Lemon+Rosemary Whole Roasted Chicken

Welcome to Taste Abundance !! I couldn’t resist having this lemon+rosemary whole roasted chicken as my debut recipe. I can promise you it will quickly become your go-to meal for anything and everything. If you’re looking for a dish with minimal prep and maximum flavor (aren’t we all ?!!), the search is over. Not to mention it’s also a one pan meal – need I say more?

Why Roast a Whole Chicken?

It took me a long time to roast a whole chicken on my own. I don’t know if it was the intimidation factor or what, but let me tell you, I will never go back. Not only is the flavor so much more intense, but it is requires very minimal prep and cleanup (we love to hear it). Something I’ve learned from this dish is that prep time is not indicative of the quality of the final product. While it looks like something that truly belongs in a magazine, with a prep time under 10 minutes, this chicken can fool the best of them. The finished product is so juicy and flavorful, that once you make the switch, you’ll never look at a single chicken breast the same again.

Roasting a whole chicken also creates less food waste. Reducing food waste is something very important to me that will be frequently talked about here on Taste Abundance. By reducing our own food waste, we can contribute to the mission of sustainability as well as food security (find out more here). Also, by using the whole bird, and ideally even making bone broth afterwards (way more simple than it sounds, trust me), you can squeeze out every last ounce of nutrients the chicken has to offer. You can learn more about the benefits of bone broth and how to make it from a dietitian here.

Lastly, if you’re cooking for multiple people, the whole chicken will easily feed 4 people. However, if you’re cooking for one, know that it keeps and reheats well and is a great Sunday afternoon meal prep!

Abundant Ingredients

Besides the chicken and fresh rosemary, all the other ingredients for this meal are staples you most likely already have. I love to use a combination of golden and sweet potatoes, but do whatever combo suits you best. The ingredients are used equally inside and outside the chicken resulting in an even stronger flavor profile.

Last note on the ingredients: white/golden potatoes have gotten a bad reputation recently. Much of this is influenced by diet culture and the use of assigning ‘labels’ to certain foods. While I don’t have the credentials to provide dietary information, there are great registered dietitians I choose to learn from who do (shout out to you mom). One of my favorites statements about white potatoes is from registered dietitian, Lisa Hayim at The Well Necessities. In a previous instagram post, Lisa put it best. She stated, “White potatoes get a bad rap, but actually have lots of resistant starch. That’s the starch your body can’t use for energy, but your gut can. That means it won’t effect your blood sugar, but will stimulate the good bacteria in your gut. White potatoes, welcome back to the team.”

You heard it here first kids (well from Lisa actually), but let it be known that white potatoes – we are in your corner !!

The (Chicken) Process

If you haven’t already figured it out, I love a quick recipe with minimal prep and cleanup. This lemon+rosemary whole roasted chicken should be the poster child for that.

The process is simple: once your ingredients are gathered, chop the potatoes, and add them to the bottom of the dutch oven. Add the garlic and rosemary to the bottom as well (pictured above). After stuffing the whole chicken with the rest of the ingredients, place it on top of the potatoes. Then, cover the chicken in butter and salt and pepper. Then, let the oven do the work! This is a great stand alone meal, or you can make additional sides while the chicken is cooking. Either way, you will have a crowd pleaser no doubt. Enjoy!

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Lemon+Rosemary Whole Roasted Chicken

This lemon+rosemary whole roasted chicken will quickly become your go-to meal. Minimal prep and maxium flavor make this dish an absolute winner!!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 large golden/white potato
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 heads garlic
• rosemary
• 1 whole chicken
• 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt + pepper

Instructions

• Gather all ingredients, as well as your dutch oven (or cast iron skillet), and preheat the oven to 425 degrees
• Chop all potatoes in 4 inch chunks. Peel several garlic cloves (5-10 or to your liking). Place the chopped potatoes at the bottom of the dutch oven along with the peeled cloves of garlic as well as 3-4 sprigs of rosemary (see picture above)
• Season the potatoes in the dutch oven with salt and pepper
• Slice the lemon in half, slice the remaining garlic head in half, and have several more sprigs of rosemary on hand
• Remove your whole chicken from the package and discard the giblets (all the stuff in the inside)
• Where the giblets were removed from is where you will place the ingredients to flavor the chicken. Add one lemon half first, then half a garlic head, then the rosemary, next the other half of the garlic head and finish with the last lemon half. There really is not a method to this, but I've found this typically works to fit everything.
• After the chicken is stuffed, take the butter and spread it all over the chicken until its evenly coated. Finish by seasoning generously with salt and pepper.
• Next, place the stuffed chicken on top of the potatoes and other ingredients in the dutch oven or skillet
• Place the dutch oven or skillet in the oven without a lid or covering and cook for 75 minutes. I usually end up cooking mine for 90 minutes but check it at 75 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165 and the juices should run clear