Garlic Roasted Chicken Delight (Print)

Tender roasted chicken with garlic, herbs, and lemon delivers a rich, savory experience in every bite.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 whole chicken (approximately 3.3 lbs), giblets removed

→ Aromatics

02 - 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
03 - 1 lemon, halved
04 - 1 medium onion, quartered

→ Herbs and Seasonings

05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
07 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

→ Optional for Serving

10 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make:

01 - Heat the oven to 425°F.
02 - Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it on a rack set inside a roasting pan.
03 - Rub olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper evenly over the entire chicken, inside and out.
04 - Place the halved garlic, lemon, quartered onion, thyme, and rosemary inside the chicken cavity.
05 - Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips beneath the body.
06 - Roast the chicken for 75 to 80 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thickest thigh reaches 165°F and juices run clear.
07 - Allow the chicken to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving to retain juices.
08 - Optionally, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the carved chicken and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen but honestly takes barely twenty minutes of actual work.
  • The garlic mellows into something sweet and buttery, nothing sharp or overwhelming about it.
  • Your whole house smells incredible while it roasts, and that's half the joy.
02 -
  • The thermometer is your friend—I learned this the hard way after serving a chicken that looked golden but wasn't quite done, and I've never trusted my eyes alone since.
  • Resting the chicken is non-negotiable; it's the difference between juicy meat and something that dries out the moment you cut into it.
  • If you want crispier skin, baste it halfway through with the pan juices that have accumulated, but don't open the oven too often or you'll mess with the temperature.
03 -
  • If your oven runs hot, you might need to lower the temperature slightly or tent the chicken loosely with foil to prevent it from browning too fast before it cooks through.
  • Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly than cold chicken straight from the refrigerator, so pull it out about thirty minutes before roasting if you can remember to do it.

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