This herb and lemon roasted chicken is foolproof and tasty. Butter mixed with minced garlic, cilantro, oregano and grated lemon zest is what sets it apart. Rub the seasoned butter under the skin and all over the outside of the bird before roasting and you'll get juicy and tender meat with a crispy skin.
Use this recipe to experiment with a combo of different herbs such as rosemary and thyme or basil and oregano.
Pair this roasted chicken with the bold flavor of Roasted Poblano Sauce.
Herbed Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee at room temperature*
- 1 lemon, zested and quartered
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
- One 4-pound whole chicken
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix ghee, olive oil, cilantro, oregano, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Separate skin from breast meat. First use index finger working from back end of the bird, and use a table knife to continue to separate where your finger won’t reach all the way to the neck. Do not remove the skin just pull it loose for the next step.
- Use a small spoon to stuff one-third of the herb butter under each breast half, and massage it throughout the pocket.
- Rub the remaining one-third over the outside of the bird. Then stuff the lemon quarters, along with some cuttings of fresh oregano and sage, inside the chicken itself.
- Tie the legs together with a cotton string, tuck the wingtips under the chicken’s body then put the chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 175 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, tent with foil rest, bird for 15 minutes. Serve with warm Poblano sauce on the side.
* Note: Ghee is clarified butter, which you can buy in many stores or make at home. You can substitute regular butter instead, but the recipe is best with ghee.
