Roast Chicken – Take your pick

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These are good. Fairly easy…and overall “fresh”!

I have 2 recipes. The Prep and Cook instructions are the same for both

To Prep for either recipe

  • Remove the chicken giblets.
  • Rinse the chicken inside and out.
  • Remove any excess fat
  • Pat the outside dry
  • Season chicken cavity with salt and pepper.

To cook for either recipe: Cook at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes to reach 165 degrees F.

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Option 1 – https://www.theseasonedmom.com/roast-chicken

Ingredients for Option 1 

  • 1 whole chicken (about 4 – 4.5 lbs.), rinsed and patted dry; giblets removed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 1 stalk celery, quartered
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme about 10 sprigs
  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary about 10 sprigs
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled but not chopped
  • 2 T butter, melted
  • 6-8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
  • 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1 Vidalia onion, quartered
  • 2 T olive oil
  • Kitchen twine for tying

Instructions for Option 1 (Prep and Cook details are above)

  1. Stuff chicken cavity with lemon chunks, celery, half of the thyme sprigs, half of the rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves. It’s fine if you can’t fit all of these ingredients into your chicken. Just stuff as much in there as you can!
  2. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings underneath the bird.
    Place chicken (breast-side up) in a large roasting pan.
  3. Drizzle or brush melted butter over the outside of the chicken.
    Season liberally all over with salt and pepper.
  4. Place potatoes, carrots and onion in a large Ziploc bag.
    Add olive oil to the bag, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
  5. Place the vegetables in the roasting pan around the chicken.
    Tuck the remaining sprigs of thyme and rosemary in the pan with the vegetables.

Option 2 – https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe-1940592
(But I am changing it up a bit below. The original cooks at high heat for shorter time)

Ingredients for Option 2 

  • 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
  • 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
  • Olive oil

Instructions for Option 2 (Prep and Cook details are above)

  1. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.
  2. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.
  3. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
  4. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil.
  5. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
  6. Cook (see note above).
  7. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.
  8. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.