Lemon and Garlic Butter Roast Chicken with Sage

I love a roast dinner. It’s so homely and comforting. A perfect way to share a dinner together as a family. This delicious spring roast chicken will make any dinner, simply spectacular.

Roasted whole chicken makes a great dinner, that is pretty easy to get right, if you follow the correct steps. You can prepare it in the morning, leave it to marinate for the day, then pop it in the oven to do the rest. A moist roast chicken, plenty of flavour and a crispy skin on the outside is what awaits.

The key to adding the most flavour is the herby garlic butter. Add the butter underneath the skin as well as over the top and the meat will be flavourful and delicious. I also like to place the used lemon, cut into wedges, inside the bird along with some extra sage leaves. This combination releases a wonderful spring aroma, as you carve.

Garlic and Lemon are two flavours that go really well with chicken. The flavour combination gives the chicken a light, non-overpowering taste, that I associate with Spring. You can also check out these breaded chicken bites with lemon and these mini chicken kiev nuggets for more ideas on using lemon and garlic.

What to Serve with a Roasted Chicken

Roast Chicken served as part of a roast dinner is an obvious choice, when it comes to what you want to serve with it. This guide on roasting potatoes will show you how to get the crispiest accompaniment as well as steamed vegetables, cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire puddings.

But, roasted chicken doesn’t have to be a accompanied by a big, elaborate meal. Why not try simple rice, roasted root vegetables, or a spring salad.

The leftover roast chicken will also make great sandwich fillings, you can add it to pies or to curries like this chicken korma. You can freeze leftover cooked chicken too, let it cool and then store in an airtight container, in the freezer, for up to 3 months.

Recipe Tips and Guidance

Your whole raw chicken does not need to be washed. You can actually increase your chances of food poisoning by doing so. Washing chicken can cause the surrounding area to be splashed with bacteria and can contaminate clothes, surfaces and cooking equipment. Cooking your chicken for the recommended amount of time at the right temperature will ensure that any bacteria present on the chicken will be killed.

To loosen the skin, use your fingers (be careful not to tear the skin if you have longer nails) or an inverted spoon, use the spoon upside down to prize away the skin without tearing.

Let your chicken come to room temperature before roasting it. This helps the chicken to cook more evenly and the meat will remain moist. Give it at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before placing in the preheated oven.

If you want the classic crispy chicken skin, don’t cover your chicken when roasting.

Roasted chicken needs to rest a little before carving it. I recommend moving it to your carving board, covering it with a piece of tin foil and leaving it to rest for around 15 minutes before carving. This helps to prevent the moisture escaping immediately and drying the chicken meat out. It also makes carving easier.

Don’t throw away the cooking juices in the pan, add them to the gravy, or drizzle over the chicken. The cooking juice can also be saved for other recipes, to flavour soup or stocks for example. You can even use it to roast your vegetables and potatoes in.

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