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This French Roasted Chicken is rubbed with herbs and butter and stuffed with a lemon, to make the moistest and easiest chicken ever!
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5 from 7 votes

French Roasted Chicken

A simple roasted chicken with herbes de provence, butter and garlic give this dish a decidedly French taste.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: French
Servings: 4
Author: Cynthia

Ingredients

  • 1 4 1/2-5 pound roasting chicken
  • 1/4 cup herbes de Provence
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened slightly
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 whole organic lemon pierced all over with a knife or fork

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
  • Remove giblets from chicken, pat dry. (This will enable the herb butter to stick to the bird better). Mix herbs, butter, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Slide your hand under the skin, between the breast meat to loosen, and rub herb butter all over, including some under the skin of the bird. Insert the whole lemon into the cavity of the chicken, and truss legs together with twine.
  • Place chicken on a wire roasting rack set inside a pan.
  • Roast chicken until skin turns brown, about 30-40 minutes. Baste with any herb butter in the roasting pan, and reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and continue to cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F, about 30-35 minutes more.
  • Let chicken rest on platter, covered loosely with foil for 15 minutes before serving.