Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken
September 9, 2025 • 0 comments
Roast a perfectly golden, juicy chicken with this simple and classic recipe. The chicken is seasoned generously with salt, pepper, lemon, garlic, and fresh thyme, then roasted over a bed of tender onions, carrots, and fennel. The result is a savory, aromatic, and beautifully cooked meal that’s perfect for a Sunday dinner.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 8
Ingredients
- One 5-6 lb. chicken
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
- 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
- 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
- Olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out.
- Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
- Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.
- Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
- Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
- Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
Recipe from: Ina Garten Food Network
