Best Walk Away Roast Chicken With Lemon Herbs Recipes

LEMON & HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• NOTE: This chicken does best when prepped 24 hours in advance. If that's not doable, season and chill at least 8-10 hours before cooking for crispier skin and more flavorful chicken.
• Set chicken on a clean plate then wash hands with hot soapy water. Melt butter and drizzle over the skin of the chicken and brush to distribute evenly. Season the exterior and interior cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper (as the recipe is written, about 3/4-1 Tbsp sea salt and 1-2 tsp black pepper). This sounds like a lot of salt, but there should be a generous layer of seasoning on the chicken so it flavors the meat well. (For a roughly 4 lb. chicken, we used about 1 Tbsp salt and 2 tsp black pepper total.)
• Insert the lemon and fresh rosemary into the cavity - this infuses more flavor and also makes for a more flavorful broth (if making broth afterward).
• Set the chicken in the fridge uncovered (this allows the chicken to dry out a bit, which helps it crisp more when roasting). Wait 24-36 hours (ideally) or at least 8-10 hours to cook. At this time, be sure to wash hands with hot soapy water again and clean all surfaces well to avoid spreading bacteria.
• Once you're ready to cook your chicken, preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C). Get out a large rimmed roasting pan or cast-iron skillet (we like this baking dish). If adding veggies (optional) add carrots and potatoes to the pan. Drizzle with a bit of oil and season well with salt and pepper. Then toss to combine.
• Arrange the veggies around the perimeter of the dish, then add the chicken (breast side up) in the center (if not baking with veggies, just place chicken in center of pan).
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (UNCOVERED) or until the exterior is crispy and golden brown and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F (74 C). I also like to measure the breast temperature to ensure it's done in the center as well (also 165 F / 74 C). For an accurate read, be sure the thermometer is not touching bone.
• Remove from oven and let chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This ensures the juices redistribute to keep the chicken moist.
• To slice the chicken, use a sharp knife to remove the wings and the thighs (option to cut the leg/drumstick from the thigh for easier serving portions). Then slice down either side of the breast bone and thinly slice the breasts into 1/4-inch serving portions. Use hands to carefully remove any other parts of meat from the bones. Lastly, if opting to make bone broth, save the bones (including the legs and wings after meat has been removed).
• To serve, arrange the carrots and potatoes on a serving platter and top with pieces of chicken. You will likely have a generous portion of cooking juices left over in the roasting pan, which I recommend transferring to a small dish and serving on the side to add more flavor as a lazy but delicious form of "gravy."
• Enjoy hot. Save cooled leftover meat and veggies covered in the fridge up to 2-3 days. Transfer meat up to the freezer after that and store up to 1 month (veggies won't freeze). Leftover meat can be enjoyed cold or hot (warm in the oven or microwave) on its own, or shredded and added to soup.

JULIA'S ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preparing the chicken:
• Set the rack on the lower middle level and preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Rinse the chicken thoroughly, inside and out, under hot water, then dry it with paper towels. Remove any lumps of fat from inside the cavity near the tail opening.
• To make carving easier, remove the wishbone. Lift the flap of neck skin and insert a thin, sharp knife into each end of the breast; then slice diagonally along both sides of the wishbone. Use your finger and thumb to loose the bone, pry it out at the top, and pull it down. If it breaks, carefully wiggle out the pieces.
• Trim the small bony protrusions, or "nubbins," from the wing tip joint. Then fold the wings up against the breast, where they will be held in place by the V-rack.
• Salt and pepper the cavity and stuff it with the sage leaves and 3 or 4 thick slices of lemon; give the slices a squeeze as you put them in. Massage the butter over the entire chicken skin, including undersides, then salt generously.
• Tie the ends of the drumsticks together with twine. Arrange the chicken breast-up on the rack in the roasting pan and tuck the flap of neck skin underneath. Squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon pieces over the top.
• Roasting the chicken:
• Set the roasting pan in the oven. After 15 minutes, lower heat to 350°F. When the chicken is beginning to brown rapidly, baste with accumulated pan juices. Roast for an hour, adding the onions and carrots after 30 minutes and basting several times. Very carefully test for doneness, checking for easy movement in the leg joint and clear color in the juices. Return it to the oven if there is any sign of pinkness. (A small chicken will roast in about 1 1/4 hours, a larger one may take 1 1/2 hours or more.) When done, remove the chicken from the rack and set it on a board to rest for 15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to retreat back into the flesh.
• Final Steps:
• While the chicken is resting, make the deglazing sauce in the roasting pan.

LEMON-HERB ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat the chickens very dry with paper towels. Season inside the cavities with salt and pepper. Combine the butter, lemon zest, parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a mini food processor; pulse until almost smooth. Gently loosen the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs with your fingers. Rub half of the herb butter evenly under the skin of both chickens, then rub the remaining herb butter all over the chickens. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 30 minutes to dry out the skin.
• About 30 minutes before roasting, bring the chickens to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Stuff the lemon quarters into the chicken cavities. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the body. Arrange the chickens breast-side up on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan, leaving a bit of space between them; scatter the lemon wedges on the rack around the chickens.
• Roast until the breasts and tops of the legs are golden, about 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting until the skin is golden and crisp all over and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 40 to 50 more minutes.
• Remove the chickens from the oven; let rest 15 minutes in the pan. Remove the twine and carve the chickens (see below); serve with the roasted lemon wedges.

WALK-AWAY ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON & HERBS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375°F In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, the mustard, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the juice from one lemon half into the herb mixture; squeeze the juice from the other half into a small bowl and reserve. Reserve the squeezed lemon halves. Spoon the herb mixture over the chicken and inside its cavity, rubbing to coat the bird thoroughly. Put the reserved lemon halves inside the chicken's cavity.
• Put the onion and potatoes in a roasting pan. Season them with salt and pepper and toss them with the remaining 1 1/2 Tblsps. olive oil. Scatter the ingredients around the pan to make room in the center for the chicken.
• Put the chicken in the pan, breast side up. Cook until the meat is tender and the juices run clear at the thigh, about 1-1/4 hours. By this time, the potatoes and onions should be tender.
• Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Pour the juices from inside the chicken's cavity into the roasting pan and transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest.
• Spoon off and discard as much fat as possible from the juices in the roasting pan. Set the pan with the juices over medium-low heat and pour in the reserved lemon juice along with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Cut the chicken into pieces (or serve it whole, if you like). Pour the pan juices over the chicken and serve.