Roast Spring Chicken Recipe

I love enhancing my roast chicken with the flavor of rosemary. Fresh rosemary, combined with garlic and lemon zest make for a succulent and juicy chicken dinner. A simple salad and some roasted root vegetables make this the perfect easy dinner for friends and family.

Ingredients

  • 1 roasting chicken 2-4 pounds rinsed and patted dry inside and out
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus extra sprigs.
  • 2 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Half a lemon
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • **onion slices

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 and place rack on middle shelf.
  2. Loosen the skin around the breast meat on the chicken up to the breastbone.
  3. Mix butter, rosemary, garlic, and lemon zest together and spread mixture under the skin and over the breasts of the chicken. Rub the chicken all over with the lemon half. Both inside and out.

  4. Rub chicken with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt & pepper inside and out. Place rosemary sprigs and lemon half in cavity.
  5. Place chicken in roasting pan lined with onions slices, skin side up. Roast for 45 minutes. Basting occasionally.

  6. Increase heat to 375 and roast for 50 minutes more. Chicken should be golden brown.
  7. Let chicken rest for 15 minutes before serving.

I am a passionate advocate for food as medicine, life navigator and culinary coach. This is my space for sharing what excites, inspires and motivates me to live my best life. It began as a recipe blog for nourishing, simple, weekday meals and has become something much bigger… a guide to resilient wellness. I am excited to share my knowledge of how daily habits can cumulatively help you to live like you mean it and age like you want to.