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–+ servings
Roast chicken in a large round Dutch oven set atop a bed of vegetables.
4.68 from 25 votes

Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken Recipe

This Roast Chicken Recipe with garlic butter, fresh herbs, lemon, and tender vegetables is SO easy to make right at home!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time1 hr 40 mins
Total Time2 hrs
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 879.7kcal
Chef: Jessica Randhawa

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1 (5 lb) chicken brought to room temperature with neck and giblets removed
  • salt + pepper to season
  • 1/2 cup butter divided (1 stick, 8 tbsp)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lemons (1 juiced, 1 quartered)
  • 3 tbsp fresh herbs

    minced (I used a mix of oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme)

  • 15 cloves garlic divided
  • red chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 large yellow onions

    peeled and quartered

  • 6 large carrots

    peeled and chopped into 2-inch segments

  • 5 cups butternut squash

    peeled seeded and chopped into approximately 1.5-inch cubes

  • 3 large red potatoes

    chopped into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
  • Season chicken with salt and pepper. Remove the neck and giblets and transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with foil (or some other easy-to-clean workspace). Pat chicken dry with paper towels and liberally sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper.
  • Prepare garlic herb butter - Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Add the olive oil, juice from one lemon, 3 tablespoons fresh minced herbs, and 5 cloves of minced garlic. Mix well to combine.
  • Rub the chicken with the garlic herb butter. Pour half of the prepared garlic herb butter over the surface of the chicken. Use your hands to rub the butter and herbs over the entire surface and inside of the chicken. Set aside.
  • Prepare vegetables. Chop and prepare the yellow onions, carrots, butternut squash, and potatoes. Smash the remaining (10 cloves) of garlic with a large chef's knife. Add the onions to a large Dutch oven (at least 7.5 quarts) first, followed but the carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. 
  • Stuff and truss chicken. Stuff your chicken with a few carrots and the quartered lemon. Gently separate the skin from the breast meat and carefully stick the remaining butter under the skin. Tie the legs together using kitchen twine (don’t worry, looks aren’t important).
  • Transfer chicken to your Dutch oven. Transfer the seasoned chicken, breast-side-up, to the Dutch oven directly on top of the vegetables. Pour any remaining garlic herb butter over the vegetables and chicken.
  • Cook. Roast uncovered for 10 minutes at 475 degrees F. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and continue to cook for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes (or approximately 20 minutes per pound), basting at least once or twice throughout cooking (see notes).
  • Rest. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F as read with a digital meat thermometer remove from the oven and cover with foil. Allow chicken to rest 10 minutes before carving.
  • Serve. Serve drizzled with pan juices and cooked vegetables and garnished with fresh minced parsley.

Notes

  1. Feel free to add any of your favorite vegetables including celery, parsnips, kohlrabi, etc. The butternut squash and onions do get very soft during the long cooking time, but taste phenominal.
  2. If your chicken starts to brown, simply tent with foil as it cooks and remove in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  3. You may also cook your chicken in a roaster or large cast iron skillet.
  4. Recipe originally posted April 8, 2016.

Nutrition

Calories: 879.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.27g | Protein: 49.95g | Fat: 52.08g | Saturated Fat: 19.74g | Cholesterol: 210.77mg | Sodium: 348.11mg | Potassium: 1907.68mg | Fiber: 8.59g | Sugar: 9.14g | Vitamin A: 15273.32IU | Vitamin C: 69.89mg | Calcium: 157.8mg | Iron: 5.29mg
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