ROAST CHICKEN

Whether you are planning dinner for family or for guests, this oven-roasted chicken recipe is one you will keep coming back to. The aromatics used will give it immense flavor while making it moist and tender. Even those who are not big fans of chicken (like me) will love this!

We fed 7 adults and 2 children off one whole chicken making this a very inexpensive meal to cook. Of course, we had a few side dishes to go along with it – cauliflower mash, roasted asparagus, and caprese salad. Even with the sides, I fed a lot of people for less than $25. I was somewhat disappointed with how much the bacon shrunk. It still gave the outer skin that wonderful bacon flavor.

There is nothing difficult about this recipe. You chop the aromatics, stuff the bird, and place it in the oven. Halfway thru the cooking time, rotate the chicken, add any vegetables you desire and continue cooking. Yes, I did two birds because I thought one wasn’t going to be enough. I was wrong!

To prep the chicken, wash and dry off with paper towels. Salt and pepper the inside cavity.

Chop the lemons, onions, garlic, add the fresh thyme and stuff inside the bird. Pack it tightly.

Tie the legs together with butcher’s twine and tuck the wings underneath the bird to prevent burning. If you look at my pictures, you will see I didn’t do this. It makes for a much prettier presentation but sometimes life happens and you just do what you have to do. Guess what? It didn’t change the taste at all.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil. Place slices of bacon over the chicken breast. Drizzle with more oil, if desired.

Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Halfway through the cooking time, rotate the chicken and add any vegetables you prefer. To this recipe, I added quartered bella mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. The juices from the chicken give a wonderful flavor to any vegetable you add.

Thanks for stopping by!