Garlic-Herb Whole Roasted Chicken

This flavorful chicken recipe is a true home run. It’s the perfect choice for a nice Sunday dinner with friends and family. You can shred the leftover meat to use in a quick soup or salad recipe the next day, plus save the bones to make a delicious homemade chicken stock (includes both Instant Pot or Slow Cooker directions).

Since chicken is low carb and keto-friendly, we cook a large batch of chicken every week and this is one of our favorite recipes for the easy weight loss plan we are following. Go here to read more about it and an update on our weight loss results.

I hope things are better where you live, but if you are asked to restrict family gatherings for the holidays, this whole roasted chicken is also a good alternative to a large turkey for a couple or small family.

Garlic-Herb Whole Roasted Chicken

The onion in this recipe serves two purposes: It raises the chicken out of the juices while it cooks and it imparts a lovely flavor to the pan sauce. After cooking, the onion is discarded, rather than eaten, to keep the overall carb count low. If you would like to omit the onion completely, you can replace the onion slices with ovenproof metal cookie cutters to lift the chicken while it cooks.

Prep time: 15 minutes + rest time (15-20 minutes), Cook time: 1½ hours, Serves: 6

Total carbs: 3.7g, Fiber: 1.7g, Net carbs: 2g

Ingredients

• 1 large white onion, cut into thick slices
• 1 5-6 lb. whole chicken
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 small container fresh poultry herbs (thyme, rosemary, & sage), rinsed and divided (I have used dried herbs in a pinch when I didn’t have fresh herbs)
• ¼ cup butter, room temperature
• 6-8 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided (or 2.5 tablespoons of jarred minced garlic)
• 1 cup chicken broth (sugar-free organic)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/ 220°C and arrange onion slices in bottom of a large, heavy-duty 12” skillet with high sides.
2. Remove and discard neck and giblets from chicken and place bird breast-side up on top of onion slices in skillet. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and generously season the outside with salt and black pepper.  
3. Separate out approximately 1/3 of the fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage from the bundle. Remove and discard the tough stems from the thyme and rosemary leaves. Combine the leaves with the sage before roughly chopping.
4. Add the softened butter, half the minced garlic, and the chopped fresh poultry herbs in a small bowl and stir to combine. Divide the herb butter into small chunks before tucking evenly under the chicken skin covering the breast meat.
5. Massage the remaining minced garlic inside the cavity of the bird before stuffing with the remaining fresh poultry herbs. Secure legs together with kitchen string, and then add the chicken broth to the skillet.
6. Place skillet in pre-heated oven and roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165° F. Check every 30 minutes while cooking to make sure the skin isn’t becoming too brown. If it is, cover with aluminum foil after 1 hour and check for doneness after another 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove skillet from oven and carefully transfer chicken to a serving platter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
8. While the chicken rests, discard the onion slices in the skillet and heat the remaining liquid over medium-high heat. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a spatula or wooden spoon to remove the browned bits. Continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by one half. Once reduced, taste and season with salt and black pepper, if desired. 
9. To serve, carve the chicken and top each serving with a spoonful of the warm pan sauce.

Doesn’t that look yummy?