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Roast Chicken with Herb Butter
4.8 from 138 votes

Roast Chicken with Herb Butter

This Roast Chicken with Herb Butter pairs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces with a fragrant blend of fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, shallots, lemon zest, and honey blended into softened butter. Roasted with shallots and garlic, the chicken develops crisp skin and juicy meat, complemented by a simple mustard and chicken broth pan sauce.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 618 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Herb Butter
  • 5 thyme sprigs, fresh
  • 1 rosemary fresh sprig
  • 5 sage fresh leaves
  • 1 shallot peeled and finely chopped
  • lemon zest of 1
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
For the Chicken
  • 6 shallots peeled and halved
  • 1 garlic whole head, cleaned, unpeeled, cut in half horizontally
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 chicken 4 to 4 ½ pounds (1.8 to 2 kg), cut into 4 or 6 pieces or 4 bone-in, skin-on breasts
  • Herb butter (above)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • black pepper freshly ground
For the Sauce
  • 2 cups chicken broth low-sodium
  • 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon butter unsalted

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F (235°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
  2. Make the herb butter: Pull the herbs from the stems and finely chop. Combine the chopped herbs, shallots, lemon zest, honey, and butter in a small bowl and blend well. Set aside.
  3. Place the shallots and garlic in a roasting pan or large oven-safe skillet and toss with the olive oil (it's okay if the garlic breaks apart a bit). Pat the chicken VERY dry with paper towels (this will help the skin to crisp) and place it in the roasting pan. Use a soup spoon to rub the herb butter all over the chicken and under the skin too (if you don't eat the skin, rub a lot of it underneath!). Sprinkle the salt evenly all over the chicken and season with fresh pepper to your liking.
  4. Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. Turn the heat down to 375°F (190°C); continue to roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until done. Chicken should be done in less than an hour; do not overcook.
  5. Transfer the chicken and the shallots to a serving platter to rest and cover with foil. Discard the garlic.
  6. Pour off all the fat from the roasting pan, leaving the brown baked-on bits in the bottom. Add the chicken broth and place on the stove over high heat; bring to a boil and whisk in the mustard. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, scrape up and combine the brown bits with the broth and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat and serve alongside the chicken. (You can strain the gravy if you'd like, but I never bother.)

Notes

  • The herb butter can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored refrigerated; soften before use.
  • Season and butter the chicken up to 24 hours ahead, refrigerating covered for deeper flavor.
  • For crispier skin, refrigerate the seasoned chicken uncovered for a few hours before roasting.
  • Shallots and garlic can be peeled and pre-cut a day ahead, stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition Information

Calories 618kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 43g (86%) Fat 42g (65%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Cholesterol 175mg (58%) Sodium 850mg (35%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 618

% Daily Value*

Calories 618kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Protein 43g 86%
Fat 42g 65%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 175mg 58%
Sodium 850mg 35%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 7g 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.