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Thanksgiving Chicken Recipe

This delicious Thanksgiving Chicken Recipe is perfect for those wanting a similar Turkey taste but on a smaller scale and that is easier to cook! With an herb butter rub you will have a delicious juicy, and perfectly cooked chicken!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 546kcal
Author Lisa

Ingredients

Herb butter

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 ½ tbs garlic minced
  • 1 tbs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tbs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage or ⅓ teaspoon dried
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Chicken

  • 1 Whole Chicken 4-6lbs*
  • ¼ onion
  • ¼ lemon

Roasting Pan Veggies

  • ½ onion chopped
  • 2 celery ribs chopped
  • 2 carrots chopped

Instructions

Herb Butter

  • In a medium sized bowl combine softened butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
    ½ cup butter softened, 1 ½ tbs garlic, 1 tbs fresh rosemary, 1 tbs fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon fresh sage, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
    mixed herb butter in bowl

Chicken

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Peel and cut your onion, celery, lemon, and carrots.
  • Remove chicken from packaging. Check the chicken cavity for the neck and giblets, set them aside for making gravy or toss them.
    1 Whole Chicken 4-6lbs*
    whole raw chicken on cutting board
  • Pat the outside of the chicken dry and remove the trussing around the legs (usually a bit of plastic or twine).
    patting chicken dry
  • Place ¼ of onion and ¼ of a lemon inside the chicken.*
    ¼ onion, ¼ lemon
    adding onion to chicken cavity
  • Gently separate the skin from the breast by lifting up on the skin and then pushing your hand in between the skin and muscle.
    separating skin from muscle
  • Rub about ⅓ of the herb butter under the skin.
    adding butter under skin
  • Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the chicken. Making sure to get the drumsticks and wings.
    spreading butter over

Baking

  • Place your remaining onion, celery, and carrots in your roasting pan.
    ½ onion, 2 celery ribs, 2 carrots
    veggies in roasting pan
  • Place your chicken on top of the veggies OR on top of a roasting rack that is placed over the veggies. Tuck the wings under the body if you can (to prevent burning).
    tucking the wings under the chicken
  • Bake in preheated oven until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. You will want to cook the chicken for 15 minutes per pound of weight. Check the chicken frequently once it’s ¾ done baking. If the top is browning too much, cover it with aluminum foil. Stick the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure you don’t hit any bone or go through to the cavity. Also check the thickest part of the breast.
    Chicken cooked, in roasting pan
  • Once the temperature reaches 165°F remove from oven. Allow chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes, then carve and enjoy!
    Thanksgiving Chicken Recipe scarved

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks
  • If you have fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme you can put some of that in the chicken cavity along with the onion and lemon.
  • Use chicken drippings to make my easy gravy (just use in place or in addition to broth).

Nutrition

Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4197IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg