Is there anything more classic than a roast chicken for dinner? It never fails to please and is good enough to serve for company or as Sunday dinner. It even makes a great smaller holiday meal but is easy enough to manage on a weeknight without the pressure of a bigger bird like a turkey that takes hours to cook. This Slow Roasted Chicken is SO delicious! It’s garlicky, herby, zapped with some lemon, and completely covered in butter. What’s not to love about that?! The crispy skin is absolutely mouthwatering, and the meat is roasted to juicy, tender perfection. This roast chicken recipe calls for ingredients you’ll probably have on hand, or are really easy to find at the store. Nothing too crazy: just herbs, butter, veggies, seasoning, and lemon. We love to make whole chicken recipes because it takes on incredible flavors that everyone loves! Our reader favorite Smoked Spatchcock Chicken makes the most mouthwatering smoky chicken you’ve ever tasted if you have a pellet grill, and our Whole Roasted Mexican Chicken with Vegetables is a delicious and easy one-pan chicken dinner, perfect anytime!
Ingredients for Slow Roasted Chicken
A whole chicken: I used a medium-sized whole chicken. It’s perfect for 4 people, although you could easily get two of them and double the other ingredients if you are having company over or want to have leftovers for the week. Salt & black pepper: I use these ingredients to season the outside of the chicken. The skin tastes amazing with some simple salt and pepper. Butter: Butter is also applied liberally to the outside of the whole chicken and also under the skin. It tastes delicious and helps the skin to crisp up well. Garlic: I added plenty of garlic to this recipe! Some of it was mixed with the butter and rosemary to create a garlic herb butter, and the rest I tossed into the roasting pan to add more flavor to the slow roasted chicken. Rosemary: Rosemary and chicken go so well together! This is also added to butter to give it a boost of herbiness. Aromatics for stuffing the chicken: You can add what you like or have on hand! I opted for a quartered onion, roughly chopped celery, garlic cloves, fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme, and a halved lemon. Lemon: Lemon went into the roasting pan as well to add an even more powerful citrus punch!
How to Make Slow Roasted Chicken
- Place in pan. Next, transfer the chicken to a roasting pan or large oven-safe skillet. You can even throw in some extra sprigs of rosemary, halved lemons, and whole heads of garlic with the tops sliced off around the chicken for even more aromatics.
- Roast! Slow roast the chicken in the oven for around 1 to 1 ½ hours (roughly 20 minutes per pound) until the meat is 165 degrees F when tested with a digital meat thermometer (affiliate link). The juices should run clear when you slice into the chicken.6. Rest and slice. Finally, remove the slow roasted chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing to serve on a platter. Serve the chicken with the pan juices drizzled over the top.
How to store leftover roast chicken
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The leftover slow roasted chicken makes delicious sandwiches, and can also be added to soups and salads.
When roasting a chicken do you cover it?
I didn’t cover my slow roasted chicken with aluminum foil because I wanted the skin to be beautifully golden and crispy when it had finished cooking.
What size of chicken should I use?
I used a 5-pound medium-sized chicken which serves about 4-5 people. A larger 7-pound chicken can serve up to 8 people, whereas a smaller 4-pound chicken would serve 4. Be sure to adjust the salt, adding an extra 1-2 teaspoons for a larger chicken, and 1 teaspoon less for a smaller one.
What can I serve this Slow Roasted Chicken with?
This slow roasted chicken recipe is great for special occasions like Christmas, Easter, and weekend family dinners. We love to serve our favorite vegetable side dishes with it, including:
The BEST Homemade Mashed Potatoes! Garlic Mushrooms Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic, Parmesan and Lemon The Best Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles Easy Oven Roasted Cauliflower Oven Roasted Asparagus with Garlic, Parmesan, & Lemon Creamy Potluck Potatoes Garlic Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
More Recipes Like This
Juicy Roast Turkey with a Butter Herb Rub Bacon Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey How to Make a Brined & Smoked Turkey Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Pomegranate Apricot Glaze Garlic Herb Butter Beef Tenderloin Roast Honey Roast Duck Recipe Smoked Pulled Pork
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