Happy Hen Farm's Easy Roasted Chicken
Ready to go in the oven!
This is not a meal ready to be plated for guests, like the Barefoot Contessa recipe that I linked in the blog, but the recipe that we make most often with kitchen staples. It is still absolutely delicious. I promise.
Be sure to save the carcass and use the recipe in the blog post for chicken broth/stock!
Ingredients:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Place chicken (take out neck and/or giblet pack from inside) in a dutch oven that has been drizzled with olive oil on bottom. Stuff cavity with lemon and onion (or garlic if using). Drizzle olive oil over skin and rub around skin to cover all exposed areas. Sprinkle approximately two teaspoons (more if larger chicken) of coarse salt all over the oiled skin, follow with approximately one teaspoon (or more if larger chicken) of black pepper. Do the same thing with one to two teaspoons of dried thyme. If you have kitchen twine on hand, you can tie the legs together - if not, it's okay!
Roast, uncovered, for 1 hr for 3 lb chicken, 1 hr 15 minutes for 4 lb chicken, and 1 hr 30 minutes for a 5 lb chicken, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Peak into the oven every now and then to ensure the skin is not burning. If it starts to darken past a nice golden brown, just take a piece of foil and set on top loosely.
We like to serve ours with a gravy and rice. If you wish to make the gravy, remove the chicken from the pan and set on a cutting board tented with foil. Drain the fat, if desired, but do not clean the pot. Put the dutch oven on the stove top on high heat and immediately add the chicken stock and wine (if using). Cook for about 5 minutes, while scraping the bottom of the pan and stirring. Mix the flour or cornstarch with the melted butter in a small bowl or cup with a fork to make a paste. Add to pot while stirring with fork. Cook a few more minutes, until slightly thicker. You are looking for a slightly thickened sauce or gravy. Add a little water or broth if too thick. Add salt to taste. If it is still too thin after several minutes, remove a few tablespoons of the gravy and mix a little more flour or cornstarch with it and then add to the pot. Resist the urge to add cornstarch or flour directly to the pot without mixing with something first - that is where lumpy gravy comes from. If you end up with lumps, it is really not the worst thing in the world. Also, if you are really dying to do more steps here, you can strain the gravy - but if you are like me and are the one also doing dishes - feel free to serve it unstrained!
Enjoy!
Be sure to save the carcass and use the recipe in the blog post for chicken broth/stock!
Ingredients:
- Whole Chicken (3 to 5 lbs)
- Dried Thyme (Rosemary mixed in is good as well!)
- 1 Lemon, halved (or quartered to fit inside)
- 1 Onion (or Head of Garlic) cut in half
- Kosher coarse salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup of chicken broth (if making gravy)
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted (if making gravy)
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour or Gluten Free option: 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch (if making gravy)
- 1/4 cup white wine, optional (if making gravy)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Place chicken (take out neck and/or giblet pack from inside) in a dutch oven that has been drizzled with olive oil on bottom. Stuff cavity with lemon and onion (or garlic if using). Drizzle olive oil over skin and rub around skin to cover all exposed areas. Sprinkle approximately two teaspoons (more if larger chicken) of coarse salt all over the oiled skin, follow with approximately one teaspoon (or more if larger chicken) of black pepper. Do the same thing with one to two teaspoons of dried thyme. If you have kitchen twine on hand, you can tie the legs together - if not, it's okay!
Roast, uncovered, for 1 hr for 3 lb chicken, 1 hr 15 minutes for 4 lb chicken, and 1 hr 30 minutes for a 5 lb chicken, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Peak into the oven every now and then to ensure the skin is not burning. If it starts to darken past a nice golden brown, just take a piece of foil and set on top loosely.
We like to serve ours with a gravy and rice. If you wish to make the gravy, remove the chicken from the pan and set on a cutting board tented with foil. Drain the fat, if desired, but do not clean the pot. Put the dutch oven on the stove top on high heat and immediately add the chicken stock and wine (if using). Cook for about 5 minutes, while scraping the bottom of the pan and stirring. Mix the flour or cornstarch with the melted butter in a small bowl or cup with a fork to make a paste. Add to pot while stirring with fork. Cook a few more minutes, until slightly thicker. You are looking for a slightly thickened sauce or gravy. Add a little water or broth if too thick. Add salt to taste. If it is still too thin after several minutes, remove a few tablespoons of the gravy and mix a little more flour or cornstarch with it and then add to the pot. Resist the urge to add cornstarch or flour directly to the pot without mixing with something first - that is where lumpy gravy comes from. If you end up with lumps, it is really not the worst thing in the world. Also, if you are really dying to do more steps here, you can strain the gravy - but if you are like me and are the one also doing dishes - feel free to serve it unstrained!
Enjoy!
