Fresh lemon and a few sprigs of thyme add interest and texture to the delicious aroma of an Herb Roasted Chicken. Sheltered in my cozy kitchen that wonderful fragrance announces that a nourishing dinner will soon be waiting in the oven.
A Blast of Winter Weather
It is cold in Portland this week. The local news and weather reporters are giddy with it. The sun is shining and temperatures are dipping into the 20’s. We are all delighted to have some change in the weather. It is especially nice to see the sun. It brightens our spirits and gives us something encouraging to talk about as we snuggle into warm coats.
While the local reporters and meteorologists go on about the dramatic effect of these temperatures, the promising skiing conditions, the burden of high utility bills and the danger of exposure, my thoughts turn to the kitchen. This small blast of winter weather makes me want to cozy up beside the stove and turn the oven on. Unsure of what exactly I want to use it for, I turn to the first thing I see when I open the refrigerator: a whole chicken I bought on a whim.
Roasted Chicken in the Oven
Roasting a whole chicken is a simply wonderful task. After cleaning and drying the chicken, I pull out my Le Creuset oval French oven and tuck the bird inside the pan. Then I season it, add sprigs of thyme and pop a lemon in the cavity. Almost finished, I rub a little oil over the whole chicken before gently tucking some herbs between the breast meat and skin. Finally, I slide the open pan into the hot oven.
A chicken roasting in the oven is delightful when it’s cold outside. In no time at all a delicious aroma begins to satisfy my senses and the warmth of the kitchen embraces me with the security of home. Sheltered in my cozy kitchen that wonderful fragrance announces that a nourishing dinner is snugly tucked in the oven, soon to be fully enjoyed. Meanwhile, what a great time to curl up near the warm stove with a cup of Hot Chocolate and a book about French-inspired cuisine, maybe Joie de Vivre by Robert Arbor, while waiting for our Herb Roasted Chicken to be ready for dinner.
Herb Roasted Chicken
Course: Main DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes1
hour1
hour30
minutesFresh lemon and a few sprigs of thyme add interest and texture to the delicious flavor and aroma of roasted chicken.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
1 fresh lemon, halved
salt
freshly ground black pepper
several sprigs of fresh thyme (or sage or rosemary)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- Rub a bit of oil on the inside of a roasting pan.
- Remove anything that came stored inside the chicken. Inspect the outside of the chicken and remove any bits or pin feathers from the surface. With paper toweling, pat it dry inside and out.
- Rub one half of the cut lemon over the chicken, inside and out. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from the other lemon half inside the chicken and tuck the lemon rind inside the cavity along with several sprigs of fresh herbs.
- Place the chicken in the prepared roasting pan breast side up. Tuck it into shape. (I don’t bother to tie it or truss it.)
- Rub the olive oil all over the skin of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Separate the skin from the chicken breast with your fingers, creating a pocket. Tuck several sprigs of herbs into the pocket over each breast.
- Place the roasting pan in the middle of a hot oven and roast the chicken, uncovered, at 450 degrees until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees, approximately 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, tent with foil, and let the chicken rest for 10 or 15 minutes. Carve and serve with pan juices.
Notes
- Recipe Source: There are many “recipes” for roasting chicken. This version is adapted from one in Donata Maggipinto’s Real-Life Entertaining.
I'm making this chicken today and have made it several times in the past. Just thought I should drop you a line to let you know that this is my favorite roasted chicken recipe. So easy, and it comes out perfect every time. I really need to try to get to some of your other recipes. They look delicious.
Sorry about that, Haus! Perhaps I should have noted that I was using a full size electric (30-inch) oven with heating element on the bottom. It's the only type of oven I have ever used for roasting so I'm not sure what precautions should be taken (how or when the chicken should be checked) when using other types of ovens. I suppose it is always best to check periodically and adjust as necessary. If the chicken is golden but is not yet done, covering it (or tenting it with aluminum foil) should keep it from burning on top until it is cooked through.
