I’ve roasted many a chicken in my time. Many. First because it’s one of the most delicious meals you can serve your family. And you can change the seasonings to suit your family’s tastes. Second because it’s just so easy. Season the chicken, pop it in the oven, and come back later to serve dinner.
I had really never thought that there might be a better method for roasting a chicken until I saw one being done this way recently. I decided to give it a try and wouldn’t you know it – I now have a new favorite way to roast a chicken. Of course, I adapted the recipe that I saw to suit myself, but that’s what cooking is all about, isn’t it?
For this Butter Roasted Chicken, you’ll want a small, tender chicken that’s around 4 pounds. I used to find 3 pound chickens, which I really like, but those are rare these days. They’re bred to have so much breast meat that it makes the poor little things top heavy and the smallest ones you can find are usually about 4 pounds. Although I have seen some labeled “organic” that are somewhat smaller.
Butter Roasted Chicken - Roasted chicken seasoned with fresh herbs and lemon, basted with butter for a crispy golden brown skin Click To Tweet
Whatever size bird you choose, just take it out of its package, remove all the “gunk” from the inside (you know, the giblets and the stuff that makes you go ewwww) and then dry the skin really well with a paper towel. Then salt and pepper the chicken really well both inside and outside.
Now take your fresh herbs and stick them…well, you know where they go…
And push those lemon wedges in there, too. At this point you can truss your chicken if you want to. I like to do it so that it cooks more evenly, but you don’t have to!
Now place the chicken on its left leg in a roasting pan or an large cast iron skillet. Put the butter all in one piece on top of the chicken. Put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, baste the skin all over with the accumulated pan juices and turn the chicken over on its right leg. Put it back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan, baste the chicken and turn it breast side down. Put the pan back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the pan, baste the chicken and turn it breast side up. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the juices run clear at the thigh. Be sure to baste several more times during the final cooking. It makes the skin a beautiful golden brown and so crispy. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
Butter Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh herbs – my favorite combination is tarragon, thyme, rosemary and sage
- 1 lemon, quartered
- ¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the giblets from the chicken and dry it the skin well.
- Thoroughly salt and pepper the chicken both inside and out.
- Place the herbs and lemon wedges inside and truss if you wish.
- Place the chicken on its side in a roasting pan or a large cast iron skillet. Sit the butter on top.
- Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, baste the skin all over and turn the chicken on its other side.
- Cook for 15 more minutes, remove from oven, baste the skin all over and turn the chicken breast side down.
- Cook for 15 minutes, remove from oven, baste the skin all over and turn the chicken on its back (breast side up).
- Return to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes or until juices at the thigh run clear. Be sure to baste several more times during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
More chicken recipes from never enough thyme
Other roasted chicken recipes you might enjoy:
- Herbed Roast Chicken from Simply Recipes
- Peruvian Roast Chicken on Leite’s Culinaria
- Dine and Dish‘s Crispy Roast Chicken
- Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken from Budget Bytes
Love this method! Everything is better with a stick of butter on top!
Yes, Leslie, I can think of very few things that aren’t made better with a stick of butter :-)
Three pound chicken are the perfect size, like you I miss them and buy them up when I see them. GREG
Me, too, Greg. You do have to look for them, but they’re still out there. Usually with the “organic” meats :-)
Wish this was waiting for when I got home tonight. Looks delicious.
Wish I could bring a plate over to you, Shelby.
I’m with Shelby. This looks great
That is a gorgeous bird! I’ve used a variation of this recipe for awhile – I love the idea of putting the butter on top – no smooshing it aaround with your fingers!
It’s really the easiest method I’ve ever seen. And that butter just melts and runs all over the skin anyway so why not just stick it up on top!
My goodness that looks wonderful.
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
well gosh darn it, here we go again, I just finalized my latest post on roasting a chicken in a skillet too, and stuffing with lemons, a little different take though… anyway, I think I will rearrange my lineup… this one sounds great Lana, like the butter addition, something I did not do…
Well, dang it, Drick. I didn’t mean to steal your thunder! You go right on and post your roast chicken!
You had me at butter ;)
Love it!
Oh my goodness, this looks heavenly. Butter-roasted chicken? My mouth is watering…
The title alone is so comforting. I love bathing my chicken in a bath of butter, mmm.
Lana,
I love roasted chicken, this look great!
I’m sure someone has already asked you but… Do you think I could get away with using a heavy-oven-safe skillet and get similar results??? I ask because I do not own a cast iron skillet, sad I know :(
-Laura
Sure! You could use any oven safe skillet or roasting pan. Whatever you have.
Yum…. but then I would have to make gravy too.
You’ll have plenty of buttery pan juices to make your gravy, Lisa!
I recently been sauteing chicken breast in butter…so tender and juicy and flavorful. Like everyone here…..LOVE butter!! :)
Butter makes everything better!
What a classic – everyone should have this recipe. Very nice!
Thanks, Ewa.
Does that look good or what Lana? What a wonderful way to roast a chicken, and relatively fuss free! Love the way you wrote the post… really enjoyed it!
Thanks so much, Deeba! Haven’t seen you around much lately. Hope all’s well.
I think this must be the perfect roasted chicken, I must try it. I love that you cook it in a cast iron skillet, not to mention the butter!
It really is a fantastic method for roasting chicken if you don’t mind the basting every 15 minutes. It gives you plenty of time to get everything else read for dinner while it cooks.
Thanks for sharing via SU – definitely going to give this a try!
This looks like the perfect Sunday Supper!
I have discovered grandma’s cast iron and now use it for everything. Saw this recipe and had to try it as a deviation to my usual roasted “beer can chicken”. However, I didn’t plan for turning a very hot chicken and tore the skin in a couple places using grabbers, etc. Any suggestions for a very amateur chef? After all, I was able to google “how to truss a chicken” and got that down in two seconds flat!
This post just made my mouth water. Roasted chicken is one of the few things I miss in my vegetarian life. I’d make this one in a second. Gorgeous, Lana.
Made this tonight and have to say it was the best roast chicken I’ve ever made and possibly the best I’ve ever eaten!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! Just made this recipe for a friends bday tonight and it was an absolute hit! The bird was juicy and extremely flavorful! I actually really enjoyed the periodic basting…every spoonful of melted butter just heightened the anticipation to dig in to this succulent bird! Paired it with panzanella salad for a slightly lighter meal. Thank you!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Carol! It’s one of my favorite ways to roast a whole chicken.
You know, there are few things better than a well roasted, nicely seasoned chicken. Meets everyone’s expectations, and then some. Serve with some nice bread and a salad, and call it a feast!
Miss P
Yes, a nice roasted chicken is as good for a family meal as it is for company. Especially when it has a half a stick of butter basted all over it :-)