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Juicy herb roasted chicken on a white oval plate.

Juicy Herb Roasted Chicken


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 large chicken 1x

Description

Get ready for the juiciest, herb-infused roasted chicken you’ve ever had. It’s easy enough for a casual meal, but equally enough of a showstopper to make it the star of a special occasion.

The secret? A zesty dry-brine to keep all the lovely juices inside, and a herby miso butter that’s stuffed under the skin for maximum flavour.

Remember, if you’re looking for US measurements, use the ‘Units’ section below and click on ‘US’.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 large, free-range chicken
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon (use this same lemon for the rest of the recipe)
  • 70g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 lemon, halved

Instructions

  1. Dry brine the chicken. Using a paper towel, pat dry the chicken all over. Transfer it to a large oven dish. Mix 1 tablespoon of salt with the zest of 1 lemon in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken and massage it into the skin. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least an hour, if not overnight.
  2. Press herb miso butter under the skin. Heat your oven to 180C/ 360F fan and take the chicken out of the fridge. Mix the softened butter, miso paste, honey, rosemary, thyme and crushed garlic together until a cohesive butter forms. With the chicken’s legs facing towards you, use your fingers or the back of a spoon to carefully loosen the skin from the breast. Spoon the herb butter under the skin of the breasts, using your spoon to press down on top of the skin to smooth it to an even layer. Spread the remaining butter over the top of the breasts and legs.
  3. Roast the chicken. Mix the olive oil and lemon juice, then brush it all over the outside of the chicken. Pop the lemon halves and remaining rosemary sprigs into the chicken cavity. Cover with foil, then roast for 1 hour. PRO TIP: If you like, you can truss the chicken (tie it together with string). This is a helpful guide I like to follow if I’m doing that. It just looks a bit neater, but it’s not essential.
  4. Brown the skin. After 1 hour, remove the foil and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, basting the chicken with the cooking juices twice throughout this process. Check after 25 minutes – if you’re using a probe thermometer (I recommend this for ease), the thermometer should read 75C/165F when inserted in the meaty part of the leg, near the bone. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut into the leg. If the juices come out looking clear, it’s ready. If the juices are a little pink and cloudy, it needs more time. 
  5. Rest and serve the chicken. Once the chicken is ready, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. You can carve the chicken and then arrange the pieces on a plate to transfer to the table or carve the whole chicken at the table. Whatever you choose, make sure you spoon lots of the lovely cooking juices all over the meat – it’s liquid gold. 

Notes

Prep ahead: You can dry-brine the chicken 24 hours ahead of time (and it’s better this way), and you can also stuff the butter under the skin after you’ve dry-brined it. Then just pull it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cook it.

Swap the miso paste for 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, or just leave it out if you can’t find it.

You could use oregano, marjoram or dried herbs in place of the fresh rosemary and thyme if you like.

I’m using table salt in the dry-brine. 1 tablespoon of table salt is a lot more salt than 1 tablespoon of flaky sea salt, so if you are using a flaky salt, use 2 tablespoons. You just want to make sure that the chicken is really well coated in the brine.

  • Prep Time: 60
  • Cook Time: 90
  • Category: meat
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: british

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 chicken

Keywords: best roast chicken, miso roast chicken, roasted chicken