I attempted my first roast chicken about two weeks ago and it has quickly become my family’s favorite meal. I made it again tonight and it was a fabulous comfort food meal for the snowy days that we’ve had. It is another one of those meals that looks impressive enough to serve to company but yet it is really simple! The only downside to this meal is it needs to cook an hour and half – so it is no thirty minute meal. But don’t let that fool you, it is so simple to make! The prep time on this bird is about 10 minutes. And, you have the added bonus of using the leftovers to make two or three other meals.
The first chicken I made supplied us with a fabulous dinner of roasted chicken with sides (as is), another Italian dinner, chicken pastina that we had for lunch the following day as leftovers as well, and pot of chicken noodle soup that I served to 6 people! That is a lot of meals from one bird! (Each of the dishes only required a cup or so of chicken so they were great ways to stretch one purchase)!
Plus when you are all done picking this bird apart, you can plop all the extra skin, bones, and cooking liquids back into the pot along with a little water to make a nice carton of rich chicken stock to use for another dish! Cha-Ching!
:: Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken (I buy the smallest one I can find – smaller is more tender) about 4-5 lbs.
1 head of garlic cut crosswise
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 or 2 large onions, quartered
4 to 6 (or more – however many you need to feed your family) carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
Olive Oil
Coarse (kosher) salt & fresh ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers as needed and pat dry. Salt and pepper the inside cavity of the chicken. Put all the garlic inside the chicken and tie its legs together with kitchen string.
Place the onions and carrots in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss the vegetables to coat.
Place the chicken on top of the vegetables tucking its wing tips under the body. Baste the chicken with the butter {Judah loves to do this part for me! 
} Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you check between the leg and thigh.
The broth/juices that come off this chicken when it cooks are DELICIOUS. I dip my chicken in it as I eat it . I also like it drizzled over my mashed potatoes. I swear I could drink this stuff!
Thank you for this recipe. I have roasted chickens a couple of times before but they just never turned out that great. Thanks for the easy, step-by-step directions. I will be making this soon!!
You know for time saving, you can cook a chicken in the crockpot and get the same results….the only thing is the skin doesn’t turn that nice golden brown. But who eats the skin anyway? Seanson the chicken with what ever spices you like as a rub ( can even put the spices under the skin for extra flavor). Put a cup of diced onion on the bottom of the crockpot and lay your chicken on top. No extra liquid require aschicken will make it’s own juices. Cook on low 4-8 hours. Note: I highly recommend a pop-up timer in the chicken because some crock pots cook faster/slower than others (my crock pot cooks this recipe in 4-5 hours).
I roast chickens all the time and my family loves them. I never mess with tying the legs though. I cook mine in a cast iron skillet. Throw a mix of onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the skillet season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Rinse and pat dry the bird season inside and out with seasoning place on the vegetables in the skillet breast side up and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400 until done. Delicious and so moist! A whole meal in one. I also throw any veggie scraps and the chicken carcass in the crockpot the next day to make chicken stock.
Where can I get a copy of the Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe? Sounds YUMMY!!!
I read online last week about roasting a chicken in the crock pot. They said to crumble tin foil n balls and put on bottom of pot then after seasoning bird put ontop of balls. No liquid required and the bird doesn’t sit in the oil. I’m trying it this weekend.
I did use your suggestion ab boiling it afterwards. I tried that this week. I was making dried black and kdney beans. After they soaked for a few hours I plopped my carcus in the pot and boiled it then lat it simmer. After a while I removed the bird, picked off any meat left and finished my soup. It was the best soup I made all year!! I served it over rice w sour cream and cheese and a few corn chips crunched on top. Deff a keeper!!
Itried baked potatoes in the crock and the tin foil left marks on my crock that took me forever to get off….don’t like to use the tin foil. By the way the potatoes were great. Like I said in my post just lay your chicken on a bed on onions ..better than the aluminum foil and a little extra flavor! ;>)
and you don’t have to use oil or butter…just put your seasonings on the bird!
Mmm! This sounds delicious! I love chicken all the time but this one sounds so simple. Definitely have to try it. I’m enjoying reading your blog while I have lunch & my son naps. Glad I had food in front of me before I started. Everything sounds so delicious!
This was wonderful!
Oh good!
So glad you enjoyed it! It has quickly become our family favorite too!
Denise
This was so delicious and easy! Thanks for inspiring me to give it a try!
http://tanyastable.blogspot.com/2011/02/roast-chicken.html