Best Roast Chicken with Tarragon & Butter
Crispy, juicy roast chicken with vegetables, flavored with fresh tarragon and a buttery spice blend under the skin. Simple, reliable, and perfect for family meals or Sunday dinners.
Servings :4 4-6 people
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4–4½ lbs / 1.8–2 kg, giblets removed
- ½ cup 115 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 fresh lemon quartered
- Fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 rosemary sprig leaves removed
- 1 whole garlic bulb halved crosswise
- 2–3 carrots chopped
- 3 potatoes peeled and halved
- 2 onions halved
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups 500 ml chicken stock
Optional: green beans, microwaved while chicken rests
Instructions
Prepare the oven and vegetables
- Preheat the oven. Arrange chopped carrots, halved potatoes, halved onions, and halved garlic cloves in a large roasting tray to act as a bed for the chicken.
Prepare the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper inside and out.
- Stuff the cavity with warm lemon pieces, fresh tarragon, and rosemary leaves. Tuck the wings underneath and tie the legs securely with kitchen twine.
Make the butter spice blend
- Mix the chicken spice blend with softened butter. Gently loosen the skin with a spoon and spread most of the butter mixture under the skin, covering the breast and top of the thighs. Use the remaining butter to coat the top of the chicken.
- Drizzle a little olive oil into the empty butter bowl, swirl to catch any remaining spices, and pour that over the chicken for extra gloss and flavor.
Position the chicken
- Place the chicken on top of the prepared vegetables. If any part of the chicken isn’t elevated, tuck small pieces of scrunched foil underneath. Wrap drumstick ends in foil to prevent over-browning. Pour chicken stock into the tray from the side (not over the chicken).
Roast
- Start at a high temperature to brown the skin, then lower the heat to cook the chicken through without burning. Baste once or twice only — too much lowers oven temperature.
- If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil. You can also lower the oven rack slightly to prevent over-browning.
Rest the chicken & finish vegetables
- Remove the chicken to a rack and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. While resting:
- Roast the tray vegetables for 20 minutes at 190°C to deepen flavor and caramelize.
- Microwave green beans on high until tender.
Plating
- Arrange the roasted vegetables and microwaved green beans around the rested chicken on a platter. Decorate with fresh sage and tarragon leaves as shown in the images.
Optional overnight dry step
- For extra crispy skin, leave the chicken uncovered on a rack in the fridge overnight. This makes the skin easier to handle and improves crispness.
Notes
Notes
Great for leftovers:Use leftover chicken in soups, salads, sandwiches, or my Chicken Bone Gravy. Overnight air-drying:
Refrigerating the chicken uncovered on a rack overnight dries the skin and helps it crisp beautifully during roasting. Oven differences:
All ovens vary. If the chicken browns too quickly during the initial high-heat stage, tent loosely with foil or lower the oven rack to prevent over-browning.
Recipe Tips
- Resting the chicken is essential for juicy meat — don’t skip it.
- If the skin is browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil.
- For extra flavor, add a splash of white wine or chicken stock halfway through roasting (optional). I usually add enough stock at the start so additional liquid isn’t necessary — it’s enough for gravy or pan drippings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1personCalories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 20gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 94mgPotassium: 566mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3398IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg
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