One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes
If you want easy-to-make and moist chicken, this is your recipe. By prepping your chicken the night before or morning of, you will give the chicken a chance to dry, almost insuring a super crispy skin. And it decreases the amount of prep you will need to do around dinner time. This is a simplified version of another another recipe, Roasted Chicken and Brussel Sprouts with Egg Noodles in Herb Pan Sauce.
I highly recommend owning a 12 inch cast iron pan (Lodge or Stargazer) or certified PFOA free pan (ScanPan) or both. They are extremely versatile and can be used from stove top to oven. Insure that the handle is oven-proof.
One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes
1 4-pound whole chicken, preferably organic
2 Tbsp, extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), more for potatoes and carrots
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
fresh herbs (several sprigs each of fresh rosemary and thyme)
2 lemons, cut into 8 pieces, divided
4-5 large Yukon potatoes, each cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4-5 carrots, cut using a roll-cut technique into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6-7 garlic cloves, skinned and smashed
fresh rosemary (3-4 generous sprigs)
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
PREPPING CHICKEN: Prep chicken in a clean sink for easy clean-up and to avoid contaminating counters. Drain and remove cavity contents. Rinse with cold water and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Move to a open container and let sit for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees along with an oven safe pan, preferably cast iron, large enough to accommodate your bird.
Rub olive oil followed by the kosher salt and pepper on the inside and outside of the bird. Stuff bird with 2-3 of the lemon pieces and the fresh herbs.
PREPPING VEGETABLES AND ROASTING: Generously coat the carrots, potatoes, garlic, remaining lemon wedges, and rosemary with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Moving quickly so that the oven does not loose heat, pour vegetables into the preheated pan. Make a shallow divot in center of the vegetables and set the chicken there breast side up. Roast for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven throughout the entire cooking process. Shut the oven off. Let chicken remain in oven for another 30 minutes. The safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165 degrees. It’s alway best to check the thickest part of the bird with a cooking thermometer.
Remove the chicken from the oven, moving the chicken to a cutting board, covering with foil. Resting the chicken will allow most of the juices to be reincorporated into the meat (otherwise lost if carved immediately). Carve the chicken when cool enough to handle.
Mix the pan drippings with the vegetables adding the juice from the roasted lemons. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
ASSEMBLE: Spoon vegetables into a bowl or plate and top with chicken. Pour over any left over drippings from pan and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
