Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 70 minutes
Special equipment: roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, approximately 3 pounds
- Fresh herbs, lemon wedge, whole tomato (optional)
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- Vegetables cut for roasting such as carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, parsnips and garlic (optional)
Steps
- If possible, remove chicken from fridge about an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Rinse chicken and pat dry.
- If using, stuff the chicken cavity with fresh herbs and lemon wedge.
- If using, rub some dried herbs under the skin on the breast of the chicken. It should lift easily.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan and surround with prepared vegetables.
- Cover with lid or aluminum foil.
- Cook for approximately 1 hour.
- Uncover the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes more. The chicken is cooked when an instant read thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the leg and not touching the bone, registers 170ºF. Another way to tell is to move the leg bone around. If it moves easily, it is done.
- Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting. This resting time is very important to allow the juices to redistribute creating tender and juicy meat.
- Additional tip is to cook 2 chickens at once and use the second one for leftovers. Cooking time may need to extend an extra 10 minutes or so.
1 chicken serves 4
*You don’t have to follow any of the additional instructions above. You can just preheat the oven, rinse and cook the chicken with no other prep at all! You can use any remaining cooking juices to drizzle over your accompanying vegetables. And you will also have the chicken bones, skin and meat to create fantastic homemade broth.
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