Summer Roast Chicken
Comfort Food For Warm Weather
Summer Roast Chicken is here because we deserve easy comfort food for summer too! All you need is a whole chicken, some seasoning and herbs, just a few potatoes, an onion, a lemon and a few garlic cloves for good measure.
We recently moved from a condo in the heart of Chicago to a home on the outskirts of the city that is a lot more like the suburbs. The good news is that we are closer to my Mom so she is able to just pop over when she wants to.
This past Sunday she came over and this was an easy meal I threw in the oven that we both enjoyed on a warm day.
I served this with some buttered rolls, peaches, and a salad. If I had more time, my Summer Farro Salad is perfect as a side for the chicken.
The salad and the chicken provide a filling, yet nutritious and not too heavy meal. If you try both, you will agree.
Why Is Chicken Weird Now?
I used to be a big chicken breast gal but now unless I spend $$$$$ on organic chicken, I often get weird, foamy-textured chicken. I found an interesting article about this that explains it likely has to do with deformed muscle development in an increasing number of chickens.
I cannot stand it!
I have been able to combat this with my Chicken Breast Method most of the time, but making a whole chicken is much more affordable and you do not ever get that weird texture.
I roast this chicken for us two and we have plenty of leftovers to use during the week. I like to make my Delicious Chicken Salad with the leftover chicken from this recipe.
It is a fan favorite on The Tipsy Housewife!
Cut The Potatoes Small
You want to make sure to use these softer Yukon Gold Potatoes for this recipe if possible. This is because they roast up the best while being roasted with the chicken.
I leave the skins on so the potatoes remain intact when roasting and sitting in the broth and chicken drippings.
You also want to make sure to cut these potatoes small enough so they roast up in the time it takes for the chicken to roast. A more dense potato, cut bigger than this, will likely not cook fully when prepared this way.
New To Me Salt
I like to experiment with different salts and seasonings. I fell prey to an ad I saw on social media for these new McCormick Salts.
This is not an ad, I am just sharing something I bought on a whim and ended up loving.
They came in a set with five varieties for $19.99 and were mailed to me fast. I have been enjoying using them.
Again, this is not sponsored, I just mentioned this salt in the recipe card and wanted to share.
Summer Roast Chicken Recipe
The perfect Mother's Day or other special occasion spring meal. Oven Roasted Chicken with lemon, garlic, and dill all roasted over onions and potatoes. This recipe creates a light and bright special occasion meal that is perfectly paired with a delightful salad.
Ingredients
- 1 Roasting Chicken (5 to 6 lbs.)
- 1 large, Sweet Onion
- 6 to 8 small to medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 4 cloves of Garlic
- 1 large Lemon
- 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons of Butter
- 2 teaspoons of Coarse Salt (I used a specialty rosemary garlic salt I had on hand, pictured in the post before the recipe card)
- 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoons of Dill
- Garlic and Onion Powders
- 1 cup of Chicken Broth
Instructions
- Remove chicken from packaging and pat dry with paper towel. Check the inside of the chicken for the giblets and such, remove and discard or use for something else.
- Rub the chicken all over with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Season well with the salt, pepper, and dill. You can also use some garlic and onion powder.
- Wash and dry potatoes and cut into bite sized pieces with the skin on. Peel and cut the onion into chunks. Add the potatoes, onions, and the garlic to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with salt, pepper, some dill, and you can also add garlic and onion powder. Squeeze HALF the lemon over the potatoes. Toss this very well to coat.
- Place the chicken in the smallest roasting pan possible. You want the pan to be small so the juices do not evaporate. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over the chicken, then I shove the two halves of lemon inside the chicken.
- Spread the potatoes and onion mix around the chicken. Pour the broth over them.
- Cut the butter up in small bits and place all around the chicken and on top and all around the potatoes.
- Heat your oven to 375°. When it comes to temp, add your chicken and roast for about 20 minutes per pound. Mine took about 90 minutes. Half way through cooking, use a spoon or baster to baste the chicken and given the potatoes a stir with the juices this is making. If the top of the chicken is getting too dark, you can loosely cover just the breast with a piece of foil.
- When the chicken reaches an internal temp of 150 degrees, turn off the oven and leave the chicken in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove and then you can slice your chicken. Serve with potatoes and a nice salad.