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Home » American

Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

Last Updated on May 3, 2022

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Whole roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary is the perfectly tender and juicy oven roasted chicken brushed with a fresh lemon, rosemary, garlic, butter and stuffed with aromatics for extra flavor.

It is one of the most flavorful, fool-proof recipes you can pull off  easily. Make it perfect for Sunday dinner or even an easy enough one for a weeknight!

 
Whole chicken roasts are my favorite part of Holiday meal
Other flavors that were hits are posted here with entire menu list:
Whole Roast Tandoori Chicken,
 Whole Roasted Chicken in spicy Indian masala
 

 Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosmary recipe ingredients :
Whole Chicken - 1 medium sized (with skin)
Lemon - 2
Rosemary sprigs - 4-5 (only fresh leaves)
Garlic - 1 whole
Butter - 1/2 cup at room temp + more if u like for basting
Olive oil - 2-3 tsp
Onion - 1 roughly cubed (for stuffing)
Salt and pepper generously used here
For tying the legs:
Kitchen twine.
Optional: For veggie bed : 2-3 each of cut into large chunks -potatoes,carrots,onions,garlic twigs or stems of rosemary,2 -4 leaves of sage etc
Method :

  1. Bring all the ingredients to room temperature.Wash the chicken well and pat it dry with paper napkins.Apply salt and pepper on all sides and inside of the chicken.
  2. Zest 1 lemon carefully without pith by scraping on a fine grater. Chop the rosemary leaves finely. Add the leaves, zest 2-3 garlic flakes crushed to butter.Squeeze the juice of lemon used for zest into it give a good mix.
  3.  Separate the chicken from skin and rub  the butter mixture between the skin and flesh use your lovely hands to apply the mixture all over and inside the chicken Take care not to tear  the skin(This ensures the flesh absorbs everything without burning butter from oven heat.)
  4.  Apply all the remaining on top of the skin too. Remember to evenly coat.
  5.  Now rub onion and garlic flakes with salt and pepper and olive oil and stuff it inside the chicken. Wipe all the remaining oil on to the chicken skin.
  6.  Secure the chicken legs with the twine.
Roasting part:
  1. Prepare the roasting pan with a drip tray/roasting rack or veggie bed of potatoes,carrots,onions,garlic twigs or stems of rosemary,2 -4 leaves of sage etc
  2. Preheat oven and roast at 425- 450 F
  3. Lay the chicken breast side down on the prepared pan. (This helps all the juices inside to collect at the chicken breast) then after 30 minutes turn the chicken and cook for another 30 - 40 minutes until the meat is cooked thoroughly. Roast in the middle rack so the heat distributes evenly.
  4. Baste the chicken with olive oil or more butter with a basting brush every now and then in the last half of cooking.
  5. Switch off oven and the bird sit inside the oven for the skin to crisp up for another 15 minutes.Remove the chicken and lay it on the cutting board to cool down a bit say another 15 minutes Baste some fresh butter or olive oil if you like for that glossy shine you see in ads.
  6.  Put an aluminium foil loosely covered on it so the juices do not dry out.

Cut from skin to bone (like you would slice a bread). Serve the Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosmary with bread /bun

 

bottom to top (click on bold font for recipe) :
Mashed potato,Lobster, Artichoke and Spinach Bake,  thickened gravy with mashed veggies from roast bed,green bean casserole, Cranberry Sauce, Eggless Pumpkin Pie. 

 


How to know if the whole chicken is cooked well inside? **

  1. .Insert a meat thermometer on the thickest part of the flesh without hitting the bone and it should read 165-175 F.( If it touches the bone the reading will be higher.)
  2. .The skin should be crisp and give a crunch sound and the knife should glide through the meat  without too much effort until it touches a bone.
  3. . The flesh should be opaque and kind of flaky not pinkish and jiggly.
  4. . When a skewer is inserted near the thigh the juices should run clear not cloudy (no traces of blood or pink color)  with no smell of blood.

In all the above cases return to the oven and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes check again and allow it to rest before cutting.

Note:
If the top skin is burning fast the loosely cover the chicken with an aluminium  foil until cooking is done.

PS: It was really overcast and dark inside so pl excuse the dark pics.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cooking at Mayflower

    November 16, 2016 at 6:24 pm

    Super, Yummy chicken roast

    Reply
  2. Rafeeda AR

    November 17, 2016 at 4:49 am

    That butter on the chicken must have made it absolutely delicious... I am already drooling at the thought of it... Love the pictures, and I would have loved to be a part of such a meal...

    Reply
  3. Nava K

    November 17, 2016 at 10:21 am

    Dang a million times, this roast is simply irresistible. Speak about its lemony scent, loved.

    Reply
  4. Framed Recipes

    November 28, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    Meena, been planning to see how you did this since the day you posted this on FB. Ippo time kitty. :). I have never prepared a whole chicken (blame it on my vegetarian upbringing), but my husband was suggesting that I try. I am planning to give this a try (may be the Indian version) and will tell you all about it. Thanks so much sharing all the details. And BTW, please be on the hotline if I need your help when I make it. Hugs!

    Reply
  5. Meena Kumar

    November 29, 2016 at 4:27 pm

    Sure Sree ping me anytime. Do try it and I am sure u will like it.

    Reply
  6. Meena Kumar

    November 29, 2016 at 9:01 pm

    Thank you Beena.

    Reply
  7. Meena Kumar

    November 29, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    Lol Rafee come over I will make everything u like.

    Reply
  8. Meena Kumar

    November 29, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    Thank you Nava.

    Reply

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