Perfectly Roasted Whole Chicken with Caramelized Shallots
A simple yet impressive whole roasted chicken with crispy skin, juicy meat, and aromatic rosemary, garlic, and lemon, all cooked in one pan over sweet shallots.
- Prep10 min
- Cook1h 10m
- Total2h 20m
- DifficultyEasy
- Servings4
This roasted whole chicken is a classic dinner that never fails to impress. With just 10 minutes of prep, you get crispy, golden skin and tender, juicy meat, all infused with fresh rosemary, garlic, and lemon.
The secret is roasting the chicken on a bed of shallots, which caramelize beautifully in the pan juices. Everything cooks together in one cast-iron skillet or baking dish, making cleanup a breeze. Perfect for a Sunday dinner or a festive meal.
Ingredients
Servings
Converted amounts are rounded.
Method
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the quartered shallots in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe baking dish.
- Pat the chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels—this helps the skin crisp up. Stuff the chicken cavity with the whole rosemary sprigs, lemon halves, and garlic halves. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips underneath the bird.
- Season the chicken generously all over with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the finely chopped rosemary evenly over the top.
- Set the chicken on top of the shallots in the skillet. Rub the softened butter all over the exposed skin of the chicken.
- Roast for 60 to 75 minutes, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest in the pan for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the caramelized shallots from the bottom of the pan.
💡 Tips
- For extra crispy skin, let the chicken air-dry uncovered in the fridge overnight before roasting, or pat it very dry with paper towels.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken is perfectly cooked without overdoing it.
- If you don't have kitchen twine, you can skip tying the legs; the chicken will still roast evenly.
Inspired by a recipe from FeelGoodFoodie