French · Dinner · All year
Herb Butter Roast Chicken
4.6 community
20m
Prep
80m
Cook
Easy
Level
660
kcal
The Sunday roast, upgraded: tarragon-thyme butter massaged under the skin so the bird self-bastes from within. Crackling outside, perfumed within.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
1
🍗 Whole Chicken ›
whole, 1.6 kg
100 g
🧈 Butter ›
softened
2 tbsp
🌿 Tarragon ›
chopped
1 tbsp
🌿 Thyme ›
1 tbsp
🌿 Parsley ›
2 cloves
🧄 Garlic ›
grated
1
🍋 Lemon ›
halved
1 1/2 tbsp
🧂 Kosher Salt ›
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
20m
Prep
80m
Cook
100m
Total
4
Serves
Equipment
Large skillet
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Prep checklist
Whole Chicken — whole, 1.6 kg
Butter — softened
Tarragon — chopped
Garlic — grated
Lemon — halved
4 steps
Method
1
Dry-brine: salt the bird all over and refrigerate uncovered 12–24 hours.
Learn the technique ›
2
Mash the butter with herbs and garlic. Loosen the breast and thigh skin with careful fingers and spread two-thirds of the butter UNDER it; rub the rest on top. Lemon halves into the cavity.
💡
Under-skin butter bastes the lean breast throughout the roast — over-skin butter mostly ends up in the pan.
3
Roast at 220°C for 20 minutes, then 190°C to 74°C in the thigh, 45–55 more. Baste once with the herb-butter drippings.
4
Rest 15 minutes. Carve, then pour the lemon-herb pan juices over every slice like a verdict.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.
Make ahead
Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.
Wine pairing
Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.
Beer pairing
Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Roast potatoes in the drippings
·
Glazed carrots
·
A bitter-leaf salad
Garnish
Fresh herbs added off the heat
A squeeze of lemon
Flaky salt
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
660
kcal
52g
protein
3g
carbs
47g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
FAQ
How do I know chicken is done?
An instant-read thermometer says 74°C at the thickest point, touching no bone. Visual backup: juices run clear, and the meat at the bone is no longer pink. Breasts get dry past 74°C; thighs actually improve up to 85°C as their collagen melts.
Just for you
My notes
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