Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken with Lemony Root Vegetables
By Ethan Parker
Prep
45 min
Cook
75 min
Total
120 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Choose a 4- to 4 1/2-pound roasting chicken for meat that cooks alongside the vegetables without drying out. This garlic herb butter roast chicken is a one-pan meal of lemony, tender chicken with crisp, golden skin and earthy potatoes, carrots, turnips, and shallots.
Yukon Gold potatoes contribute their buttery flavor, while carrots, shallots, turnips, and whole unpeeled garlic cloves form the vegetable base. Fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme are divided between the vegetables and softened butter, then sharpened with lemon zest, lemon juice, and minced garlic. The butter is placed both under the skin and over the chicken, seasoning the meat as well as the exterior.
As the chicken roasts, the skin should turn richly golden and the vegetables should brown around the edges in the pan juices. The broth is an important addition because it keeps the butter from burning, which can otherwise scorch the vegetables. Choosing a chicken much larger than the recommended size is the main pitfall: it needs longer roasting time, while the vegetables can become overdone.
Serve the carved chicken with the roasted vegetables and crusty bread for the buttery juices and softened garlic cloves. The recipe notes that a whole roast chicken can provide an extra meal or two, and the bones can be used for stock.
Why you'll love this recipe
- A properly sized roasting chicken cooks in step with the vegetables, helping the breast meat stay tender while potatoes, carrots, turnips, and shallots roast together.
- Fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, lemon, and garlic flavor both chicken and pan vegetables, so a short ingredient list reaches every part of the meal.
- Yukon Gold potatoes add their noted buttery flavor, while small turnips and shallots bring earthy, caramelized contrast without requiring a separate side dish.
- Butter tucked beneath the breast skin seasons the meat directly, and the remaining herb butter coats the bird for a golden exterior.
- Whole unpeeled garlic cloves roast beside the chicken, leaving soft cloves to spread on crusty bread and extending the value of one head.
- A small pour of chicken broth protects the butter in the pan, helping the root vegetables brown rather than scorch during roasting.
Ingredients
- •1 pound small or baby Yukon Gold potatoes (halved)
- •4 medium turnips (peeled and quartered)
- •4 large carrots (peeled and cut into even 2-inch pieces)
- •2 large shallots (peeled and quartered)
- •1 head garlic (separated into cloves, peel left on)
- •3 tablespoons olive oil
- •salt (to taste)
- •freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- •2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
- •1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
- •1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
- •1 small lemon (zested and juiced)
- •5 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
- •1 teaspoon salt
- •freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- •1 roasting chicken (4 to 4 1/2 pounds)
- •3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- •5 sprigs fresh thyme
- •1 small lemon (halved and seeded)
- •0.5 cup chicken broth
- •crusty bread (for soaking up buttery juices and spreading roasted garlic cloves)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- 2
Let the chicken sit at room temperature while preparing the vegetables and herb butter.
- 3
Combine the potatoes, turnips, carrots, shallots, and whole garlic cloves in a large roasting pan.
- 4
Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 5
Push the vegetables toward the outer edges of the roasting pan, making room for the chicken.
- 6
Combine the chopped parsley, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the herb mixture over the vegetables.
- 7
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, softened butter, salt, and black pepper to the remaining herbs, then stir well.
- 8
Check the chicken cavity for remaining innards and the skin for pin feathers, then thoroughly pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- 9
Carefully separate the skin from the meat where possible and spread half the herb butter under the skin.
- 10
Spread the remaining herb butter over the chicken.
- 11
Stuff the chicken cavity with the lemon halves and rosemary and thyme sprigs.
- 12
Tie the legs together with butcher's twine and tuck the wings under the upper back of the chicken.
- 13
Place the chicken in the center of the pan surrounded by the vegetables.
- 14
Drizzle the vegetables with the chicken broth.
- 15
Roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 165 degrees.
- 16
Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 17
Carve as desired and serve with the vegetables and crusty bread.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
494
Protein
6g
Fat
34g
Carbs
46g
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