It is always amazing to me that certain scents can trigger memories throughout our lives. The smell of a chicken roasting in the oven sparks memories of big Sunday dinners, holidays, and spending time with family.
Growing up, roasted chicken was typically the holiday dinner of choice because there are very few of us in my family that like turkey (strange right?)
Saying
For years I always avoided cooking birds, mostly because it seemed intimidating. How do you roast it? What’s the best method? How do I season it? How long does it take to cook? What temperature?
Does this sound familiar?
Last year, I decided to finally face the challenge head-on and cook my first bird.
After a good google search, and a few tries roasting chicken, I discovered there’s nothing to be intimidated about. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. And I promise, it is very easy and requires very little effort (just some prep work).
If you can relate to my initial feelings, I’m here to relieve that stress and walk you through how to make an amazing, juicy, tender, and crispy roasted chicken that will have everyone’s mouth watering when you serve dinner!
What you need:
- Large roasting pan
- A rack for the bottom of the roasting pan
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients:
- 1 medium organic whole chicken 3-4 lbs
- 4 cups organic chicken broth
- 1 head garlic
- 1 medium Spanish onion sliced
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 3 medium carrots
- 3 tbsp ghee (can sub regular butter)
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Note: A lot of recipes recommend cooking chicken at a lower setting to bake low and slow. I’ve tried both methods. Cooking at a higher temperature means a crispier skin that keeps in all the juices and makes for a more tender chicken 😉
Start off by preparing the roasting pan. Place the rack in the middle of the pan, and measure the chicken broth. Pour into the roasting pan, and add the onions, carrots, garlic cloves and thyme. (See measurements in the recipe below).
Do not worry about making it look pretty! I always just toss them in on the sides, and wherever there’s room. The vegetables are extra flavouring for a delicious homemade gravy that you can make at the end. (Yes, that’s right, you should make the gravy too 😀 )
Rinse the chicken under cold water, and pat dry with some paper towels. Make sure the skin is extra dry because otherwise, the garlic butter mixture won’t stick.
Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan.
How to make the garlic ghee:
Add the softened ghee (you can sub butter for the ghee), minced garlic, freshly chopped thyme and salt and pepper to a small bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
Are you ready to get your hands dirty?
Coat the entire chicken with the butter mixture, to make sure everything is evenly coated.
This step so important for the tastiest, most crispy skin on the outside of the chicken. The ghee/butter mixture infuses the chicken and adds so much AWESOME flavour!
Crispy skin is my favourite part of a roasted chicken. As soon as the chicken comes out of the oven
I always stuff the cavity of the chicken with more garlic and thyme, but that’s optional. My thoughts are the more flavour the better!
Once everything is coated, pop the chicken in the oven and bake for approximately 1-1.5 hours (depending on size).
Garlic and thyme is my absolute favourite combination
So, how do we find out when it’s done cooking?
A meat thermometer will be your best friend to determine when the chicken is done. The thermometer must read 180 degrees. Sometimes I’ll pull the chicken out at 175 degrees because it needs to rest, and continues to cook even when it comes out of the oven.
Another trick for checking if the chicken is done: cut a small hole in one of the breasts. If the juices run clear, it’s done. If it’s still pink, pop back in the oven for a little longer.
I love how the butter makes the skin so crispy, and the way garlic and thyme bake right into the skin. Doesn’t that look SO delicious!? Maybe mouthwatering delicious?
Oh and I should mention, your house will smell heavenly the whole time this is baking in the oven.
Be aware: the neighbours might be asking to come for dinner!
When the chicken comes out of the oven, make sure it has time to rest for at least 10-15 minutes. That way the juices have time to settle, and the chicken won’t dry out when slicing it.
Once the chicken has rested, slice and serve with homemade gravy and a couple of your favourite side dishes.
Some great side options: mashed potatoes, roasted cauliflower, steamed broccoli, roasted asparagus.
I am a big fan of easy, healthy, whole food recipes, and this one hits the nail on the head! And the best part for me, the celiac: it’s naturally gluten-free.
Does this picture make you want to bake your own roasted chicken yet?!
Oh PS…
I have one last surprise for you!…
Below I am sharing how to make your own gravy from all those amazing juices in the bottom of the roasting pan! Because you can’t just let that go to waste!
How to make gravy:
- Strain the vegetables from the chicken broth
- Heat the chicken broth in a pot on medium-high heat
- Once it starts to boil, add 1 cube of chicken bouillon (I buy an organic, gluten-free brand called GOBio)
- Whisk the cube into the broth
- In a small bowl, measure out 2 tbsp corn starch and 2 tbsp cold water. Whisk together and slowly pour into the chicken broth.
- Turn down to medium low heat and whisk until the gravy thickens.
- If you’d like it thicker, make another paste with more cornstarch and water and slowly add it to the gravy until you reach the desired thickness.
And that’s all there is to it! I hope you find this post helpful, and never feel intimidated by roasting chicken. Once you get a few under your belt, you will be a chicken-roasting professional!
Happy Easter friends. I hope it is filled with love, laughter, family, friends and lots of delicious food <3
Happy Eating!
Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken
A Sunday dinner favourite. Tender, juicy chicken that is moist on the inside, with a crispy skin on the outside. Baked with garlic and thyme, the whole chicken is infused with delicious flavours.
Ingredients
- 1 medium organic whole chicken 3-4 lbs
- 4 cups organic chicken broth
- 1 head garlic
- 1 medium spanish onion sliced
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 3 medium carrots
- 3 tbsp ghee sub regular butter
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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You will need a large roasting pan. Place a rack in the bottom for the chicken. Add the chicken broth, sliced onion, 1/2 bunch thyme, three whole cloves of garlic and the carrots.
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Remove the chicken from the packaging, and give it a good rinse with water. Pat dry with paper towel. Make sure the outside is dried off well.
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Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan.
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Rub the garlic-thyme butter all over the chicken, making sure it’s well coated in all areas.
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Add three more cloves of garlic and a small bunch of thyme in the cavity of the chicken.
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Place the roasting pan in the oven, and cook for 1.5 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature for doneness. It will be done when the internal temp is 180 degrees.
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Remove from the oven, and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Garlic Butter Instructions
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Place the ghee in a small bowl. Mince three cloves of garlic into the bowl. Finely chop 1/2 tbsp of thyme, and add both ingredients in the bowl with the ghee. Add the salt and pepper, and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
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OMG, this is an amazing chicken dinner!!!!! I am one of those who does not roast chickens, but this recipe is so easy and quick I will be roasting more often. The chicken was so juicy and the skin was so crisp. So much flavour. My husband couldn’t get enough of it. This will def be made again!