Roast Whole Chicken Recipe

Roast Chicken Cooking Time

Seeking chicken and gravy recipes for crepes? Start with a roast whole chicken recipe featuring fresh herbs, lemon and garlic. 

A rotisserie chicken from the deli is a great shortcut when you're pressed for time.

However, it's very easy to roast a chicken in your own oven.

Follow these simple steps and you'll have a succulent main dish on your table in no time!

Ingredients

• 4½-5 lb whole chicken, rinsed inside and out, giblets removed
• 1 stick of butter, softened in the microwave for 15 seconds
• 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp of fresh parsley
• 6 cloves of fresh garlic
• 1 whole lemon, quartered
• ½ tsp of coarse salt
• ¼ tsp of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, remove leaves from sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Along with parsley, chop until finely minced. Place butter in a small bowl and mix herbs until thoroughly combined.

Place chicken in a roasting pan. I recommend that you place it on a rack inside pan to keep air circulating, which provides more even cooking. Place lemon quarters and garlic inside cavity.

Using hands, gently peel back skin on entire bird and liberally coat the area under the skin with herb-butter mixture. Sprinkle outside with salt and pepper.

Before placing chicken in oven, pour about ¼ cup of water in bottom of pan. This keeps the pan juices from burning while bird is roasting.

Roast chicken for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees. Cover bird with a sheet of non-stick tin foil. Roast chicken for 20 minutes per pound. For example, you should roast a 4½-lb bird for an additional 1 hour and 30 minutes.

After cooking, remove pan from oven. You should have a perfectly roasted bird with crisp golden skin with fragrant herbs visible underneath. Your entire kitchen will fill with the scent of chicken, garlic and lemon.

Before serving, baste the bird with the pan juices, cover with tin foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Now that your bird is cooked, you can make a simple chicken broth gravy from the savory pan juices.

Next, carve your chicken breasts and you'll end up with delicious herb-roasted slices.

Roll the meat up in crepes and top with hot gravy and you've got an unforgettable meal. 

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