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Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter

Do you love whole roasted chickens as much as I do? This Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter is really simple recipe for dinner.  But don’t let the simplicity fool you…this recipe is delicious and will make your home smell like heaven.

To make it even easier make the herb butter ahead of time so all you need to do is quickly season the chicken throw it in the oven for about an hour and dinner is served!

Whole Roasted Chicken on a bed of arugula

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Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter

There isn’t a time that I don’t have a whole roasted chicken in my fridge.  Either for a simple weekend dinner or as part of my meal prep routine for the week.  Having roasted chicken on hand makes throwing together a salad, soup or wrap  super easy.

I myself follow the rule to try and have some form of protein at every meal.  So having a roast chicken around is an absolute necessity.  I might like to cook but lunches are not my thing.  For me lunch usually consists of (drumb roll please) chicken on a salad, chicken breast with raw veggies.  Or on cool or dreary days I throw shredded chicken in broth with some spinach and Konjac Noodles.  Add a little sriracha sauce and Houston we have a winner!

Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter in a white serving bowl

Lucky me was sent a copy of Let Me Feed You by Rosie Daykin from Random House Publishers as a sneak peak to look at before hitting the shelves and this recipe jumped off the page at me right away.  My love for whole roasted chicken remember?

Let Me Feed You is full of great home cooking ideas that are all accompanied by beautiful pictures to inspire you.   Plus she offers lot’s of great tips and substitution ideas throughout the book for those times where you are missing that one ingredient or just don’t like goat cheese… neither do I.

One thing I did find surprising is that she often refers to using a stand mixer and the various attachments.  I don’t own one and likely never will so there were a few recipes i was stumped in terms of the bread recipes.  But most recipe that talk about a stand mixer work just as well with a good old spoon.  I like to do things the old fashioned way sans machine so getting my hands dirty is how I roll.

Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter

Left Over Chicken and Not Sure What To Do With It?

Easy!  Simple shred the chicken and place one cup in individual freezer bags or containers.  Freeze for up to 1 month.  Take out portions and thaw for throw into soup, salads, wraps or maybe even take out a whole bunch and make a stir-fry or pulled chicken sandwich.

How to Make Dijon Herb Butter

First you need to make the Dijon Herb Butter.  Chop the herbs and mix the herbs, lemon zest and dijon into 1 lb of softened butter with the back of a spoon to blend.  Or you can use a paddle attachment and a stand mixer.

Herbs, Grainy Dijon Mustard and Lemon

On a sheet of saran wrap form the softened herbed butter mixture into a 6 inch log and wrap tightly with saran wrap.  Put in fridge to firm up for 30 minutes.

Tightly wrapped herbed butter

How To Make Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter

Wash the chicken and pat dry.  Drying the chicken will ensure that the skin will become nice and crispy.  Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper and add the quartered lemons.  Season the outside of the bird with salt and pepper.  Using the back of spoon separate the skin from the chicken breast meat and push two 1/2 inch rounds of the herbed butter under each breast.

Raw whole chicken seasoned and ready to go in the oven

Then bake at 400º F for about one hour in a roasting pan or until juices run clear.  Remove and place two additional pieces of herbed butter over each breast.  Cover with foil and let stand 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

This Whole Roasted Chicken will go great with Raw Asparagus Salad with PistachiosEasy Quinoa Salad or Parsnip Puree.

Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter in a white serving bowl

Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter

Alisa Infanti
Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter is moist and fragrant using fresh herbs, lemon and butter to make a simple weeknight dinner extraordinary!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 645 kcal

Ingredients
  

Dijon Herb Butter

  • ¼ cup thyme leaves
  • ¼ cup rosemary finely chopped
  • ¼ cup sage finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 cup butter room temperature
  • 2 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard

Whole Roasted Chicken

  • 1 roasting chicken 4-pound
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 lemon small
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

Dijon Herb Butter

  • Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.  Or if you have a stand mixer use the paddle attachment and beat on high until well combined.
  • Place a piece of plastic wrap on the kitchen counter, then transfer the butter mixture on top of the wrap.  Shape the butter into a log about 6″ long X 2″ wide, then wrap tightly in the plastic wrap.  Place the log in the refrigerator and allow to chill until firm, 25 to 30 minutes before slicing.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week for well wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
  • Rinse the chicken thoroughly and pat it dry all over with paper towel to remove any excess moisture; this will help ensue the bird gets a nice crispy skin when roasting. Allow the bird to come to room temperature before cooking.
  • Place the chicken in a 9 X 13-inch roasting pan and tuck the wings under the body.
  • Generously season the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper, then place the lemon quarters inside. Gently lift the breast skin of the bird and place two rounds of the Dijon herb butter under the skin atop each breast (using four round of butter in total). Use the back side of a spoon to help lift the skin, being careful to take your time so as not to tear it. Once the butter is in place use some kitchen twine to tie the legs together in a simple bow.
  • Rub the outside of the bird with the olive oil and generously season with more salt and pepper.
  • Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes per pound (60 to 80 minutes for a 4-pound bird) or until the juices run clear when you make a little cut between the thigh and leg. Baste the bird with juices every 15 minutes until done.
  • Remove from the oven and place the last two pieces of Dijon butter atop the chicken, then tent with foil and allow to rest for about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 6ozCalories: 645kcalCarbohydrates: 2.06gProtein: 46gFat: 27.2gSaturated Fat: 8.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 310mgSodium: 723mgPotassium: 1134mgFiber: 1.3gSugar: 0.15gVitamin A: 1300IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 5.6mg

Notes

Excerpted from Let Me Feed You: Everyday Recipes Offering the Comfort of Home by Rosie Daykin. Copyright © 2019 Rosie Daykin. Photography by Rosie Daykin and Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Please Note:

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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2 Comments

  1. This is a great idea. I think it sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will definitely make this for my family! Thank you for sharing.

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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