Herb Roasted Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

This is the PERFECT Sunday dinner!  I try to make roasted chicken as often as I can.  It is one of the easiest things you can make, and if you add potatoes to it like I did, you will have the perfect one pot meal.  If you are intimidated about roasting a whole chicken please don't be - it's one of the easiest meals you can make!  In this post I will give you step-by-step instructions to roasting a perfect chicken!

Ingredients

1 5-6 lb. whole chicken
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 springs fresh rosemary
3 springs fresh thyme
2 cloves plus one whole head of garlic that has been cut in half
1 lemon, cut in half
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1 large onion, quartered
1 can chicken broth
1 small bag of small assorted potatoes (about 2 lbs.)
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Adjust oven racks to accommodate a large roasting pan.


To Make the Herb Butter
Add the butter to a small mixing bowl.  Using a small microplane grater or the small holes on a box grater,  grate 2 garlic cloves into the bowl with the butter.  Remove the leaves from one rosemary sprig and 2 thyme sprigs and finely chop.  Add the herbs and lemon zest to the butter. Add a large pinch of salt and pepper to the butter and mix until combined.  Set aside.

Preparing the Chicken

1. Remove the whole chicken from the packaging.  
2. Remove any chicken parts from inside the chicken (this varies from where and what brand of chicken you purchased).  You will usually find the neck and maybe some giblets (eew I know but it will be over soon just close your eyes and think good thoughts!).  
3. Rinse the chicken with cold water, being sure to rinse the cavity of the chicken.  Pat the chicken dry (I use a few paper towels for this job) and move it to a cutting board.  Salt and pepper the entire chicken, making sure to get a good amount inside the cavity.  
4. Using your index and middle finger (giggle) together,  gently lift the chicken skin away from the chicken breast.  
5. Take some of the herb butter and spread it between the chicken breast and skin you just lifted.  I use about half of the butter mixture for this.  Using the remaining herb butter, coat the outside of the chicken.  Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon, garlic, onion and remaining herb sprigs.  
6. Wash your hands well after handling the chicken.

Roasting the Chicken

1. Using the entire bag of potatoes spread them in the bottom of a large roasting pan.  
2. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. 
3. Transfer the chicken to the roasting pan using the potatoes to elevate the chicken.  
4. Pour the entire can of chicken broth into the roasting pan.  
5. Roast the chicken for about 2 hours or when the chicken reaches 160 degrees.  

To check the temperature:  using a meat thermometer insert into the chicken right above the leg into the body of the chicken.  This is the best spot to get the temperature.

Recipe Source:  Me