This Lemon, Rosemary, and Oregano Chicken has the perfect pairing of herbs and fresh lemon flavors. It’s a classic comfort food meal that I have been making for years.
Roast chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods. There is nothing better than roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s something we ate frequently when I was growing up, and it’s a meal that I crave as an adult.
I know that some people are overwhelmed by the idea of roasting a whole chicken, but it is easy and it is a skill every home cook should master. Cooking a whole chicken only takes a just few minutes of preparation time, and it can serve 4-5 people.
Roast chicken with a crispy skin and tender meat is the best. This is achieved by cooking the chicken at 450 degrees for 15 minutes and then reducing the heat to 350 degrees. Another trick is to throughly dry the chicken with paper towels after rinsing it. Getting the skin nice and dry helps the butter stick to it, and it helps the skin to get crispy.
Another thing that I love about this recipe is the gravy. I love making gravy from pan drippings, it is so good over chicken and mashed potatoes. Plus, leftover gravy can be added to soups!
I recommend saving the chicken bones and making chicken stock from scratch. It’s the base of so many soups, including my Thai Curry Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash and Kale, and Chicken Tortilla Soup.
How to make Lemon, Rosemary, and Oregano Roast Chicken:
Lemon, Rosemary, and Oregano Roast Chicken
This simple roast chicken is loaded with flavor. It gets seasoned with lemon juice, rosemary, oregano, garlic, and butter. Stuffing the chicken with extra lemon, rosemary, and garlic adds more flavor and contributes to the pan drippings that make an exceptional gravy.
Ingredients
- a 4.5 lb whole Chicken
- 2 Lemons
- 3 cloves of Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Oregano
- 3 sprigs of Rosemary
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Then rinse and dry the chicken with paper towels.
Chop the lemons. Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken and place the lemon pieces inside the chicken cavity with 2 cloves of garlic and the rosemary.
Combine the butter, oregano, 1 sprig of rosemary, and 1 clove of finely chopped garlic. Then rub all over the outside of the chicken. Generously salt and pepper.
Bake the chicken at 450 degrees for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Add chicken broth to the bottom of the pan as necessary to prevent the drippings from burning.
Bake for 20 minutes a pound, or until the thick inner thigh of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Notes
If your chicken browns too quickly, tent it will foil.
This recipe makes fantastic gravy with lots of flavor from the lemon and herbs. Learn how to make gravy here:
How to Make Gravy from Pan Drippings
Easy step by step instructions showing how to make gravy from pan drippings! This is the perfect gravy to make on Thanksgiving or whenever you make a roast. Using the pan drippings is the easiest way to make a super flavorful gravy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 tablespoon Flour
- about 1 cup Pan Drippings from Chicken Turkey, Beef, or Pork
- 1/4 cup White Wine
- 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
Instructions
Remove the chicken (or turkey, beef, or pork) from the pan. Use a rubber spatula to scrape up all of the browned bits that might be stuck to the pan. Then pour all of the pan drippings through a fine mesh strainer or piece of cheesecloth and into a clear container.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. Let cook, whisking constantly, until the butter and flour (the roux) mixture becomes golden brown.
Use a baster to suck up the chicken drippings below the layer of fat. Whisk this into the roux. Continue until all of the drippings have been added. (I discard the fat later). If you don't have a baster, you can spoon off the excess fat and then pour the drippings into the pan. Just make sure you put the fat into a container where it can harden and be thrown away - it's bad to dump it down the drain. (Or save it for cooking!)
Add the white wine and the chicken broth. Whisk to combine. Then bring the broth up to a steady simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes or so, until the gravy has thickened. If the gravy isn't thickening enough, melt more butter and flour together in a separate pan, making more roux, then whisk that into the pan. And let simmer for 2 more minutes.
Save this lemon, rosemary, and oregano roast chicken recipe for later by sharing this image on Pinterest:
ohiocook
Friday 21st of June 2013
Reblogged this on My Meals are on Wheels.