How to Make a Perfect Roast Chicken

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Step 2

Rub the chicken all over with the softened butter. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Stuff the lemon, garlic, thyme and rosemary into the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, or use a wire rack placed into a rimmed baking sheet. If you don’t have a rack, just place the chicken in a roasting or baking pan, or on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 60 to 70 minutes until the skin is browned and crispy, an internal thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (but not touching the bone), and the juices run clear not pink.

Step 4

Remove the chicken from the oven, tilt it so any juices captured inside the bird run into the pan, and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 5

Cut up the chicken. Start by cutting off the drumsticks, then cut the thighs from the chicken. Remove the wings. Then carve the breast: You can then either cut the breast meat into slices directly from the chicken, or remove the breast meat as a whole piece, and then slice it on the cutting board (see above for step by step instructions and photos for carving a roast chicken).

Step 6

Arrange the pieces on a platter and serve.