dinner
Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
Tender roasted chicken accented with lemon and thyme and paired with a medley of root veggies—this comforting meal is fancy enough for guests, but easy enough for Sunday family suppers.
Servings:
6
Total Time:
135m
Prep Time:
30m
Cooking Time:
90m
Ingredients
- 5-pound chicken
- 1 lemon, halved
- Salt and pepper
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 to 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 pound celery, cut into wedges
- Olive oil
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, divided
Preparation Instructions
- Prepare to roast—Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Prep the chicken—Remove giblets and excess fat from chicken cavity. Rinse chicken, inside and out, drain well, and pat dry. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Tuck wings underneath the body and stuff chicken with lemon halves, garlic, and most of the fresh thyme. Brush chicken with melted butter, season outside of chicken generously with salt and pepper, then tie the legs together with kitchen string.
- Prep the vegetables—Arrange vegetables evenly in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat vegetables. Top with remaining thyme sprigs.
- Roast the chicken—Place chicken on top of vegetables and roast for 45 minutes. Add 1/2 a cup of stock to the pot and roast for another 30 minutes. Add the second 1/2 cup of stock and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh reads 165°F—about 1 1/2 hours total roasting time.
- Finish and serve—Remove pot from oven, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Transfer chicken to a platter and place vegetables around it. Pour pan drippings into a bowl and remove fat. Transfer drippings to a gravy boat or large measuring cup for drizzling on chicken.
Tips
Pick Your Favorite Vegetables
Trade carrots for parsnips, sweet potatoes for butternut squash, or Yukon Golds for beets—it’s all good!
Love Extra Crispy Skin?
Remove giblets, rinse, and dry chicken and place in Dutch oven. Let chicken rest, uncovered, in refrigerator for 2 hours before cooking to dry out skin.