If you love roasted chicken, this roasted herb chicken you are going to love how easy dinner recipe is to make! This oven-roasted chicken recipe is full of all of the good stuff, garlic, fresh herbs, and sliced oranges. You will love how moist and flavorful this roasted chicken is!
If you love chicken as much as we do, you will want to check out ALL of my delicious Gluten Free Chicken Recipes.
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Tonight I am making one of my kids' favorites. We love using fresh herbs for roasting in chicken. It makes a tasty dinner that even my picky one will eat.
If you have been looking for an easy delicious family-friendly meal, you are going to love this herb chicken recipe!!
Why this roasted chicken is great:
The secret to this roasted chicken is to stuff the fresh herbs, garlic, butter, and orange under the skin. This allows the flavors to seep into the meat while it is roasting in the oven. This is one of those recipes you love because it is easy...and it is easy to make ahead if you are short on time.
This chicken dinner is made with lots of fresh herbs. If you love to cook and bake with fresh herbs as well, ere are some easy tips to grow fresh herbs in your kitchen window so you always have them on-hand for baking!
Recipe notes:
- A whole chicken - you can use any size, just note a large chicken will take longer to bake.
- Mandarin oranges - although you can use any orange, the flavor of mandarin orange really blends well with the herb blend.
- Butter - you can substitute and use ghee if you prefer.
Are you ready to make this whole roasted chicken recipe? I used my cast iron skillet to make this recipe. Feel free to make it in a roasting pan, or even a casserole dish.
Step by step recipe directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Chop up the fresh herbs and add them to a small bowl. Add the melted butter, minced garlic, salt, and pepper and mix well. This is the mixture you will coat your chicken in.
Step 2: Take the raw chicken and make small cuts under the breast skin and legs. Take some of the herbed butter and rub all under the skin. This will allow the flavors to cook deeply into the meat. Rub the extra on the outside of the chicken.
Step 3: Next, slice a mandarin orange or tangerine. Add these orange slices under the skin as well. (Note you can use any types of oranges but I love the flavor of mandarin in this recipe.)
Step 4: Place the chicken in a large 12-inch cast iron pan and bake. Serve hot when the internal temperature of the chicken is 165º F.
Try it with this homemade gluten free gravy, or make a gravy from your pan drippings!!
Expert tips and recipe FAQ:
You can definitely cook the chicken in a different pan. You can use a roasting pan as well.
To make gravy, add your pan drippings to a saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and some leftover herbs. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Put 2 tablespoons potato starch or tapioca starch into a small bowl, add ¼ cup of the gravy and whisk. Pour it into the gravy pot and whisk.
Your chicken is finished baking when the internal temperature reads 165º F.
This herb roasted chicken will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or remove the chicken from the bones and put it in a freezer bag and freeze it.
What are the best herbs for chicken?
Many herbs have flavors that work well with chicken. Here are some of my favorite herbs for herb baked chicken:
- thyme
- rosemary
- sage
- tarragon
- parsley
- chives
- oregano
Serve with:
- Mashed Creamy Rutabagas
- Roasted Bacon Potato Roses
- Kale and Apple Salad
- Butternut with Brown Butter Sage
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave me a rating and a comment. I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!
📖 Recipe
Herb Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pound whole chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tangerine sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º F.
- Add chopped herbs, melted butter, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.
- Make small cuts to open the skin under the chicken breast. (You can also do this for the legs if you like.)
- Stuff some butter herb mixture in both and rub along under the skin. Rub the extra all over the outside of the chicken.
- Slice the tangerine and add slices under the skin.
- Bake for one hour, or until the meat registers 165º F with a meat thermometer.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- You can use any size whole chicken, just note a larger chicken will take longer to bake.
- You can use fresh herbs or dried, I definitely think the fresh herbs add a lot more flavor.
- Bake in a 12-inch cast-iron pan, a roasting pan, or a 9x13 pan.
- To make gravy, add your pan drippings to a saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and some leftover herbs. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Put 2 tablespoons potato starch or tapioca starch into a small bowl, add ¼ cup of the gravy, and whisk. Pour it into the gravy pot and whisk.
- Serve hot.
- This herb-roasted chicken will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or put in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze it. It will keep up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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Betsy Cohen
You sure did pick the perfect wine to accompany this wonderful dish!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Betsy 🙂
Shelby
This is an absolutely beautiful dish and one I would be happy to sit down to with a glass of CK Mondavi Wine!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Shelby...I love their wines!