I get asked all the time, “what should I do with chicken?” This week I will give you some of my most favorite, quick and easy chicken recipes! Let’s start with a basic roasted chicken. You might be thinking, “why would I roast a WHOLE chicken?! That sounds complicated.” Lemme tell you people, I roasted a chicken for the first time at age 12, BY MYSELF, and the chicken turned out so amazing. If I can do it, you can do it!
Once you discover how incredibly easy it is to prepare a whole chicken, you will add it to your weekly meal plan! All you have to do is put the chicken in the roasting pan, add the flavors of your choice, add vegetables if you like, and stick it in the oven. It is SO MUCH EASIER than trying to come up with what to do with those two raw chicken breasts in the refrigerator. (Shake n’ Bake again???)
If you have a large family, stick two chickens in at once! I like to roast two chickens at one time anyway so that I have a lot of leftover chicken to use the rest of the week, (I’ll get to leftover chicken ideas tomorrow). Below is one of my favorite roasted chicken recipes (garlic and lemon roasted chicken) but I have also provided links to other delicious birds!
Roasted Chicken variations to try:
- Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Chicken, a great basic staple recipe
- Giada’s Balsamic Vinaigrette Chicken is sweet and tangy!
- Who doesn’t love roasted garlic? Try this Garlic Roasted Chicken
- Add some heat and spice to your chicken with Crepes of Wrath, Mexican Roasted Chicken
- Itsy Bitsy Foodies adds a French twist using dijon mustard and herbes de provence
| Lemon & Garlic Roasted Chicken & Vegetables |
- 1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme
- 4 lemons
- 3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4-5 slices bacon
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.
- Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.
- Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.
I tossed some chopped veggies in a little olive oil and added them to the roasting pan. Easy side dish and the veggies pick up the flavor of the chicken! Delish!
