Herb Roasted Chicken
This Herb Roasted Chicken tastes delicious and will look beautiful on your table. It’s perfect for a special occasion or just a simple, yet elegant weekday dinner.
For more main dish recipe ideas, be sure to check out my Honey Dijon Pork Tenderloin, Mississippi Pot Roast, and Maple Glazed Ham.
Whether I’m cooking for a special occasion or just a nice Sunday dinner, I love to make this Herb Roasted Chicken time and time again.
Not only is it great for a special, yet simple dinner, it usually makes enough for a couple different meals. We will eat it for dinner one night and then I will use the leftovers to make chicken salad the next day. Gotta love multi-use recipes!
I remember the first time I made a roasted chicken. I was intimidated because it was a large bird and I wasn’t sure I could do one justice. If you’ve felt this way, too, just go ahead and let go of those big-bird fears.
Making an herb roasted chicken is actually really simple and easy to do, and makes for a beautiful presentation. Plus I have a little tip to share with you to make the breast meat perfectly moist and delicious, so keep reading!
Ingredients for Herb Roasted Chicken
- whole chicken
- lemon
- garlic
- onion
- potatoes
- carrots
- butter
- chicken broth
- fresh rosemary
- garlic powder, salt, and pepper
How to Roast a Chicken – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Add some chopped veggies to a 9×13 inch baking pan. I added half of a small bag of baby carrots, half of a chopped onion, and three small chopped russet potatoes. Also pour 1 cup of chicken broth into the pan and over the top of the veggies.
Step 2: Prepare the chicken
Next, get started on the chicken. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity, then rinse your bird inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Place it breast-side up on top of the veggies in the baking pan.
Step 3: Butter the chicken
Grab a little spatula and loosen the skin starting near the cavity. Run your spatula around under the skin of your herb roasted chicken to loosen it up, then spread some softened butter in between the skin and breast meat and smush it around using your fingers on top of the skin.
Step 4: Stuff the chicken
Season the cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with half of a quartered lemon, half of a quartered onion, a couple sprigs of rosemary, and two cloves of garlic.
Step 5: Add seasonings
Season the outside of the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and the remaining sprig of chopped rosemary. I also used these same seasonings on my veggies. Drizzle a little melted butter over the top of the chicken.
Step 6: Tent with foil
Before placing your herb roasted chicken in the oven, take some cooking twine and tie the legs together. I like to cover the breast meat of my chicken with a little tent of aluminum foil for the first hour to keep it from getting too brown. After that, I remove it so the breast meat turns a lovely golden brown.
How long to roast a chicken at 350?
Roast the chicken at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer in the thigh reaches 165 degrees. I had a 4.75 pound bird and it was done in about 2 hours.
Herb Roasted Chicken – Tips and Notes
- Vegetable choice: I used potatoes, carrots, and onions in this recipe, but you could use whatever veggies you have on hand.
- Tent your chicken with foil: Placing a small tent of aluminum foil over the breast meat of your chicken for the first hour of roasting will keep it from browning too quickly.
- Storing leftovers: any leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
What to serve with Herb Roasted Chicken
Since you are making veggies right in the pan with your chicken, all you really need to serve with it is a fresh green salad, rolls, and maybe homemade chocolate cake for dessert!
How to make juicy chicken
Now, for that little trick I mentioned for keeping your chicken juicy and moist! I learned this tip from John over at Food Wishes while preparing my Thanksgiving turkey a few years ago.
Grab a little spatula and loosen the skin starting near the cavity. Run your spatula around under the skin to loosen it up, then spread some softened butter in between the skin and breast meat and smush it around using your fingers on top of the skin. The butter will make your herb roasted chicken breast meat incredibly moist! I use this same method when making my Air Fryer Whole Chicken, too. No dry chicken here!
You can also add some garlic or seasonings to your butter before you put it under the skin to add even more flavor.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes You Might Enjoy!
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
- Baked Buffalo Chicken Fingers
- Ranch Parmesan Chicken
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*If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: Herb Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1/2 lemon, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 3 small potatoes, chopped
- 1/2 small bag of baby carrots
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove neck and giblets from cavity of chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place potatoes, carrots, and half of quartered and separated onion in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour the chicken broth over the top of the vegetables.
- Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with lemon, garlic, 2 sprigs of rosemary, and remaining half of the onion. Place the chicken over the top of vegetables in baking pan.
- Loosen skin from the breast meat of the chicken by running a small spatula gently underneath the skin. Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter underneath the skin on both breasts. Use your fingers to smush it around on top of the skin.
- Season the outside of the chicken and vegetables with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and drizzle over the top of the chicken.
- Make a little tent of aluminum foil and cover the breast meat of the chicken. (Leave the aluminum foil on for the first hour of roasting time then remove.) Roast your chicken for about 20 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. Slice and serve with the roasted veggies, and the pan drippings ladled over the top.
Notes
- Vegetable choice: I used potatoes, carrots, and onions in this recipe, but you could use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand.
- Tent your chicken with foil: Placing a small tent of aluminum foil over the breast meat of your chicken for the first hour of roasting will keep it from browning too quickly.
- Storing leftovers: any leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
I love a good herbed chicken! This is really great and I love that I can have my choice of vegetables to go with it!
What a great recipe for a sunday roast I love that pictures look like you used apples as well which would also add a great flavor value.
I love to buy rotisserie chicken from the store, but this looks SO much better! I’m excited to try this!
Can I come to dinner? Wow this looks so juicy. I’m terrible with cooking meat but I bet my sister would love to try this
Roasted chicken is one of my favorite Sunday meals to make. This recipe has so much added flavor with the added butter and rosemary.
The tip of spreading butter over the breast meat is genius. I’ll have to try it soon.
This sounds absolutely delicious! Cannot wait to try making this.
I love rosemary with my chicken! Delicious!
Oh yum, this looks so delicious. I will have to make this for dinner one night!
This chicken was so good and easy to make. it will be a regular on my weekend meal list for sure!
That is one beautiful chicken! I love using rosemary with chicken as well. And roasting a whole chicken in just so smart. YUM!
Oh goodness, I can smell the amazing aroma of rosemary on this roasted chicken already. I’m definitely making this dish tonight.
Wishing this was going to be my dinner! I love rosemary with roasted chicken, and that beautiful, crisp exterior. YUM!