| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 2 lemons, zested and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- One 4 to 5-pound chicken (organic and free range, if possible)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/2 fennel, bulb sliced and fronds cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1/2 fennel, bulb sliced and fronds cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a large skillet or roasting pan in the oven to preheat while you prepare the chicken.
- Begin by preparing a lemon butter. Place 4 tablespoons of the butter in a mixing bowl and add about 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemons. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
- Flatten the chicken by cutting out the backbone and flattening the breast by firmly pressing with the heel of your hand. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, loosely separate the skin from the breast and thighs. Smear the lemon butter evenly in the cavity between the skin and meat, ensuring it is worked evenly over the bird. With the skin side facing up, drizzle olive oil over the chicken.
- Remove the preheated pan from the oven and place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down.
- Place the lemon slices over the bird along with fennel, onions, garlic, thyme and oregano. As it cooks, this will flavor the bird.
- Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the chicken to skin-side up and add half the wine to the pan. Return to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the joint between the leg and thigh registers 165 degrees F, approximately 30 minutes longer. When the chicken is done, remove from the pan to a serving platter and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving and plating.
- Meanwhile, make a pan sauce. Place the chicken pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining butter and wine. Stir until the butter is melted and the sauce thickens slightly. Pour the pan sauce over the platter of chicken. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1057 |
| Total Fat | 79 g |
| Saturated Fat | 27 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 66 g |
| Cholesterol | 306 mg |
| Sodium | 1570 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1057 |
| Total Fat | 79 g |
| Saturated Fat | 27 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 66 g |
| Cholesterol | 306 mg |
| Sodium | 1570 mg |
Reviews
Yes yes yes. My husband and I both thought this was one of the most delicious chicken dishes we have ever had. Served it with Roasted Brussel Sprouts with bacon, parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Perfect meal! Couldn’t find fresh oregano (store was out) so I sprinkled 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano over the chicken and pan instead and that seemed to work perfectly. I used the leftover chicken to make chicken bacon caesar wraps with low carb tortillas, grilled jalapenos, banana peppers and cottage cheese with caesar dressing and it was divine. Now this chicken followed by the next-day-caesar wraps are all my husband and I want to eat!
Great flavor, easy and presents well for dinner with guests
Awesome! Fun to make.
I cooked in cast iron skillet. Man, Guy, this is the most amazing chicken I have ever eaten. The family could not get enough of it, the bones were cleaned. I paired with fried rice and green beans. An amazing meal!
Off the hook good!! Cast Iron Pan on a grill is a great method as well!!
Tasty? R U Kidding me??? This was more than tasty..I couldn’t stop eating it. My taste buds said keep going, but my brain said no, this isn’t right! …………I listened to my taste buds…sorry brain.
Amazing!!!!! Very easy, our family’s “GO,TO” for unexpected company.
Very good!
Love this recipe. We’ve made it several times now and it’s easy and delicious. We’ve made it in the oven and on the grill–great both ways. Followed the recipe as written–no changes. Our favorite part is the gravy–soooo good. Last time we made it though, the gravy was bitter, not sure why. We think it was the lemons we used. We’re going to make it again for guests tonight. :
DELICIOUS!!!!