Never roasted a whole chicken before? This bud’s recipe’s for you. I was just like you. I only bought chicken breast or chicken legs and paid a pretty penny for those perfectly pre-portioned, skinless, boneless, pieces of meat because I was too intimidated about the prospect of prepping, cooking and carving a whole chicken. Then my husband bought me the 50 Shades of Chicken Cookbook and I knew it was time to try a whole roasted chicken, even if just to giggle at the directions for the Learning-to-Truss-You Chicken recipe. Don’t worry, trussing is optional in this recipe.
The first time I bought a whole chicken, I was shocked by how much meat I got from one bird, and all for just $14! Once you go whole, you’ll never go back and here’s why:
- It’s cheaper than buying parts of a chicken, and you can use that extra money to splurge on organic whole chicken.
- Roasting a whole chicken is the holy grail of meal prep; I usually get at least three meals-worth of meat for me and my husband – that’s 6 servings of meat!
- Think you should only be eating breasts? A little dark meat can be good for you too! It contains more iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Plus, it’s more satiating thanks to slightly higher levels of fat (fat is good for us now, remember?).
- It’s more flavorful and juicy; by cooking it whole and allowing it to rest for 10 minutes, the juices and flavor are retained in the meat instead of running out into the frying pan when cooking on a stovetop.
- You can use the bones and leftover meat to make bone broth and soup! Hint hint about part 2 of this series…
Pro tip: I recommend buying a meat thermometer if you don’t have one. Unlike cooking a chicken breast on the stovetop where you can just cut into the meat, you’ll want a meat thermometer to check that your chicken has reached the recommended 165° F, without having to cut into it and risk losing all the delicious juices. And remember to stay tuned (and keep your carcass!) for part two!
- Whole chicken, about 4lbs
- 2 carrots, rinsed and chopped
- ½ onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, or 3 fresh sprigs
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Remove chicken from packaging and pat dry with paper towel
- Place chicken, breast side up, in a dutch oven or roasting pan
- Surround chicken with chopped garlic, onion, carrot and lemon, stuffing a few pieces into the cavity
- Tie chicken legs together using twine (optional)
- Drizzle chicken with olive oil, using a brush to evenly distribute oil
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme
- Place lid on dutch oven or cover roasting pan with aluminum foil
- Place in center of oven and cook for 45 minutes
- After 45 minutes, remove the cover/aluminum foil and cook for additional 15 minutes, until skin is crispy and brown
- Using a meat thermometer placed into the breast and thigh, check that the chicken is 165 degress
- Remove and let sit for 10 minutes before carving