Herb-Roasted Chickens

Since we can no longer buy roasted chickens at our teeny-tiny grocery store, I've started roasting extras of my own. (mine are better than the store's anyway, but it's just so convenient to buy a pre-cooked chicken) Usually when I know I'm going to roast a chicken, I roast two at the same time, so I'll have one for later. I've even frozen the extra chicken, which has really come in handy when I've been craving some Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas or Cashew Chicken Salad. I even used a chicken that I had roasted for those much-raved-about Chicken Wraps with Chipotle Mayo. It makes everything taste so much better. The possibilities are endless!

So, if you're going to roast a chicken anyway, why not roast two? I use different recipes for roasting the chickens, there are lots of different ways!

Here's a recipe I tried recently, from my trusty Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. (I've listed a bunch in the link, because mine is the 11th edition, 1996-ish). I'm sure there's a similar recipe in most of the editions, but if not, that's what this site is for!

This chicken is flavorful, so if you're looking for a less savory chicken to add to a dish you're making, try a different recipe.


Herb-Roasted Chicken
Prep: 15 minutes
Roast: 1 hour
Serves 6

1 2-1/2 to 3-pound whole broiler-fryer chicken
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning or pepper

1. Rinse chicken; pat dry. *Here the recipe tells you to skewer and tie things together, but I don't do it.* Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with melted butter; rub garlic over bird.

2. In a small bowl stir together basil, salt, sage, thyme, and lemon-pepper seasoning; rub onto bird. Roast, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until drumsticks move easily in their sockets, chicken is no longer pink, and meat thermometer registers 180 degrees. Remove chicken from oven, cover loosely, and let stand 10 minutes before carving.