Lemon Garlic Whole Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken(paid link)
• 1 lemon(paid link)
• 1 head garlic(paid link)
• 2 tbsp olive oil(paid link)
• 1 ½ tsp salt(paid link)
• 1 tsp black pepper(paid link)
• 2 sprig rosemary(paid link)
• 2 sprig thyme(paid link)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 425F. Remove giblets from the chicken and pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. This helps create crispy skin.

2. 2

   Cut the lemon in half. Separate the garlic head into cloves, leaving the skins on. Stuff one half of the lemon, half of the garlic cloves, and half of the rosemary and thyme sprigs into the cavity of the chicken.

3. 3

   Truss the chicken legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body. Place the chicken in a roasting pan.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Brush this mixture all over the outside of the chicken. Place the remaining lemon half, garlic cloves, rosemary, and thyme around the chicken in the roasting pan.

5. 5

   Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375F. Continue roasting for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) reads 165F. Baste the chicken with pan juices every 20 minutes.

   15 min

6. 6

   Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender chicken.

   10 min

Perfect With