Thanks for reading and trying the recipe! I'm glad to hear your chicken was still tasty and I hope you will stop by My Own Sweet Thyme again.
It could just be my itty bitty, top-heating-element, German oven, but after 45 minutes the skin on top was burnt and the chicken was done. It was still tasty, but I should have been more careful and used the lid for a portion of the cooking time.
We've roasted many chickens using everyone's "best ever" or "favorite" recipe, but my husband and I were both thrilled with this one! THIS roasted chicken recipe makes our favorite list! Thanks for sharing!
I made this for dinner tonight and it not only looked wonderful, the taste was sublime. Very moist and so easy! Thanks!
In my experience I would roast a cornish hen uncovered at 450F for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375F and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 170 – 180 degrees, or until juices run clear when cut between a leg and thigh, approximately 30 minutes more. Times will vary depending on the actual size of the cornish hen. If you buy your hen frozen it is also important to let it thaw completely, preferably in the refrigerator, before roasting.
Good luck with your dinner and enjoy your Le Creuset pot. I love mine for making pot roast and roasting lamb shanks too. Happy Easter!
Question – what about making this with Cornish hens? How long would I need to bake them for? Making 2 for Easter dinner. Thank you, Liz in Houston. P.S. This will be my first time using my Le Creuset pot my mother gave me years ago for Christmas.
raisingirl – I'm so glad the recipe turned out well for you. Thanks for sharing your experience!
My attempts at recipes never look like the posted pics on blogs or photos in glossy books … until tonight. I followed your recipe and roasted a chicken in my cheapie World Market dutch oven and my bird was beautiful. Of course the big pay off was that it tasted divine. Thanks for the post!
Hi,
I just got a Le Creuset 7.25 quart round French oven because I have been wanting one, and I had a $25 off coupon at a local furniture store, which already had them for a pretty good price. I had one a size smaller over 25 years ago, and the lid broke. I either got rid of it or gave it to our daughter. I've been missing it now that we have a gas stove.
Anyway, I found this post looking for a recipe for some chicken breasts I had. I used fresh rosemary, oregano, and thyme from a a pot in my garden window under the skin, and just sprinkled them with bottled lemon juice. My husband said they were good, that "I'd spend $225 on them, oh that's right, I did!" LOL
I'll have to check to see if you are still blogging.
Alison – So glad it turned out well for you!
Katherine – Yes. The type of pan shouldn't effect the method of preparation. Roasting the chicken at a high temperature cooks the chicken relatively quickly and finishes it with an attractive crispy brown skin.
I like the oval Le Creuset pan because it suits the shape of the chicken and the chicken nestles into it nicely.
Good luck!
Do you roast it at 450 degrees even in the Le Creuset?
wht_rab2003 – Sounds great! Having a chicken in the oven is the perfect remedy to the cold. The root vegetables sound like a delicious accompaniment. Glad the recipe worked well for you!
Test-drove my "new"/vintage (ebay) Le Creuset french oven with this recipe today – perfect for a Hudson Valley snowstormy day!! I filled the cocotte with cut-up root veggies from our winter farmers' market, and yellow potatoes, added fresh rosemary and olive oil and nestled the chicken on top – the smell was astonishing – left it covered for most of the cooking time as I had mis-read the recipe, but it came out fine, really tender, just not super-browned. A winner! ;-}
The chicken was great, everybody loved it. Juicy and Crispy. Thanks Lisa. Mario (Miami)
Mario – No, I don't cover it at all. The chicken nicely tucks into the dutch oven but is left open on top to crisp and brown.
Thanks for your question. I'm glad stopped by!
When you put the chicken in the oven, do you put the lid on? Do you cover for half the time? Thanks, Mario (Miami)
There’s nothing like roast chicken to satisfy comfort-food cravings, and yours looks delicious.
I visited Portland for the first time last summer, and I’m all ready to relocate! Too bad it’s probably just a dream, for now.