American
Classic Lemon Herb Roast Chicken
A golden, crisp-skinned whole chicken rubbed with lemon-garlic herb butter and roasted over onions for an easy pan sauce.
- Crackling golden skin
- Built-in pan sauce
- Weeknight-friendly Sunday classic
Every home cook deserves one roast chicken they can make without looking at a recipe, and this is ours. A simple dry brine seasons the meat all the way through and dries the skin so it crackles in a hot oven. Herb butter tucked under the skin keeps the breast juicy while lemon and garlic perfume the bird from the inside. The onions underneath turn sweet and jammy and become the base for a bright, no-fuss pan sauce.
Instructions
Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels and season it all over, including the cavity, with the kosher salt. Set it on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Position a rack in the lower-middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before roasting.
In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the lemon zest, minced garlic, parsley and black pepper until evenly combined.
Gently slide your fingers under the skin of the breast and thighs to loosen it. Spread about half of the herb butter under the skin and rub the rest over the outside of the bird.
Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, smashed garlic, thyme and rosemary. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips behind the back.
Scatter the onion wedges in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet or small roasting pan and set the chicken breast side up on top. Pour the broth into the pan around the chicken.
Roast for 60 to 75 minutes, basting once with the pan juices after 40 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F.
If the breast skin is browning too quickly before the thigh is done, tent it loosely with foil for the remaining time.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat.
Meanwhile, skim excess fat from the pan, squeeze the roasted lemon from the cavity into the juices and simmer on the stovetop over medium heat for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
Carve the chicken into legs, thighs, wings and sliced breast and serve with the onions and warm pan sauce spooned over.
Test kitchen tips
- The longer dry brine is worth it: a full overnight rest in the refrigerator gives the crispiest skin and the most evenly seasoned meat.
- Leftover meat keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated, and the carcass makes an excellent stock simmered with onion, carrot and celery.
- No fresh herbs on hand? Use 1 tsp dried thyme in the butter and add a few extra garlic cloves and a second lemon to the cavity.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 44g
- Carbs
- 6g
- Fat
- 35g
- Fiber
- 1g
- Sugar
- 2g
- Sodium
- 780mg
Nutrition values are estimates calculated per serving. See our disclaimer.
