” The simple answer is, no. Despite the fact that I do this for a living, some days, especially after cooking for a lot of other people all week, it’s hard to keep the ball rolling. I think I experience what a lot of other people do in this department. Some nights, I’m the random meal MacGyver. No plan, no problem! Other nights, I open the fridge around dinner time and think “pizza?”. It really is nice, on those “pizza” nights to instead, open the fridge and see food ready to eat. Roasted chicken is by far my best way to show you how one nights prep can beget many meals, stretch your budget, and save you lots of time.

Perfectly roasted chicken with crisp skin and moist juice meat, flavored with garlic and lemons.

Raw ingredient preparation. Before handling the chicken, I prepare everything I need to stuff and season the bird.

Whole Chicken pat dry and seasoned with compound butter and stuffed with onion, lemons, and fresh herbs.

Preparing The Chicken Properly is the Key to Crispy Skin and Juicy Meat.

Pat the chicken with a paper towel to make sure the skin is dry. Soften the butter and mix in herbs and spice. butter the entire chicken making sure to get under the wings and inside the body. Then tuck the wings, stuff lemons, onions, and garlic inside and tie up or skewer the legs together. Roast on 425° for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350° for an additional hour. By Starting at a high temperature, you are causing the skin to sear and seal in all of the moisture.

Perfectly Roasted Chicken with crisp skin and juicy meat. The pan dripping can make a delicious gravy.

Perfectly Carved Roasted Chicken

Carving a Roast Chicken Perfectly Is Easier Than you Think.

I carve the chicken by removing the leg and thigh at the joint. They should come away from body by simply twisting them upwards towards the breast and using butcher knife to help separate the joint. Remove the wings the same way. Then use your knife to the breast meat. Bring your knife in as close to the breast bone as possible and cut away one whole side of the breast. Then cut it into slices. Do the same to the other side.

If you liked this recipe try Lemon Sage Braised Chicken Thighs.

What to do With Leftover Chicken: Leftover Makeover

To make sure nothing goes to waste, I make up this awesome Waldorf Chicken salad to use up the leftovers.

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” Arnold H. Glasow