Easy No-Fuss Roast Chicken with Crispy Buttered Skin
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
20 min
Cook
80 min
Total
115 min
Servings
6
Level
Easy
Cook a 3.5- to 5-pound chicken on one Sunday to eat during and after that day in salads, casseroles, and other dishes. Cut up the cooked chicken to use during the week. Cook and partially prepare a buttered chicken dish with onions and carrots one day. Allow the dish to stand for 15 minutes to brown the outside of the chicken and fully cook it.
Soft butter mixed with Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper is the seasoning. Part of the herb butter is rubbed beneath the skin of the breast meat. Other parts of the herb butter are used to season breast, thigh, and drumstick meat. Lemon and rosemary or thyme are placed inside the bird. Water, broth, or white wine and onion and carrot slices are added to the pan.
At 425°F, the chicken skin will be brown and crispy, and the meat will remain juicy. Insert an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thigh and breast meat without touching the bones. Common errors include not checking for doneness by temperature and using the same cooking time for all chickens in the 3.5- to 5-pound range. Cover darkened chicken with foil during cooking and uncover near the end of cooking.
Carved chicken can be served with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, salad, or other breads. Let it rest uncovered before slicing. Use leftover cooked chicken for Chinese chicken salad, chicken salad, chicken broccoli casserole, and biscuit chicken pot pie.
Why we keep this one around
- A roast for six people will feed you for a Sunday meal and provide leftover roasted chicken slices that can be used in other dishes, like salads, casseroles, and pot pie.
- Cut the roasted meat after dinner, This reheatable meat will be available for other meals during the week, saving time during the week.
- Cooking the onion and carrot mixture along with the roast in the same pan reduces the number of cooking pans needed when preparing a large roast in one baking dish.
- Buttering the breast skin enhances the flavor of the breast meat.
- Additional pieces of butter under the breast skin can be consumed with the breast meat for extra flavor instead of just eating the browned surface of the meat.
- Roast the vegetables separately in advance to save time, they will cook faster than the chicken and not become waterlogged.
- An instant-read thermometer will help prevent overcooking a large amount of meat to provide tender leftovers that can be used in multiple dishes.
Ingredients
- •3 ½ lb whole chicken (3.5-5 pounds)
- •4 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
- •1 tsp Italian seasoning
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp fine sea salt
- •¼ tsp black pepper
- •1 yellow onion (sliced)
- •1 medium carrots (1-2, coarsely chopped)
- •¾ cup water, chicken broth, or white wine
- •½ lemon (cut into 2 pieces)
- •fresh herbs (a few sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme)
Instructions
- 1
Let the chicken come to room temperature for 20 minutes.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower center position.
- 3
Stir together the softened butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- 4
Arrange the sliced onion and chopped carrot in an even layer in a large rectangular baking dish, cast iron skillet, or roasting pan.
- 5
Remove the chicken from its packaging and discard any giblet packet from the cavity.
- 6
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- 7
Place the chicken breast-side up on the carrots and onions.
- 8
Tuck the wings under the chicken.
- 9
Place the lemon and fresh herbs in the chicken cavity.
- 10
Use a small spoon to loosen the skin from the chicken breasts.
- 11
Place a spoonful of butter mixture under the skin on each chicken breast.
- 12
Rub the breast skin to spread the butter beneath it.
- 13
Rub the remaining seasoned butter over the skin on the breasts, thighs, and legs.
- 14
Tie the legs together close to the body with kitchen twine, if using.
- 15
Pour the water, chicken broth, or white wine into the bottom of the pan.
- 16
Bake at 425°F for 65-90 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest thigh and breast areas, not touching bone, registers at least 165°F.
- 17
Loosely cover the chicken with foil if it browns too much, then uncover it for the final 5-10 minutes for crisp skin.
- 18
Let the chicken rest uncovered for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
354
Calories
24g
Protein
27g
Fat
3g
Carbs
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