Herb-Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 756
- Total Fat
- 52
- Saturated Fat
- 15
- Carbohydrates
- 19
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 3
- Protein
- 52
- Cholesterol
- 214
- Sodium
- 1260
- Total: 6 hr 5 min (includes marinating and resting times)
- Active: 25 min
Ingredients
Two 3- to 4-pound chickens
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 2 sprigs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 sprig, torn in half
1 lemon, halved
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 onion, halved
1 parsnip, cut into large dice
1 medium Yukon gold potato, cut into large dice
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large dice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Pat the chickens dry inside and out. Generously season the skin and cavity of each with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours and up to overnight to dry out the skin.
- Let the chickens stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mash the butter with the chopped thyme and rosemary in a small bowl. Gently slide your fingers under the skin on the breasts and legs of each chicken to loosen . Scoop some of the herbed butter with a spoon, slide the spoon under the skin on one chicken and hold the skin in place while you remove the spoon. Smooth the skin to distribute the butter; repeat with more butter if needed. Repeat with the second chicken and remaining herbed butter.
- Squeeze the juice of a lemon half into the cavity of each chicken, then stuff the lemon half inside. Stuff 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 onion, 1 thyme sprig and 1/2 rosemary sprig into each chicken cavity. Tie the legs together with twine. Put the chickens on a baking sheet next to each other.
- Toss the parsnip, potato, squash, olive oil and a large pinch of salt in a bowl, then add the vegetables to the baking sheet, scattering them around the chickens. Roast until the chickens are golden brown and a instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F, about 1 hour. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to platters and let rest about 10 minutes before carving.