Garlic Butter Roast Chicken

When you roast a whole chicken it makes the house smell delicious and the chicken moist and tender. And rubbing it on and under the skin with seasoned butter makes it amazingly succulent.

Roasting vs. Baking –

If you put in the oven, isn’t that baking? Not necessarily. The definition of baking is to cook food with dry heat that is not exposed to an open flame, usually in an oven of some sort.

Roasting, on the other hand, cooks by exposing to dry heat or by surrounding with hot coals. And typically the roasting temperature is higher than a baking temperature.

Why roast chicken whole?

The whole bird has more fat on the body and flavor in the bones. When the chicken is cut, much of the fat is removed. The fat that is just under the skin melts down into the meat as it cooks. When the bones are still connected, the flavors are more intense in the cooked meat. Keeping the chicken whole locks in a great deal of flavor that gets lost in cutting it apart.

An easy method to chop the sage – 

Stack the leaves,

then roll them into a stick.

Using a sharp knife, slice the ends creating ribbons.

Move the ribbons into a pile, then chop, turn, and chop again, until the lives are minced well.

Here’s how you roast it:

This recipe is so easy!

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the garlic, sage and half of the salt with the butter. Make sure the butter is fully softened before you start.

 Using your hand, gently lift the skin on the breast and around the backside of the chicken.

Using about 1/3 of the butter, rub it in under the skin onto the breast. Turn it over and do the same on the back side.

Next, add a pinch of baking soda, the remaining salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper to the remaining butter. Rub it on all sides of the bird, including the legs and wings.

Place the chicken on a rack, breast side up.

Roast for about 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and continue cooking for about and hour to an hour and 15 minutes. The skin should be crispy and brown and the internal temperature between 165 and 170 degrees.

Remove it from the oven and tent with foil. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the legs and wings. Cut the breast meat as you would with a turkey. This recipe goes great with Easy au gratin Potatoes and a salad!

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 10 votes

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Garlic Butter Roast Chicken

A succulent chicken, roasted whole. This dish is moist and full of flavor.

Course: dinner, Main Course, main dish, supper

Cuisine: American, Roasted

Keyword: butter, chicken, garlic, roast

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 2 - 3 pound whole chicken
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
• fresh cracked pepper
• pinch baking soda

Instructions

1. First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix the sage, garlic and 1/2 of the salt with the butter. Make sure the butter is fully softened before you start.

3. Using your hand, gently lift the skin on the breast and around the backside of the chicken.

4. Rub about 1/3 of the butter under the skin onto the breast. Turn it over and do the same on the back side.

5. Next, add a pinch of baking soda, the remaining salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper to the remaining butter. Rub it on all sides of the bird, including the legs and wings.

6. Place the chicken on a rack, breast side up. Roast for about 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and continue cooking for about and hour to an hour and 15 minutes.The skin should be crispy and brown and the internal temperature between 165 and 170 degrees.

7. Remove it from the oven and tent with foil. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.

8. Carefully remove the legs and wings. Cut the breast meat as you would with a turkey. This recipe goes great with Easy au gratin Potatoes and a salad!

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

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