Best roast chicken
prep time: 20 minute Scook time: 1 HOUR 30 minute Sresting time: 15 minute total time: 2 HOURS 5 minute
Roast Chicken is a perfect recipe for whole, oven roasted chicken and vegetables with plenty of gravy to go around! Your family will love this dinner!
Ingredients:
- 5-6 lb. whole chicken
- Salt/Pepper
- 1 large bunch thyme, plus 20 sprigs
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into large chunks
- 4 carrots, sliced into 4-inch chunks
- 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, cut into wedges
- 2-3 Tablespoons Olive oil
- For the Gravy:
- 2/3 cup Chicken Broth
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
Best roast chicken
Instructions :
- Roasting the Chicken
- Unwrap the chicken and remove the giblets and/or the neck (if included). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- If possible, let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow for more even cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Seasoning the entire chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the chicken with the thyme, garlic, and lemon.
- Brush the outside of the chicken with the 2 TBS melted butter and season again with salt/pepper.
- Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. Tuck the wings underneath the body of the chicken.
- Place the sliced onions, carrots, and fennel bulb on the bottom of a roasting pan.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Use your hands to toss to evenly coat the vegetables.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. This prevents the chicken from sitting in its own juice while it cooks and elevates the chicken for even cooking.
- Roast (uncovered), for 1 ½ hours. Halfway through, use a spoon to drizzle the chicken with some drippings from the bottom of the pan. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and place it back in the oven.
- The chicken is done when the juices run clear and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees. (Place a meat thermometer into the thigh to check the temperature.)
- Let the chicken rest, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb before you cut into it!
- Slice the chicken on a platter and serve with the roasted vegetables.
Making the Gravy :
- Pour the chicken drippings into a large measuring cup.
- Top it off with chicken broth to make 2 cups.
- Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add 3 Tablespoons flour. Whisk for 1 minute.
- Add half of the gravy juice/broth. Whisk until there are no lumps.
- Add remaining liquid. Whisk for 2 minutes. The gravy will continue to thicken more and more.
- Season with salt/pepper if desired. Done!
Notes :
- Need more Browning?
- If your chicken needs a touch more color, increase the heat to 500° and use foil to cover up any parts that are already sufficiently browned.
- Roast for an additional 5 minutes or so. Keep a close eye on it.
- Save Your Leftovers!
- Save your leftovers to make easy homemade chicken stock!
- You can even freeze your leftovers to make stock another day.
Nutrition :
Calories: 641kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 213mg, Sodium: 236mg, Potassium: 793mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 5530IU, Vitamin C: 18.2mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 3mg
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