French · Dinner · All year
Herb Butter Roast Chicken
4.6 · community
20m
Prep
80m
Cook
Easy
Level
660
Energy
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
Before you start
Mise en place
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.
720 min — timer available in cooking mode
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.
Why this works
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.
70 min — timer available in cooking mode
4
Rest 15 minutes. Carve, then pour the lemon-herb pan juices over every slice like a verdict.
15 min — timer available in cooking mode
From the pass
Chef's 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
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
1
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
1
Per serving
Nutrition
660
kcal
52g
protein
3g
carbs
47g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
Questions
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.
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