Vegetables for the pan, carrots, celery, potatoes, etc
Kitchen twine, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare your desired pan with a thick layer of chopped vegetables.
Remove giblets from chicken, reserve for another use or discard. Carefully rinse chicken well and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken well with salt and pepper.
Cut onion into quarters, cut lemon in half and quarter each half. Add onion, lemon and 4 smashed cloves of garlic to the cavity of the chicken. If desired, tie legs together with kitchen twine. Add chicken to roasting pan.
In a small bowl, melt butter with 2 cloves garlic. Brush butter over the entire bird. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and optional red pepper flakes.
Cook until the thigh meat registers 170°F or the breast registers 165°F. This will vary depending on your chicken size.
If the skin begins to darken too much, cover for remainder of cook time.
Carefully transfer chicken to a carving board, let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
Reserve chicken carcass for soup; add to a large freezer safe bag (even double bagging if necessary). Freeze for up to several months or store in the refrigerator for several days before making soup or chicken stock.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!