Roasted Garlic Chicken (Printable Version)

Juicy chicken roasted with garlic and herbs, offering tender meat and crispy golden skin.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 1 whole chicken, approximately 3.3 lbs, patted dry

→ Aromatics

02 - 2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
03 - 1 lemon, quartered
04 - 1 small onion, quartered
05 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
06 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

→ Seasoning & Fat

07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
08 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
09 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)

→ Vegetables (optional)

11 - 3 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
12 - 2 parsnips, cut into large chunks
13 - 1 bulb fennel, cut into wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place the chicken on a roasting rack in a pan. Stuff the cavity with half the garlic, lemon, onion, thyme, and rosemary.
03 - Rub the chicken exterior with olive oil or melted butter. Evenly sprinkle salt, black pepper, and paprika over the skin.
04 - Scatter the remaining garlic, lemon, onion, herbs, and optional vegetables around the chicken in the pan.
05 - Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wing tips under the body to ensure even cooking.
06 - Roast for 1 hour or until the juices run clear when pierced and the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest thigh area.
07 - Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted vegetables and pan juices.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • The garlic becomes impossibly sweet and creamy, almost like butter, transforming from its raw pungency into something you'll want to spread on bread
  • Your kitchen will smell so good that people will think you've been cooking for hours, even though it's genuinely simple
  • The skin gets crackling crispy while the meat stays juicy inside—that contrast is what separates a good chicken from a memorable one
  • It's elegant enough for guests but straightforward enough that you won't be stressed in the kitchen
02 -
  • Pat the chicken completely dry before seasoning—wet chicken will steam instead of roast, and you'll lose that precious crispy skin
  • Don't skip the rest period. Ten minutes seems small, but it's what keeps the meat moist and makes carving easier
  • The roasted garlic cloves are the surprise star. Squeeze them out of their skins and spread them on bread or eat them straight. Your guests will love this detail
  • Every oven runs differently. Start checking at 50 minutes with a thermometer. A meat thermometer removes all guesswork and prevents both undercooking and drying out
03 -
  • If your chicken is larger (over 2 kg), add about 15 minutes to the roasting time and rely on a meat thermometer rather than time
  • For extra crispy skin, brush it lightly with melted butter or oil again halfway through cooking
  • The pan drippings are precious—skim off excess fat and pour the juices over the chicken and vegetables before serving. This is where all the flavor lives

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