One of the best aromas to fill a kitchen is an herby, roasted chicken. Don’t be afraid to roast a whole chicken! Just a little bit of prep and your oven does the rest! Roast two chickens on Sunday to have meals planned for the week: sandwiches, salads, casseroles, and more. I love to roast a chicken or two and then use the bones to make a rich, bone broth (another EASY recipe). Chicken bone broth makes the PERFECT risotto! One roasted chicken provides a minimum of three meals at this house. Give this recipe a try, and while you’re at it, reserve those chicken bones and make a flavorful bone broth that will knock your socks off! It’s that good and will make and excellent soup base or flavor component for risotto.
The best pan to use for roasting a chicken is a low-sided, roasting pan known as a braiser. My favorite is by Staub and you can check it out by clicking on this link Staub Braiser. You can also use a 12-inch cast iron skillet or other shallow roasting pan that can easily move from oven to stovetop.
I also strongly suggest an instant read thermometer. This one from OXO is an excellent choice and easily converts from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Check it out with this link OXO Thermometer. No one likes under cooked chicken and if you overcook it, it’s too dry.
An optional piece of equipment that every kitchen should have is a silicone basting brush. I like heatproof silicone brushes because the bristles stay put and don’t fall out into the food. Since the housing is not metal, there’s no rusting. And I can’t tell you how many expensive natural bristle basting brushes I have purchased that have disappointed me in a major way! If the heat is too high, the the bristles can actually melt. Or the bristles fall out. The housing rusts. They are tough to clean. This silicone brush set is heat resistant to 550 degrees and is dishwasher safe. I use it for meats, pastries, greasing pans, and comes in two sizes for more versatility. You’ll be surprised how much you use it. Check it out with this link Silicone Basting Brush Set.
I can’t wait for you to try this simple herb-roasted chicken. Next I want you to make bone broth! I’ll post that recipe this weekend along with the easiest, best risotto recipe you’ll ever use and the only one you’ll need. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Simple Herb-Roasted Chicken with Pan Sauce
Equipment
- Braiser optional (or shallow roasting pan)
- Instant-read meat thermometer optional
- Basting brush optional
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb. whole chicken (if giblets included, set aside or freeze for other use)
- 1.5 T. Kosher salt, divided
- ½ t. ground black pepper
- 2 small onions
- 2 small lemons
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 9-12 sprigs fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage 3-4 sprigs each
- ½ stick butter cut into thin pats
- 2 T. olive oil
Pan Sauce
- ½ cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay)
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat chicken dry. Sprinkle both chicken cavities with ½ T. each of the Kosher salt and the pepper; set aside.
- Slice both onions into several thick slices. Place half of the onion slices on bottom of braiser or roasting pan. Stuff other half of onion slices in both chicken cavities. Repeat with lemons. Divide 3-4 herb sprigs among both chicken cavities.
- To the braiser, along with the onions and lemons, add smashed garlic cloves and 3-4 herb sprigs. This serves as a rack for the chicken. Place chicken on top of the onion, lemon, garlic, and herb blend.
- Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin over the breast meat and create space to insert butter pats and a few herb sprigs. Cover the surface as much as possible.
- Brush chicken skin with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with remaining ½ T. Kosher salt.
- Roast uncovered for 40 minutes.
- Turn oven temperature to 350 for an additional 40 minutes. or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast (away from bone) reads 165 degrees. Leg should be 175 degrees.
- Remove from oven and let rest 15-20 minutes before cutting.
- While chicken is resting, make pan sauce if desired.
Pan Sauce
- While chicken is resting on a cutting board, remove onion, lemon, garlic, and herbs from the pan. Add white wine and heat over medium high heat until reduced by half, scraping up any browned bits left in the pan. These add flavor to the sauce. Add water and reduce by half again. Add heavy cream and cook over medium heat until just heated through. Sauce will be thick enough to coat the back of spoon. Serve with chicken.
