Whole Herb Roasted Chicken With Vegetables

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This meal. So good. I’m salivating just editing this post. Truth: I’ve never roasted a whole chicken before this. I’m not sure why, but cooking whole animals kind of intimidates me. But, chicken & vegetables are a staple in our house and I’m always trying to come up with new ways of making it so we don’t get too sick of eating the same thing all the time! Enter in this recipe. I made this last week and we loved it. I have a huge rosemary bush growing in our backyard too, so I’m always using it in recipes! The chicken was flavorful & moist, and the vegetables complemented it perfectly. It’s healthy (whole 30 compliant/paleo), simple, and delicious. We had plenty of leftovers, and this meal is very budget friendly! Buying whole chickens is (typically) much more economical than buying cuts of meat! So it’s a win, win.

This is also a great meal to make when you have company. You can prepare it, and while it’s roasting you can clean up and get ready for your guests. Not to mention that it looks beautiful when done, and we all know presentation is everything!

There is something so special about gathering around a yummy meal with your loved ones. So savor & enjoy.

Cheers!

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Ready to go in the oven!

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WholeHerbRoastedChicken-7

Voila!

Whole Herb Roasted Chicken With Vegetables

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 4-5 lbs Whole Chicken

  • 8-10 Red Potatoes

  • 1 White Onion

  • 1.5-2 Cups Baby Carrots

  • 2 Teaspoons Thyme

  • 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

  • Freshly Ground Salt & Pepper

  • 2 Teaspoon Minced Garlic

  • 1 Lemon

  • 5 Tablespoons Ghee (or sub melted grassfed butter)

  • 1-2 Teaspoons Lemon Zest

  • 1/4 Cup Freshly Chopped Rosemary

  • Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Pepper

  • A Few Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven to 400 F.

  2. Chop your potatoes & onions, setting aside 1/4 of the chopped onion for stuffing the chicken. Then add the potatoes, 3/4 of the chopped onion, and baby carrots to large casserole dish or roasting pan.

  3. In pan, toss vegetables with the olive oil, one teaspoon of the minced garlic, thyme, and a generous amount of sea salt & pepper.

  4. Rinse (removing innards from cavity) and pat dry chicken. Set aside.

  5. Mix your ghee (or melted butter) with your chopped rosemary, lemon zest, the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic, and freshly ground salt & pepper.

  6. Rub herb butter mixture all over the chicken, including the inside cavity. Sprinkle with a little extra salt & pepper all over (again, including the inside cavity). Place in roasting pan, breast side up, and arrange vegetables around it.

  7. Slice your lemon & squeeze it over the chicken & vegetables. Put half of the lemon in the cavity of the chicken, with 1/4 of the chopped onion, and a sprig or two of fresh rosemary. Mix the remaining lemon slices in with your vegetables.

  8. Place another sprig of rosemary on top, and put in center rack of oven for roasting.

  9. Roast 30 minutes. Then flip the chicken, and roast another 30 minutes. Then, flip back to breast side up, and roast a final 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (reaching approx 165F). Serve & Enjoy!