Herb roasted chicken! let me show you how to make my tried and trusted roast chicken made with fresh herbs, lemon zest, paprika, and olive oil. This is an easy recipe that will give you a perfectly roasted chicken that is tender, juicy, and moist with crispy skin every time!
Serve with butter potatoes, baked sliced sweet potatoes, garlic bread, and many more.
Herb roasted chicken recipe(Marinated roast chicken)
Whether you are serving up a weeknight dinner, Sunday dinner, or holiday meal, this herb roasted chicken is sure to be a hit! You sure need this in your repertoire, it won't disappoint as it would be your go-to roast recipe.
It is versatile and can be served as a main course with some sides, shred it and use in salads or sandwiches, or even use the carcass to make delicious chicken stock.
Related recipes: air fryer whole chicken and Dutch oven roast chicken and vegetables.
This recipe is
Easy to follow (completely foolproof) Perfect for beginners with a reliable cooking method
Budget-friendly: you do not need to go out of pocket for this recipe, while I advocate for splurging a little when making roast chicken. The economy of today may not always allow that, to cut the long story short, use any whole chicken you can afford.
Perfect for holidays, special occasions, or weeknight dinners
Made with simple ingredients (herbs) that compliments the chicken so well.
Healthier, flavourful, and tastier than any store-bought rotisserie chicken
Tools needed
Chopper or a sharp knife
Meat thermometer
What you need for this recipe(Marinated roast chicken)
To make this simple herb roasted chicken, you will need the following ingredients
A whole chicken
Fresh herbs: I used a mix of rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley
Lemon and lemon zest
Smoked paprika: sub with regular paprika
Garlic cloves
Salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil
Quick overview on how to make herb roasted chicken
Prep the chicken: remove goblets and cut off excess skin from the bird and pat dry
Make the herb marinade, see my recipe for marinated whole chicken for how to make it. Marinade the chicken, making sure to cover all the parts of the chicken including the cavity, and truss the legs.
Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours for maximum flavor. Bring out the chicken about 30 minutes before roasting so that it comes to room temperature. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with lemon wedges, sage, thyme, and rosemary bouquet
Roast in the oven at 220C/420F until golden brown and the skin crispy basting 1-2 times for moist and tender chicken.
Rest the chicken for a few minutes (15-20 minutes) for the juice to redistribute, serve and enjoy!
Roasted chicken sides
Herb roasted chicken is versatile and you can serve it in many different ways. Here are some side dish ideas to get you started:
Sauteed broccolini or stovetop broccoli
FAQs
How to truss a chicken
Trussing a chicken is optional but I highly recommend it as it helps the chicken to cook evenly and is more pleasing to the eyes. Personally, I only truss the legs and tuck the wings into the bird. To do this place a twine (about 15cm long) under the legs making sure it is centralized. Bring the twine up at both ends and crisscross it over the legs. Take the twine (while crisscrossing) under each leg of the chicken, then bring it back up and tie it tightly. This will keep the legs close to the body of the chicken. Next, tuck the wings in by bringing them toward the body of the chicken and using a toothpick or skewer to fix them in place.
How long to bake a whole chicken
This will depend on the size of the bird as well as your oven. As a rule of thumb, for every pound of chicken, you cook for 25-30 minutes depending on the size at a particular temperature. For example, a 4-pound (1.8kg -2kg) chicken will take about 1 hour and 40 minutes to 2 hours at 200C/400F.
However, I always recommend using a meat thermometer to check for the doneness of the bird as this is the most accurate way to tell when your chicken is done. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the leg without touching the bone for about 30 seconds, and it should read 165F/74C.
You can also insert a skewer into the thickest part of the meat and the juice that comes out of it should run clear and not pink.
What temperature to roast a chicken
The perfect temperature for roasted chicken is between 190-220Celsius or 385-425 Fahrenheit. This gives you crispy skin and juicy meat every time!
Herb Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 lb Whole chicken
- 1 spring sage about 8 large leaves
- 2 Springs thyme
- 2 springs rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons parsley
- ½ Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 4 large garlic cloves
- Zest of 1 lemon a little less that 1 Tablespoon
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 10 g garni a mix of fresh sage, rosemary and thyme tied together.
Instructions
- Add fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic, and olive oil to a small food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped.If you don't have a food processor or a blender, simply chop the herbs as finely as possible and mix everything together in a bowl.
- Transfer to a bowl, next, add lemon zest, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
- Place the chicken on a large plate and pat it dry with a kitchen paper towel. Carefully loosen the chicken skin on the breast (without tearing it) by sliding your fingers underneath or using the back of a spoon (preferred method).
- Season both the exterior and cavity of the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Rub the marinade on the chicken, under the skin of the chicken breast, and in the cavity, making sure to evenly coat the chicken.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours for maximum flavor. Bring it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you bake so that it comes to room temperature.
Roast the chicken
- one the day you will be cooking the chicken, preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Bring the chicken out of the fridge so that it comes to room temperature.
- Place the chicken in a rimmed roasting sheet and stuff the chicken cavity with lemon wedges and fresh herbs Garni.
- Roast in the oven at 200C/400F until golden brown and the skin crispy basting 1-2 times for moist and tender chicken. Rest the chicken for a few minutes (15-20 minutes) for the juice to redistribute before carving it. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
And there you have it, a simple herb roasted chicken recipe that you can make at home under 40 minutes. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 star and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox
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