Herb-roasted chicken with vegetables is my absolute favorite meal! I make it every other week, sometimes every week when the weather is cool. It’s a simple, one-pot meal that is hearty and satisfying. I also make this for meal trains whenever someone in my church small group or holistic moms network chapter has a baby. It is very nourishing for a new mom!
The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it can be used as a guide. Any root vegetables, and even bell peppers can be added to it depending on what is in season. All the seasoning is to taste. I never measure. The ghee (can buy here) helps to seal in the moisture and brings out the flavor of the vegetables. Use organic or pastured butter if you don’t have ghee.
An alternative to cooking this in the oven is to use a crock pot. Just put everything in and cook on low for about 6 hours. So easy and so yum!
Save the bones for bone broth and leftover chicken for chicken salad and this meal goes very far!
- 1 free-range, organic chicken
- 2-4 sweet potatoes or yams
- 4-6 potatoes
- 4 or more stalks of celery
- 4 or more carrots
- 1-2 large onions
- 1 head of garlic, peeled
- ghee
- juice of ½ lemon
- thyme (dried or fresh)
- rosemary (dried or fresh)
- herbamare
- freshly ground pepper
- sea salt
- Rinse chicken and pat dry.
- Place in roasting pan and rub ghee over the breast and legs.
- Squeeze lemon juice over chicken.
- Arrange chopped vegetables all around chicken and season everything with herbamare, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary.
- Roast covered in oven for 1½ hours or longer depending on weight of chicken.
- Serve with garlic bread.
What’s your favorite way to prepare chicken?
Enjoy!
Do you cover the chicken while roasting? Is it on a rack in the pan?
Thanks for your comment! I cook it covered but I don’t use a rack in the pan. You can uncover it for the last 15-20 minutes of roasting time if you like a crispier skin. I don’t bother basting. With the ghee sealing in the moisture, you don’t need too. You can also cook it in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.
Thanks-I have an organic chicken defrosting in the fridge now that I shall cook this way-sounds delish
Sarah, what temp oven do you use? I worry my pastured chicken won’t be as tender if I use a hot oven.
Elise, 375 usually, sometimes 350 if I’m in less of a hurry. The lemon juice and butter or ghee help it stay tender too.
What is ghee?
Clarified butter.
I roast it in a cast iron skillet. It’s wonderful. Wash chicken, pat dry. Leave out for about an hour. Heat oven to 450. Make a little herb butter (1 Tbsp is plenty) and put in cavity with lemon slices. Rub skin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put a little olive oil in the bottom of the cast iron skillet and place chicken in the skillet. Roast at 450 for an hour without opening oven. Alternatively, you can brown it a bit, then tent with foil to keep it from splattering so bad in the oven. Make sure temperature reaches 165 in thickest part of the chicken. Take chicken out, pour out the juices to make gravy (you can add some white wine to the pan and a little lemon juice if you like). Taking the chicken out of the fridge an hour before helps it cook faster. Put foil on chicken and let it rest for 20 minutes, then eat.