Roast Chicken with Herb Butter

 

Crispy-skinned, juicy, and infused with herb butter, this roast chicken recipe is the perfect all-occasion dinner—Sundays, holidays, or any night that calls for something special.

Ingredients

For the Herb Butter

• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 5 fresh sage leaves
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Chicken

• 6 shallots, peeled and halved
• 1 whole head garlic, cleaned, unpeeled, and cut in half horizontally
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 chicken, 4 to 4 ½ pounds (1.8 to 2 kg), cut into 4 or 6 pieces (or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts)
• Herb butter (above)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (235°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.

1. Make the herb butter: Pull the herbs from the stems and finely chop. Combine the chopped herbs, shallots, lemon zest, honey, and butter in a small bowl and blend well. Set aside.
2. Place the shallots and garlic in a roasting pan or large cast iron skillet and toss with the olive oil (it's okay if the garlic breaks apart a bit). Pat the chicken VERY dry with paper towels (this will help the skin to crisp) and place it in the roasting pan. Use a soup spoon to rub the herb butter all over the chicken and under the skin too (if you don't eat the skin, rub a lot of it underneath!). Sprinkle the salt evenly all over the chicken and season with fresh pepper to your liking.
3. Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. Turn the heat down to 375°F (190°C); continue to roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until done. Chicken should be done in less than an hour; do not overcook.
4. Transfer the chicken and the shallots to a serving platter to rest and cover with foil. Discard the garlic.
5. Pour off all the fat from the roasting pan, leaving the brown baked-on bits in the bottom. Add the chicken broth and place on the stove over high heat; bring to a boil and whisk in the mustard. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, scrape up and combine the brown bits with the broth and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat and serve alongside the chicken. (You can strain the gravy if you'd like).