Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken
A foolproof guide to achieving a golden, crispy whole roasted chicken with aromatic lemon, garlic, and a velvety pan gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken 5 to 6 lbs; giblets removed and patted completely dry
- Kosher salt to taste; use generously
- Black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme whole sprigs
- 1 whole lemon halved crosswise
- 1 head garlic cut in half crosswise
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1 whole Spanish onion thickly sliced
- 1 cup chicken stock for pan gravy
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour for thickening gravy
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Remove giblets and pat the chicken completely dry inside and out with paper towels.
- Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Stuff with the thyme bunch, both lemon halves, and the halved garlic head.
- Truss the legs with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body. Brush the skin with melted butter and season the exterior generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the sliced onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes until juices run clear.
- Transfer chicken to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
- Prepare the gravy: Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat. Add chicken stock to the roasting pan over high heat, scraping up browned bits. Whisk flour with the reserved fat to make a paste, add to the pan, and simmer until thickened.
Notes
Surface moisture is the enemy of crispy skin—make sure the bird is bone dry before seasoning. If you don't have a meat thermometer, the juices should run completely clear when the thigh is pierced.