Yes, mamas… it’s that good — it sure as heck will knock your socks off. Whether you have two different pairs on or realize you’re wearing your husband’s, this crispy-skin chicken recipe is yummy and toddler approved. 

It is one of those easy meals that’s all prep and you can pop in the oven and forget about it! It also looks beautiful and would impress the socks off your friends too, if you served it while entertaining. It’s great for making ahead, which is why I usually prep during nap time. If you watch the sales, you can get a whole chicken really inexpensive. This one from Whole Foods was local organic and was less than $6 for the whole thing! 

I like to serve with Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice (this stuff is amazing — you place in the microwave and it’s done in 90 seconds!, but it would also be great with a salad.

(Current view of what my food prep usually looks like when baby doesn’t nap: dog cleaning up the Puff crumbs and baby scooting across the kitchen floor.)

Print Recipe

Whole Roasted Chicken

Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1.5 hours

Servings

people (+ kids)

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 whole chicken 5-6 pounds
• 2 large yellow onions divided, thickly sliced
• 1 large head garlic cut in half crosswise
• 2 lemons halved
• 4-6 carrots cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 bunch fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage) to stuff inside cavity

Compound Butter

• 1 stick Butter softened until creamy smooth
• 1 Tbs (each) fresh rosemary, thyme, sage minced
• kosher salt
• ground pepper

Course Main Dish Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1.5 hours Servings people (+ kids) Ingredients Chicken 1 whole chicken 5-6 pounds 2 large yellow onions divided, thickly sliced 1 large head garlic cut in half crosswise 2 lemons halved 4-6 carrots cut into 2 inch chunks 1 bunch fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage) to stuff inside cavity Compound Butter 1 stick Butter softened until creamy smooth 1 Tbs (each) fresh rosemary, thyme, sage minced kosher salt ground pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Make compound butter by mixing ingredients in a bowl until creamy and smooth. You can use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand or you can buy a pre-made dry herb mix usually found in near the meat counter of your local grocery store (I like the Lemon Thyme mix from Whole Foods).

   
3. Remove the chicken giblets (eeek! - this is the worst part to me). Put your fingers between the skin and meat to loosen and rub the inside meat with the compound butter mixture under the skin along the chest. Take the remaining butter and rub on outside of skin all over outside of chicken.
4. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with garlic, 1 sliced onion, 1 halved lemon, and the bunch of herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to keep the items inside the cavity while roasting.
5. Place chicken in roasting pan (make sure you cover in foil for easy clean up) and place remaining chopped onions, carrots, lemon, garlic (whatever you want) around the chicken and pour chicken stock in bottom of pan (called a "wet bath"). This will help keep in the moisture and cook the vegetables in the pan.

   
6. Place in oven and cook for 1.5 hours or until juices run clear. Keep your eye on it around the 1 hour mark -- size varies cook time. Serve with salad, quinoa, or rice.