Herb-Roasted Chicken
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 702
- Total Fat
- 49
- Saturated Fat
- 15
- Carbohydrates
- 12
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 4
- Protein
- 53
- Cholesterol
- 214
- Sodium
- 1346
- Total: 1 hr 45 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
2 3-to-4-pound chickens
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 2 sprigs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 sprig torn in half
1 lemon, halved
1 onion, halved
6 cloves garlic, smashed
5 bunches scallions, quartered
2 pints grape tomatoes or small heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Pat the chicken dry; generously season the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours or overnight to dry out the skin. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mash the butter with the chopped thyme and chopped rosemary in a small bowl. Gently slide your fingers under the chicken skin on the breasts and legs to loosen it. Scoop some of the herbed butter with a spoon; slide the spoon under the skin and hold the skin in place while you remove the spoon. Smooth the skin to distribute the butter. Repeat with the remaining butter.
- Squeeze a lemon half into the cavity of each chicken, then stuff the lemon half inside. Stuff 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 thyme sprig and 1/2 rosemary sprig into each chicken cavity. Tie the legs together with twine. Set a rack in a large roasting pan; put the chicken on the rack and roast 25 minutes. Toss the scallions, tomatoes, olive oil and a large pinch of salt in a bowl, then add to the roasting pan. Remove the twine from the chicken and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170 degrees F, about 50 more minutes.
- Transfer the chicken and vegetables to platters and let rest about 10 minutes before carving.