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–+ servings

Italian Roast Chicken

French Kiss Cook
Roast a whole chicken with a rub of olive oil, garlic, lemon, and rosemary.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6
Calories 360 kcal

Equipment

  • Roaster with Rack
  • Baster

Ingredients
  

  • 1 piece Whole Chicken fully thawed
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 6 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice from a lemon

Instructions
 

Prepare the Chicken

  • Make sure that your chicken is fully thawed before starting to cooking process. Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator, on a plate to catch any thawing liquids. Make sure to let it thaw for 5 hours per pound, and to use it within a couple days after it being fully thawed.
  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Pat down the thawed chicken with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture from the skin.
  • Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan. If using a baking dish and are wanting to elevate the bird from the pan, you can do so with a stainless steel cooling rack or by placing it on top of root vegetables.

Dress the Chicken

  • Combine in a small bowl, the salt, paprika, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and rosemary. Stir to combine.
  • Use your fingers to gently lift the skin from chicken breast, starting by the cavity of the roast. Be careful to not tear the skin while doing so.
  • Spoon some of the rub mixture under the skin and spread it oven the meat. Rub the remaining mixture all over the skin of the chicken. Drizzle the lemon juice over the chicken.
  • Pour 1-2 cups of water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the chicken loosely with a large piece of foil. Place in the preheated oven.

Roast the Chicken

  • The rule of thumb for roasting a whole chicken, is to cook it for 20 minutes per pound. For this recipe I used an 8-pounds bird, so my cooking time was around 2.5 hours. If your chicken is smaller or larger, adjust the cooking time accordingly, and remove the foil for the last 20 minutes of cooking for extra color.
  • Take the chicken out of the oven after 1 hour. Make sure there is still water in the bottom of the roaster, you might want to add an extra cup of liquid. Baste the chicken, place the foil back on, and roast for another 1 hour.
  • Remove the foil, baste the chicken again, and return to the oven uncovered. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thicken part of the thigh reaches 165F and the skin is a dark golden color.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 24gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 865mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 362IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chicken, garlic, lemon
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