Lemon Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

Okay real talk as a Kansas City mom: dinner needs to be delicious and actually doable on a weeknight. This Lemon Herb Roasted Whole Chicken has become a total staple in our house. Classic herb-roasted whole chicken with golden skin and juicy, flavorful meat. And honestly it is so much better than anything I could order out.

Why You’ll Love This

• Ready in 90 min with mostly pantry staples
• The whole family devours it every single time
• Great for meal prep and leftovers taste amazing the next day
• Simple enough for a Tuesday but special enough for company

Ingredients

• Whole chicken
• Lemon
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Butter
• Olive oil

How to Make It

Gather all your ingredients and prep your workspace. I always do a quick mise en place because it makes everything smoother. Follow the recipe card below for the full step-by-step instructions with exact measurements and timing.

What You’ll Need

A few tools make this so much easier: roasting rack and instant-read thermometer. These are my actual go-tos in my KC kitchen.

This is one of those recipes I come back to again and again. If you make it let me know in the comments how it turned out!

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Lemon Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

A whole chicken rubbed with herb butter, stuffed with lemon and roasted until the skin crackles. The kind of dinner that makes the whole house smell like Sunday.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 whole chicken about 4 to 5 lbs
• 6 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 lemons one zested and juiced, one halved
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 6 cloves garlic 4 minced, 2 whole
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Method

 

1. Take the chicken out of the fridge 45 minutes before roasting and pat it very dry inside and out.
2. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Mash the softened butter with the lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, minced garlic and half the salt and pepper.
4. Loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers and push most of the butter underneath, then rub the rest over the outside along with the olive oil.
5. Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon and whole garlic cloves, season the bird with the remaining salt and pepper, and tie the legs together.
6. Roast 70 to 80 minutes, until the thigh reads 175 degrees and the juices run clear.
7. Rest 15 minutes before carving, then spoon over the pan juices and the reserved lemon juice.

Notes

Dry the skin thoroughly and, if you have time, leave the salted bird uncovered in the fridge for a few hours. That is the crispiest skin trick there is.