This is my “special seasoning” for chicken and turkeys. The meat is so tender it often falls apart! In fact, I’ve never made a dry chicken or turkey (yes, I’m knocking on wood as I write this).
Ok wait.. I did make a partially frozen turkey the first time I roasted one but that is a different story altogether.
Rubbing the seasoning under the skin helps to flavorize the entire chicken and not just the skin. Using butter under the skin will help to further crisp it. To learn how to pull the skin just the right way, I recommend this video by Feast.
Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken
This is my “special seasoning” for chicken and turkeys. The meat is so tender it often falls apart!
Ingredients
- 4 pound Fryer chicken
- 3 tablespoons Margarine, melted
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Basil
- 1/2 teaspoon Sage
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, ground
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
OPTIONAL
- 1 Small Onion, chopped
- 4-6 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Bunch Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Remove any inner parts (neck and gizzards). Rinse chicken and pat dry (very dry!). Combine all ingredients. Rub over and beneath skin of meat.
- Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan if you have one. Place chicken on rack. *Optional: Place onions, garlic & parsley in the chicken cavity.
- Cover with tented foil (do not allow foil to touch chicken!).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes. Baste the chicken 1-2 times with pan drippings.
- Remove foil for the last 10 minutes to roast the top. (If using an electric roaster, either place the chicken on a baking sheet or use the removable pan and put into preheated oven).
- Using a meat thermometer, the breast should be 160 degrees and the thigh should be 170. After removing from the oven, the chicken will continue to cook, as long as you leave it in the pan, covered. The thigh should reach 180 after 10 minutes.
