This deliciously succulent roast chicken is flavoured with rosemary, lemon and garlic. Rub the skin with butter and salt to get it extra crispy!
Is there anything better than a crispy whole roast chicken?
Perfect roast chicken
Will and I have a lot of chickens because the shop down the road seems to always have them reduced so we pretty much have a permanent supply of chickens in our freezer. It's great.
For all the fancy and fun meals we make sometimes there's nothing better than a simple roast dinner. It's a British classic for a reason (see also shepherd's pie, sausage casserole and vegetable pie) and chicken is normally what we go for as it's probably the cheapest and easiest option.
Once you've perfected a whole chicken then you can have a roast dinner whenever you want it in just a few short hours. We normally serve it with mashed potatoes and a couple of easy steamed veggies and of course don't forget the gravy.
Leftover roast chicken is a wonderful thing too.
A roast chicken we cook for the two of us on a Sunday night can last us the next two or three days for dinners and you can make amazing things like these chipotle chicken quesadillas or these chicken mini pizzas or even these chicken chilli nachos.
I always feel happy when I know I've got leftover chicken ready to be added to all kinds of yummy dishes.
Simple Whole Roasted Chicken
There are many ways to roast a chicken and we have tried loads of different methods. This is the best way we've found.
It's so full of flavour and the meat is so moist (yeah yeah I know, everyone hates that word but I happen to think it's perfectly acceptable when you're talking about food).
Also it tastes really delicious without flavouring the meat so much that you can't use the leftovers for other things. Basically garlic goes with everything worth eating so it's all good.
Just look at that skin! So crispy and brown and salty and and and just so freaking good. You can also switch out the herbs you use if you like too. Thyme would be delicious instead of the rosemary if you prefer.
Want more? Get all my other chicken recipes before you go or try one of the ones below!
- Bang Bang Chicken
- Taquitos with Spicy Chicken & Cheese
- Cajun Chicken & Vegetables
- Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet with Spaghetti
- One Pot Pasta with Chicken, Spinach & Mushrooms
- Chipotle Chicken Salad
Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary & Garlic
Ingredients
- 1.7 kg Chicken
- Bunch Fresh Rosemary leaves picked
- ½ Lemon
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 100 g Butter unsalted
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210°C. Pat dry your chicken and place in a roasting tin. Place the garlic and half a lemon into the cavity of the chicken. Gently pull the skin away from the top of the chicken and place a handful of rosemary leaves underneath the skin along with a couple of slices of butter. Rub the rest of the butter into the skin of the chicken making sure to get it into all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle salt all over the chicken, be generous.
- Place the chicken into the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Then turn down the oven to 180°C and cook for another 70 minutes. Once the time is up make a cut into the chicken and make sure the juices run clear. Leave to rest for 10 minutes under a sheet of foil before carving.
Notes
Equipment you need to make this recipe...
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Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
OH YES!!!!
That crispy skin is calling my name.
I want to reach in to the screen and rip it off.
Chicken skin is my favourite bit of the whole roast chicken and yours looks fabulous!
Monica | Nourish & Fete says
What a perfect way to cook a whole chicken - and this combo of herbs is to die for! I can only imagine how wonderful your house smells while it's roasting. 🙂
Julia says
Mmmm, I have never tried using rosemary and lemon when roasting a chicken but will do next time! Thanks for the inspiration!
Helene D'Souza says
Now that's quite a different recipe. I love whole baked chicken and I grew up with that Sunday food served with clove infused rice. We add olive oil, instead of butter, and thyme too. I am curious about the addition of lemon flavors. Looks delicious!