Thanksgiving Chicken Recipe

5 from 3 votes

A simple Thanksgiving Chicken Recipe featuring herb butter, citrus, and roast veggies - holiday flavor without the turkey stress.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 546kcal

Author: Lisa Killian

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, 1 ½ tbs garlic, 1 tbs fresh rosemary, 1 tbs fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon fresh sage, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper

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*
Pat the outside of the chicken dry and remove the trussing around the legs (usually a bit of plastic or twine).
Place ¼ of an onion and ¼ of a lemon inside the chicken.*
¼ onion, ¼ lemon
Gently separate the skin from the breast by lifting it up and then pushing your hand between the skin and the muscle.
Rub about ⅓ of the herb butter under the skin.
Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the chicken. Make sure to get the drumsticks and wings.
Place your remaining onion, celery, and carrots in your roasting pan.
½ onion, 2 celery ribs, 2 carrots
Place your chicken on top of the veggies or on top of a roasting rack placed over the veggies. Tuck the wings under the body if you can (to prevent burning).
Bake in a 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.
Once the temperature reaches 165°F, remove the dish from the oven. Allow chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes, then carve and enjoy!

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.
Cooking: Plan for about 15–18 minutes per pound, but always go by internal temperature rather than time alone.
Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.

Nutrition