A golden, butter-roasted whole chicken with crisp, savory skin and tender, juicy meat, served with caramelized potatoes, carrots, and onions that soak up the pan juices.
The Butter-Under-the-Skin Roast for Sundays (or Any Night)
A single roast that delivers irresistible crisp, savory skin, succulent meat, and caramelized potatoes and carrots that drink up every drop of pan juices.
This is the sort of roast that makes a kitchen smell like a Sunday dinner even on a weeknight: a whole chicken rubbed with a garlicky, herb-studded butter, seared at high heat until the skin is bronzed and crackly, and surrounded by Yukon Golds, carrots, and onion wedges that brown and caramelize in the bird’s juices. The vegetables aren’t an afterthought — they’re the co-star, turning sweet where they meet the hot pan and picking up the roast’s savory richness.
The trick is the compound butter tucked under the breast skin and smeared over the outside: softened butter, minced garlic, lemon brightness and plenty of thyme and rosemary. Slipping two-thirds of that butter directly under the skin keeps the breasts impossibly tender and cloaks the meat in flavor, while the remaining butter plus a splash of olive oil helps the skin crisp at 425°F. Position the rack in the lower third so the chicken sits above the vegetables and everything finishes together.
Cut the potatoes and carrots into 1–1.5-inch pieces and toss them with the remaining olive oil, garlic and herb sprigs so they’ll caramelize instead of steam. As the chicken roasts (about 75 minutes from the hot oven), the pan juices mingle with the veg; the result is potato edges that are golden and crackly, carrots that taste almost candied, and onions that melt into glossy sweetness. Let the bird rest briefly before carving so the juices settle back into the meat.
Practical wins: you can make the compound butter and chop the vegetables ahead, then assemble when you’re ready to roast; the leftovers make exceptional sandwiches or quick salads. Spoon a little of the pan juices over each slice — it’s the finishing touch that keeps every bite luxuriously moist.
Ingredients
How to Make Buttery Mom’s Roast Chicken with Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Position a rack in the lower third of the oven so the chicken will sit above the vegetables.
- Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels; season the cavity with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then stuff with half the lemon (squeezed and left in), two rosemary sprigs, and three thyme sprigs.
- Mince 4 garlic cloves and combine with the butter (softened), 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, and the remaining 3/4 tsp black pepper to make a compound butter; loosen the skin over the breasts and spread about two-thirds of the butter directly under the skin and the rest over the outside of the chicken.
- Trim and cut the potatoes into 1- to 1.5-inch pieces, peel and cut carrots into similar-sized chunks, and cut the onion into wedges; toss the vegetables with the remaining olive oil, the remaining minced garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs.
- Spread the vegetables in an even layer in a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and place the prepared chicken, breast-side up, on top of the vegetables; pour 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth into the pan around the vegetables (not over the chicken) to keep the pan juices moist.
- Roast uncovered at 425°F for 15 minutes to start browning, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue roasting for another 50–60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) reads 165°F (74°C). Baste the chicken and vegetables with pan juices once or twice during roasting.
- If the vegetables are browning too quickly before the chicken is done, loosely tent the vegetable edges with foil; if the skin needs extra crisping at the end, finish under the broiler for 2–3 minutes while watching closely.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a cutting board; tent loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes so the juices redistribute. Meanwhile, stir the vegetables in the pan to coat with the pan juices.
- Carve the chicken and serve over the roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions, spooning pan juices over everything and sprinkling with chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of the remaining lemon half if desired.
Recipe Card
Buttery Mom’s Roast Chicken with Vegetables
A golden, butter-roasted whole chicken with crisp, savory skin and tender, juicy meat, served with caramelized potatoes, carrots, and onions that soak up the pan juices.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Position a rack in the lower third of the oven so the chicken will sit above the vegetables.
- Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels; season the cavity with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then stuff with half the lemon (squeezed and left in), two rosemary sprigs, and three thyme sprigs.
- Mince 4 garlic cloves and combine with the butter (softened), 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, and the remaining 3/4 tsp black pepper to make a compound butter; loosen the skin over the breasts and spread about two-thirds of the butter directly under the skin and the rest over the outside of the chicken.
- Trim and cut the potatoes into 1- to 1.5-inch pieces, peel and cut carrots into similar-sized chunks, and cut the onion into wedges; toss the vegetables with the remaining olive oil, the remaining minced garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs.
- Spread the vegetables in an even layer in a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and place the prepared chicken, breast-side up, on top of the vegetables; pour 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth into the pan around the vegetables (not over the chicken) to keep the pan juices moist.
- Roast uncovered at 425°F for 15 minutes to start browning, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue roasting for another 50–60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) reads 165°F (74°C). Baste the chicken and vegetables with pan juices once or twice during roasting.
- If the vegetables are browning too quickly before the chicken is done, loosely tent the vegetable edges with foil; if the skin needs extra crisping at the end, finish under the broiler for 2–3 minutes while watching closely.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a cutting board; tent loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes so the juices redistribute. Meanwhile, stir the vegetables in the pan to coat with the pan juices.
- Carve the chicken and serve over the roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions, spooning pan juices over everything and sprinkling with chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of the remaining lemon half if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 41
- Saturated Fat
- 16
- Sodium
- 1000
- Fiber
- 6
- Unsaturated Fat
- 32
- Protein
- 78
- Fat
- 48
- Cholesterol
- 300
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 900
- Sugar
- 6