Garlic Butter Basted Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon
Servings 8
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 sweet yellow onion cut into wedges, divided
- Olive oil to taste
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 4 lb whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges
- 4 cloves of garlic divided (2 whole for cavity & 2 minced for butter)
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 3 tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place half the chopped onion in a cast iron skillet then drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Toss to coat evenly.
- Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Season the inside of the chicken cavity with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Place the chicken on top of onions in the cast iron skillet.
- Stuff the seasoned cavity with the remaining half chopped onion, 2 lemon wedges, 2 small cloves of garlic, and a sprig of rosemary.
- Tuck the wings under and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Place the butter and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a small glass ramekin.
- Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until the butter is melted.
- Baste the entire chicken with a bit of garlic butter then season the entire chicken very well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Place the chicken into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, baste the bird with the garlic butter, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and roast basting with the garlic butter every 15 minutes, for 40-45 minutes, or until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when stuck into the thickest part of the thigh.
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest on a cutting board for at least 15 minutes before carving.
- Spoon any fat off the top of the onions and sauce into the cast iron skillet.
- Place the skillet with the roasted onions and juices over medium-high heat and reduce the onion sauce in the cast iron skillet by half, about 5-7 minutes.
- Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
- Carve the chicken and serve with onion pan sauce drizzled on top if desired. Serve with remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy.