Herb Spiced Roast Chicken (Printable)
Succulent roast chicken infused with fresh herbs and spices, delivering juicy, aromatic meat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 1 whole chicken (approximately 3.3 lbs)
→ Fresh Herbs & Spices
02 - 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
→ Aromatics
09 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 lemon, halved
11 - 1 medium onion, quartered
→ Fats
12 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
# How to Make It:
01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels and place it in a roasting pan.
03 - Combine olive oil, softened butter, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and minced garlic in a small bowl to form a paste.
04 - Carefully loosen the skin on the chicken breasts and spread half the herb paste beneath the skin. Rub the remaining paste evenly over the chicken's exterior.
05 - Fill the cavity with halved lemon and quartered onion for added aroma.
06 - Tie the legs together using kitchen twine to ensure even cooking.
07 - Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes until juices run clear and an internal temperature of 165°F is reached in the thickest thigh portion.
08 - Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve warm, optionally garnished with fresh herbs.
# Expert Hacks:
01 -
- The herb paste under the skin keeps everything impossibly juicy while the outside turns crisp and burnished gold.
- It's genuinely simple but tastes like you spent hours fussing, which is basically the best kind of cooking secret.
- Leftovers (if there are any) make phenomenal sandwiches or salads the next day.
02 -
- Skipping the step of patting the chicken dry is the number one reason roasted chicken skin comes out soft instead of crackling; it's worth the 30 seconds.
- Don't skip the resting period, even though the aroma will be torture; it genuinely changes the texture of the meat.
- If your oven runs hot, start checking at 60 minutes rather than waiting the full time; every oven is different and burnt skin is sadder than undercooked chicken (which is also rare at this temperature).
03 -
- Softening the butter before mixing ensures it binds evenly into the paste rather than creating greasy pockets that cook off during roasting.
- Rolling the lemon firmly on the counter before halving it releases more juice, which then perfumes the cavity more effectively during the long cook.