“What’s for dinner, mom?!” asks my oldest daughter.
“Roast chicken!” I yell back.
“yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssss!” is the response I get.
I just love it when what I am making in the kitchen for dinner gets a reaction like that! What I love most is that this dinner, that everyone in my family loves so much, is so easy and simple! A meal that is healthy, easy, and pleases the whole family? Can’t be true……
But it is!
If your looking for a recipe to cook a whole roasted chicken so you can then make a healthy chicken bone broth out of the carcass, then look no farther. If you haven’t read my post about making your own super healthy immune boosting bone broth jump on over to the link below, to read, so you know what to do with the chicken bones once you have eaten this delicious meal!
Now before we get started, I would just like to say that I have cooked A LOT of roast chicken. When I first started making my own broth, I needed the carcass a lot, so it was on the menu at least once every 2 weeks. During that time, I would add different things to the recipe and try something new every time with how I prepared it. I am happy to say I have finally perfected it and it is a family pleaser every time now!
Here is what you need:
1 whole chicken (whatever size fits your family!)
1 lemon
1 whole garlic
Lemon/Herb Butter Rub:
6 TBSP of butter, softened
1 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp lemon pepper
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp basil
¼ tsp parsley
What to do…
Remove any neck/giblets from the chicken’s cavity and then wash and pat dry. Place it right in a roasting pan.
Now you are going to mix up the lemon/herb butter rub. Place the butter and all spices in a bowl and use your hands to mix it all together so the butter is in the form of a rub with all the spices and herbs intermixed. Next, rub this mixture all over the chicken. Get the rub in as many crevasses as possible and don’t forget to do both sides!
Lastly, cut your whole garlic and lemon in half. You do not need to peel the garlic just put it in, skin and all! That’s why this is so easy… stuff your chicken with the garlic and lemon. I like to give the lemon a little squeeze as I am putting it in, first on the top of the chicken and then inside the chicken. Just for a little extra added lemon flavor!
At this point you can tie up the chicken’s legs with some kitchen string for even cooking or just pop it right in the oven. I never tie the legs and it always turns out amazing, so its not completely necessary but some people prefer it!
Bake the whole chicken at 400 degrees for 1 hour to get it nice and crispy. Then reduce the temperature down to 350 degrees and cook it until the internal temperature reaches 170 degree, usually about 30-45 minutes more.
Take your chicken out and let it rest for a couple minutes and then start cutting! You won’t need to cut very hard though, because this delicious meat just falls right off the bone!
We always like to enjoy our roast chicken with a big pot of homemade cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables! But serve it with any sides of your choice!
BONUS TIP #1:
Because as you know I love bonuses!!! Save your left-over shredded chicken for an amazing chicken salad the next day for lunch!
Bonus Tip #2:
Save your whole chicken carcass and all the bones, along with the lemon and whole garlic that it was stuffed with so you can make my super immune boosting bone broth!
Enjoy! 😊
Leave a Reply