Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken: Recipes Worth Cooking

This Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken recipe makes the juiciest, most tender chicken thanks to the fresh butter, zesty garlic, lemons, and aromatic stuffing.

This recipe can be prepared in just 20 minutes and cooked in 1 hour 20 minutes. Check out the video above to see how it is done, or read through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions below.

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Ingredients (Serves 8)

4-5 pound Whole Chicken (Room temperature, with giblets and neck removed from the cavity)
1/4 cup of Unsalted Butter (Melted)
4 tsps of Olive Oil
1 Lemon Zested and Juiced
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper (To taste)
4 tbsps of Butter (Room temperature)
2 tbsps of Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
1 tbsp of Fresh Rosemary (Chopped)
1 tsp of Fresh Thyme (Chopped)
1 tbsp of Paprika (Optional – for a darker color when roasting)
6 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
1 head of Garlic (Roughly peeled and cut in half horizontally through the middle)
6 sprigs of Fresh Rosemary (Tied together)
3 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
1 Lemon (Quartered)

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Cooking Steps

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease a roasting pan with olive oil and set aside.
Clean the chicken, rinse it under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
Remove any excess fat and leftover feathers.
In a small bowl combine olive oil, melted butter, and lemon juice. Stir well.
Place the chicken on a cutting board or into the prepared pan and pour the butter mixture over the chicken.
Use your hands to get it under the skin and inside the cavity.
Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper on the inside and outside.
Sprinkle on top with the parsley.
In a medium bowl combine 4 tablespoons of butter with the chopped fresh rosemary, chopped fresh thyme, lemon zest, and minced garlic, add the paprika if using. Stir to combine.
Rub the mixture all over the chicken, and get it under the skin as well.
Stuff the chicken with the halved garlic head, fresh rosemary sprigs, fresh thyme sprigs, and the quartered lemon.
Tie legs together with kitchen string.

Roasting:

Place the chicken breast-side up into the prepared roasting pan and roast for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes.
Baste halfway through cooking, and roast the chicken until the juices run clear when it is pierced with a skewer.
Baste again when the chicken is done roasting, after which turn on the broil and broil it for 2-3 minutes, just until golden.
Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Use the pan juices to drizzle them over the chicken.
Serve with fresh lemon wedges on the side.