A succulent and tender roast chicken, cooked in herbs, butter and olive oil on a bed of sliced onions. Serve with a homemade gravy made from the cooking juices in the pan.
Chicken recipes are without a doubt, the most popular posts on my website. So when I realised I didn't have a recipe for a Classic Roast Chicken on here, I knew I had to change that immediately!
This easy-to-follow recipe produces a wonderfully tender and juicy roast chicken that's bursting with flavour. The chicken cooks on a layer of sliced onions which help to enhance the delicious gravy, made from the cooking juices. I hope your friends and family enjoy this roast chicken as much as mine do. For something a little extra, you can also try my Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Roast.
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Ingredient notes:
- Chicken: You can either use a fresh or frozen chicken to make this dish, just ensure a frozen chicken is completely defrosted before you cook it. If your chicken is bigger or smaller than 1.5kg, check the packet instructions for the length of cook time.
- Herbs: I like regular supermarket 'Mixed Herbs'. These are a combination of some of these herbs - tarragon, basil, marjoram, parsley, chives, sage and thyme.
- Oil: I generally use a light olive oil for roasting chicken.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. In a small jug, mix together the olive oil, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside. Place the sliced onion in the base of a roasting dish, then set the chicken on top.
Using both hands, place small clumps of butter in between the meat and the skin. Pour the herb marinade over the chicken ensuring all areas are covered.
Add 2 cups of water to the base of the pan. Place in the oven for 1.5 hours or until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the roasting dish (reserving the cooking juices) and place in a dish. Cover with tinfoil and leave to rest.
Place the roasting dish with the cooking juices over two burners on the stove top. Turn both burners on to a low heat. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of flour and fry off. Add half of the chicken stock and mix to combine. Repeat with remaining tablespoon of flour and ½ cup of chicken stock.
When the gravy consistency is nice and smooth, remove from the heat. Strain in a sieve to remove the onion. Pour into a gravy boat.
Slice the chicken and serve immediately with gravy.
Recipe FAQs:
If you have a meat thermometer, you can stick it in to the thickest part of the meat and it will tell you if it's cooked all the way through. If not, you can cut into the thickest part of the meat and the juices should run clear. If they are slightly pink or red the chicken needs more time.
Potatoes of any kind are always a winner! Cheesy Potato Bake, Potato Salad or Hasselback Potatoes are go-to's for me.
Depending on the time of year, you might either want to serve Glazed Carrots, Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, Beans and Asparagus or just a lovely Green Salad.
Storage:
If you want to get ahead, the chicken can be prepared earlier in the day. Leave it covered, in the fridge until you're ready to cook.
Store any leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Cooked chicken can be eaten hot or cold in salads, sandwiches, wraps or even fried rice.
Top tips:
Resting large pieces of meat is a crucial part of the cooking process. If you cut into a cooked chicken as soon as it came out of the oven, the juices will come pouring out and the meat will be tough. If you rest it, this gives the cooking juices time to settle back into the meat, keeping it juicy and tender.
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Roast Chicken
A golden, roast chicken cooked with herbs and butter served with gravy made from the cooking juices.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1.5kg whole chicken
- 30g butter
- 2 cups water
Gravy
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Chicken: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
- In a small jug, mix together the olive oil, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place the sliced onion in the base of a roasting dish, then set the chicken on top.
- Using both hands, place small clumps of butter in between the meat and the skin. Pour the herb marinade over the chicken ensuring all areas are covered.
- Add 2 cups of water to the base of the pan. Place in the oven for 1.5 hours or until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the roasting dish (reserving the cooking juices) and place in a dish. Cover with tinfoil and leave to rest.
- Gravy: Place the roasting dish with the cooking juices over two burners on a stove top. Turn both burners on to a low heat.
- Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of flour and fry off. Add half of the chicken stock and mix to combine. Repeat with remaining tablespoon of flour and ½ cup of chicken stock.
- When the gravy consistency is nice and smooth, remove from the heat. Strain in a sieve to remove the onion. Pour into a gravy boat.
- Serve: Slice the chicken and serve immediately with gravy.
Notes
- If the water evaporates completely in the dish during cooking time, pour in extra so that the onions do not catch and burn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 529Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 52g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
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