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Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken
American

Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken

The Barefoot Contessa's classic Sunday roast chicken, stuffed with lemon and thyme, set over a bed of fennel, carrots and onion, and roasted at high heat until golden. The aromatics flavor the bird and become a built-in side dish.

110 min
Total time
6
Servings
20 min
Prep
90 min
Cook
beginnerdinnerhigh-proteingluten-free
Source: Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa, Food Network)

Ingredients

6 servings
  • 1 chicken (2.3-2.7 kg) roasting chicken
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large bunch (20 sprigs) fresh thyme, plus 1 tbsp chopped leaves
  • 1 lemon, halved lemon
  • 1 head, halved crosswise garlic
  • 55 g, melted unsalted butter
  • 1 large, thickly sliced yellow onion
  • 4 carrots carrots, cut in 5 cm / 2-inch chunks
  • 1 bulb fennel bulb, tops removed, cut in wedges
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

Make it your way

Instructions

Plan my prep
  1. Step 1.Preheat the oven to 220 C (425 F).
  2. Step 2.Remove the chicken giblets, then rinse the bird inside and out and pat it completely dry. Season the cavity liberally with salt and pepper.
  3. Step 3.Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both lemon halves, and the halved head of garlic.
  4. Step 4.Brush the outside of the chicken all over with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
  5. Step 5.Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body of the bird.
  6. Step 6.In a roasting pan, toss the onion, carrots and fennel with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves. Spread them in the pan and set the chicken on top.
  7. Step 7.Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the thickest part of the thigh registers 74 C (165 F).
  8. Step 8.Cover the chicken loosely with foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
  9. Step 9.Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it surrounded by the roasted vegetables.
  10. Step 10.Spoon any pan juices over the meat before serving.

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