Roast Chicken with Lemon and Herbs
A whole chicken roasted hot with thyme butter worked under the skin and lemon in the cavity, giving crisp skin and juices bright enough to serve as the only sauce.
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third. Pat the chicken completely dry inside and out and let it sit at room temperature while the oven heats.
- 2
Season the cavity and the outside of the bird with the salt and pepper.
- 3
Mash the softened butter with the chopped thyme and parsley. Loosen the breast and thigh skin with your fingers and spread the herb butter directly on the meat underneath.
- 4
Squeeze one lemon half over the bird, then put both halves, the garlic, and the thyme sprigs in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders.
- 5
Rub the skin with the olive oil and set the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan or 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- 6
Roast for 70 to 80 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, away from bone, reads 165°F.
- 7
Transfer the chicken to a board and rest 15 minutes before carving. Tilt the cavity juices into the pan, whisk them into the drippings, and spoon over the carved meat.
Ingredients
- 1 (4 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third. Pat the chicken completely dry inside and out and let it sit at room temperature while the oven heats.
- 2
Season the cavity and the outside of the bird with the salt and pepper.
- 3
Mash the softened butter with the chopped thyme and parsley. Loosen the breast and thigh skin with your fingers and spread the herb butter directly on the meat underneath.
- 4
Squeeze one lemon half over the bird, then put both halves, the garlic, and the thyme sprigs in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders.
- 5
Rub the skin with the olive oil and set the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan or 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- 6
Roast for 70 to 80 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, away from bone, reads 165°F.
- 7
Transfer the chicken to a board and rest 15 minutes before carving. Tilt the cavity juices into the pan, whisk them into the drippings, and spoon over the carved meat.