Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken with Sage. A flavourful way to roast a whole chicken that’s pretty impressive to carve at the table too; making great for everything from weekday suppers to dinner parties.
Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken with Sage
Today I’m updating this recipe for Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken from the very early days of Rock Recipes. This recipe was first posted back on October 25, 2007, exactly one month after Rock Recipes was launched.
It’s a very simple way to infuse extra flavour into a great roast chicken dinner. Flavour infused butter gets spread under the skin, as do thin slices of lemon. This keeps the meat moist and delicious during a relatively short roasting time.
Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken with Sage
Over the years I’ve learned that roast chicken may be the most overcooked thing in kitchens across the continent. In truth, high heat, open roasting and a shorter cooking time is what makes the very best roast chicken.
It’s something I learned from watching Chef Thomas Keller online and which I talk about more in the instructions for One Hour Roast Chicken.
Organic unwaxed lemons are always best in this recipe.
With experience, I slowed down the temperature by a few degrees and extended the cooking time by just a few minutes to get the best balance of flavour and juiciness in this incredibly succulent roast chicken.
We served this delicious Chicken with our new recipe for Smoked Cheddar Duchess Potatoes for an incredibly satisfying meal along with our 20 minute Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. A perfect Sunday Supper.
Smoked Cheddar Duchess Potatoes & Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake
You may also want to try our very popular recipe for One Hour Roast Chicken.
How to Roast a Chicken
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Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken with Sage
Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken with Sage - a flavourful way to roast a whole chicken that's pretty impressive to carve at the table too; making great for everything from weekday suppers to dinner parties.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 3-4 lbs
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
For the Lemon Garlic Sage Butter
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped (or ½ tsp ground sage)
- ½ tsp lemon zest, finely minced
- pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the skin and cavity of the chicken. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.
- Loosen the skin covering the breast and legs of the chicken by gently pushing your fingers between the skin and the meat, being careful not to tear the skin.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the Lemon Garlic Sage Butter
- Stuff the butter under the skin, covering as much of the legs, thighs and breast as possible.
- Place the lemon slices under the skin as well, on top of the butter. Use half slices if necessary to cover some areas.
- Truss the chicken by tucking the wings under the bird and tying the legs together with butcher string. Rub the entire outside of the chicken with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Roast on a rack in an uncovered roasting pan in a 425 degree oven for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the skin is evenly brown and the leg joints move easily. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the thighs and breasts should read 170-175 degrees F on a meat thermometer
- Allow chicken to rest for 10 - 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
You can easily substitute thyme or summer savoury as a milder flavoured herb option if you prefer. I've used both over the years and they are equally as delicious in this recipe.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 531Total Fat 39gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 172mgSodium 336mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 41g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
M-J
Friday 26th of August 2022
Hi Barry! Wow you elevated lemon roast chicken , oh my goodness, this is the best roast chicken ever,bar none, even better than my sister’s recipe for lemon chicken, in her cookbook , Greek with Gusto ! Shout out to all your recipes, Barry, I have created many of them. M-J. 🐔🍪🎂🍩🧁🍰🍪🍤
Leo Swanson
Friday 20th of February 2015
mouth watering recieps. i have to try the spagette with scallops and the pancates.. heck they all look great. they ought to keep us busy for a couple of weeks.