Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Butter
Elegant Roasted Chicken with bright flavors of lemon and savory notes from thyme and garlic.
Ingredients
- Whole roaster chicken 5-7 pounds
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 3 sprigs fresh lemon thyme regular is fine if you don't have lemon thyme
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix butter, thyme and garlic in a small dish.
- Prepare chicken by removing giblets, patting completely dry with paper towels and placing on rack in roasting pan.
- Carefully use fingers to separate skin from chicken breast to create a pocket for the butter thyme mixture. Be careful not to remove the skin entirely. Spoon butter into pocket and smooth under the skin towards the front of the bird.
- Squeeze juice from one lemon half into cavity of chicken and then insert the other half and the onion.
- Sprinkle desired amount of salt and pepper on the outside of the chicken.
- Truss the bird with cooking string if you like.
- Roast at 425° for 15 minutes and then drop the temperature down to 375°. Finish cooking until the temperature in the thigh is 165° (roughly 20 minutes per pound of bird).
- Remove from oven and place roasted chicken on cutting board with drain grooves. Try to angle the bird so the juices run into the pan before transferring to cutting bird.
- Heat roasting pan over high heat (if your roasting pan/stove allow this).
- Whisk flour and chicken broth until fully blended in a mixing bowl.
- Pour white wine into drippings and scrape bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir for a couple of minutes and then add broth/flour mixture. Whisk vigorously until sauce is slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper if needed.
- Slice chicken and serve with sauce.
Notes
The white wine adds a layer of flavor to the sauce, but feel free to swap with more chicken broth if desired.