Roasted Chicken With Lemon, Garlic and Thyme
photo by Outta Here
- Ready In:
- 1hr 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 (6 lb) roasting chickens, approximately 6 pounds
- 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
- salt & fresh ground pepper
- 1 lemon
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more
- fresh thyme, for garnish
- 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
directions
- Let the butter and chicken stand at room temperature for 3o minutes or so.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove and discard any giblets, excess fat, and plastic pop-up timer, if there is one.
- To prevent burning, tuck the chicken's wing tips under the body.
- Season the cavity of the chicken, liberally, with salt and pepper.
- Roll the lemon back and forth on the counter to get the juices going. Pierce the entire surface of the lemon with the fork.
- Smash up the garlic cloves- the side of a knife does this well.
- Insert lemon, garlic and thyme into the cavity of the bird.
- Arrange the onion slices in the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan. (Arranging the onions in overlapping rows works great) Place the chicken on top with the breast side up. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
- Spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast the chicken until skin is crisp and the skin is a nice golden brown. The juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork- about 1 1/2 hours. The chicken will be cooked perfectly when an instant-read thermometer (inserted into the breast- then thigh) will read 165 degrees.
- Garnish with sprigs of thyme.
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Reviews
-
WOW! This was one of the best roasted chickens we have ever had. And smelled so good while cooking. I had some fresh lemon thyme so used that for added "lemon" flavor. I had some assorted fingerling potatoes that I placed around the chicken and they soaked up the great onion-lemon juices. This recipe is very simple and yet turns out such a great meal! Made for Let's P-A-R-T-Y! December Cooking Event
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
hollyfrolly
Reno, NV
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