| Total: | 2 hr 10 min |
| Prep: | 40 min |
| Inactive: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (5 1/2 pound) free-range chicken
- 1/2 bunch each fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 orange, halved
- 1/2 head garlic
- 1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1 onion
- 6 strips smoked bacon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the bird all over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.
- Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
- Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, and leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, carve the chicken tableside and squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serving suggestion: roast potatoes, watercress and gravy.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 937 |
| Total Fat | 70 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 60 g |
| Cholesterol | 274 mg |
| Sodium | 1406 mg |
Reviews
Recipe was spot on! Would not change a thing. Ultimate flavor, so delicious. Best roasted whole chicken recipe everyone enjoys it.
I made this for Father’s Day. I am on a keto diet, and my husband and daughter are lactose intolerant. My husband is the griller/smoker in the family, so that stuff would be out for me. I dont even know how to use our Trager, lol. I was really racking my brain to come up with something that would check all the boxes and that I could make, including being something my two picky kids would like. This was perfect! I kept all the ingredients called for. I did add a lot of mashed fresh garlic to the butter-herb mixture, since my family loves garlic. I also added choped red potatoes and bella mushrooms around the chicken. I added the potatoes and mushrooms in the beginning, and they came out perfectly done by the time the chicken was done. They were also deliciously seasoned thanks to the juices and butter from the chicken. This was my first time roasting chicken in at least 15 years. I followed the directions, and everything came out great. I used a meat thermometer so I didn’t pull it until it read 165. I think it took around an additional 45 minutes, not 25. But that was my bird and my oven. It looked beautiful for Father’s Day. Oh, and the gravy took more than 2 tablespoons of flour for me to get it the consistency I wanted, but the added wine made it so delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was my favorite episode. I made a combination of ultimate roasted chicken and English roasted it was Amazing. The dressing incredible and I don’t like dressing or stuffing! It’s an afternoon endeavor but worth it! If you want to eat the bacon buy good thick bacon otherwise it’s too crispy if you like non over cooked bacon!
Yummy
This is my all time favorite roasted chicken recipe!!! Every time I make it I get rave reviews .
Tyler this chicken recipe rocked!
Sorry Tyler. I had such high hopes for this but am sorry to say that it was pretty flavorless. I am surprised since all the herbs, etc. dictated “flavor”! I will not give up on this recipe though. Next time I will add rosemary which just might do the trick.
This is, by far, the best chicken recipe I’ve ever made! Juicy, flavorful delicious chicken that doesn’t even need the sauce!
It was very tender, aromatic and overall delicious, but I would substitute the butter for olive oil and omit the bacon next time.
Absolutely best whole chicken recipe I have indulged in. I used half the onions ( not a big onion girl), and substituted white wine for the sherry. Gravy is OUTSTANDING!!! Amazing aromas……..thank you!