Every year around November, I start making whole roasted chickens on Sunday evenings. They’re really inexpensive to make and they feed a whole family (with leftovers).
Once the chicken is cooked, you can use the bones to make homemade chicken broth! Which is especially helpful this time of year, if you or someone in your household catches a cold.
I like to vary the flavors that I use to make whole roasted chicken, but one of my absolute favorite recipes is made with oranges and fresh herbs. The oranges and herbs are flavorful and aromatic, the meat is crispy on the outside and super tender in the middle. It’s just really awesome.
Table of Contents
Whole Roasted Chicken with Oranges and Herbs
You’ll start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
Remove anything inside the chicken cavity. Loosen the skin from the chicken breasts and stuff 8 tablespoons of butter under the skin. Place the chicken in a small roasting pan and pour 1 cup of broth at the bottom.
A Digression About Roasting Pans
You may notice that I don’t have a roasting pan. I just ordered this one, but didn’t have it at the time I was creating this recipe.
Technically, roasting foods should be suspended on a rack so the meat doesn’t stew in the juices of the pan. If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can cook your whole roasted chicken in a rimmed baking dish and it works fine. You can also place some carrots or celery stalks at the bottom of the pan to elevate the chicken.
Cut an orange in half and squeeze the juices on top of the chicken. Stuff the oranges into the cavity and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
In a small bowl, melt 1/2 cup more butter and stir in 4 cloves of minced garlic. Pour the melted butter on top of the chicken, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 2 sprigs each of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Cover your whole roasted chicken with foil, and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and discard foil. Baste chicken with juices, and return to the oven. Continue cooking chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, basting every 15 minutes.
My chicken took a total of 90 minutes to cook, but the cook time varies on the size of the chicken.
Printable Recipe – Whole Roasted Chicken
Whole Roasted Chicken with Oranges and Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 4 lb whole chicken
- 1 cup butter divided
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 orange halved
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Pat the chicken dry. Remove anything in the cavity. Loosen the skin from the breasts and place 8 tablespoons of butter evenly under the skin.
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Place chicken in a roasting pan and add 1 cup of chicken broth to the pan. Squeeze oranges over the chicken and stuff in the cavity. Tie the legs with kitchen twine.
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Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter and stir in garlic cloves. Pour over chicken. Season with salt and pepper, and place fresh herbs on top.
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Cover the pan with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and discard, and baste the chicken with juices. Return to the oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (1 to 2 hours), basting every 15 minutes.
Pin it – Whole Roasted Chicken
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