Garlic Butter Roast Chicken

The smell of garlic, rosemary, and thyme welcome you to the table. The layers of tender juicy meat beneath the crispy golden skin seal the deal.  The ingredients are minimal because the secret to making a bird this perfect is in the technique. Our garlic butter roast chicken recipe shows you exactly how to make this simple but beautiful dish.  

There are some nights when all I want is roast chicken.  I find myself thinking about it all day long and by the time dinner comes around I must have it!

Many in my position might just run out to the store, grab an already made chicken and call it a day.

But what if you could make way better chicken seasoned just the way you like it at home in about an hour?

Garlic butter roast chicken is pretty easy and has very few ingredients. 

In fact, the only “special” ingredients needed are thyme and rosemary.  Everything else like garlic, butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper are just staples.

And the chicken.  I like to pick up a chicken on my usual weekly shopping trip because I find that one way or another, it gets used.  So chicken is a staple for me too.

That’s it for ingredients – sometimes the most basic things are the best.

I’ll usually serve my roasted chicken with scalloped potatoes, or roasted potatoes and a simple green salad. 

My wife and kids devour this meal and ask me to make it frequently!

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Preheat your oven to 450f and set the rack to the middle level.  Also, mince 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, and slice one head of garlic in half.

2. Drizzle the 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil all over the chicken. Use your hands and get it all over.
3. Season the inside of the chicken with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the outside with another 1 1/2 teaspoons.  Season all over with 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper and rub in the herbs and the garlic as well. Try to get the seasonings under the skin as well as on top. Place the cut head of garlic inside the chicken’s cavity.  Note: Use garlic powder instead of garlic if you intend to make a pan sauce or gravy.  The fallen garlic pieces will burn in the bottom of the pan.

4. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the chicken.
5. Roast the chicken “breast” side down for 30 minutes.

6. Flip the chicken over to “breast” side up.  
7. Baste with the pan juices. Return chicken to the oven and continue cooking until the temperature reaches ~160f in the deepest part of the breast (about 30 more minutes).

8. For more color broil the top for the last 1-2 minutes if desired.  Here in pic 8 above, the chicken is perfectly cooked with the breast reading 159f.  Set the chicken onto a carving board and tent with foil for 10-15 minutes before carving and eating.  The juices will settle and the internal temp will continue to rise to about 165f which is considered the proper temperature for safe to eat chicken breast.

Top tips for the BEST roast chicken

• Really dry your chicken.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure your chicken is dry.  Drying the chicken helps to ensure that it roasts instead of steams.  This helps prevent rubbery chicken.  Simply dry the chicken with paper towels on both the outside and the inside.
• Double down on the garlic.  This recipe is for GARLIC butter roast chicken with a strong emphasis on garlic.  That’s because I use it on top of the chicken (along with the herbs) and on the inside.  Placing a whole head of garlic (with the top removed) into the cavity of the chicken ups the garlic factor immensely resulting in outstanding flavor.  As noted in the process shots above, use garlic powder instead of minced garlic if you intend to make a pan sauce.  The minced pieces will fall off and get too burnt in the pan to make a sauce. 
• Crispy golden skin.  The best way to achieve a roast chicken with beautiful color is to broil the top for the last 1-2 minutes.  This helps crisp up the skin and creates a beautiful golden color.  Just watch carefully! 
• Let it rest.  To ensure the chicken is as juicy as can be, it’s important to let it rest after leaving the oven.  Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes and tent it with foil to keep it warm.  At this point, your kitchen will smell so incredible and you may be tempted to dive right in, but patience is key here.  

Our favorite chicken recipes

Chicken is such a versatile ingredient and can be used in so many dishes.  Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this incredible bird.

• Chicken Vesuvio – One pan dish with chicken pieces, potato wedges, and green peas in a lemon garlic white wine sauce.
• Chicken Scarpariello – Crispy chicken pieces, potatoes, bell peppers, and garlic in a vinegary white wine sauce.
• Chicken Cacciatore – Rustic Italian dish with chicken parts, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and green and black olives.
• Italian baked chicken with potatoes – Chicken pieces and potatoes with garlic, onion, parsley, and oregano all roasted to perfection.
• Grilled chicken thighs – Marinated in homemade Italian dressing, these are perfect for summer and so easy!

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