American
Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken
This is the full Barefoot Contessa-style roast chicken, sharpened with more explicit doneness cues and a richer pan gravy so it works just as well for company as it does for Sunday dinner. Lemon, thyme, garlic, and onion perfume the bird from the inside out, while the drippings turn into a glossy jus that makes every slice taste finished.
Gluten-FreeDairy-FreeHigh ProteinLow CarbComfort Food
At a Glance
- Time
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Serves
- 4
- Cost
- Medium
- Cuisine
- American
- Dietary fit
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the chicken dry, then season the cavity generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon halves, and garlic, then brush the skin with the melted butter so it roasts into a deep golden shell instead of drying out.
- Spread the onion slices in a roasting pan just large enough to hold the chicken and set the bird on top, breast-side up. Season the outside again with salt and pepper, tuck the wing tips under, and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes until the skin is richly browned, the juices run clear, and the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent it with foil while you make the gravy. Pour off the fat from the pan, reserving about 2 tablespoons, then add the chicken stock and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the pan so the sauce tastes savory instead of flat.
- Whisk the flour into the reserved fat until smooth, stir it back into the pan, and boil for a few minutes until the gravy looks glossy, lightly thickened, and no longer tastes raw. Strain if you want a smoother sauce, then season it to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Carve the rested chicken and spoon the warm gravy over the meat and onions.
Adaptations
Easy Swap- Gluten-Free: Works As Written Works as written; verify packaged ingredients as noted below.
- Dairy-Free: Easy Swap Easy swap; see the adaptation note below.
- Vegetarian: Not Vegetarian Not adaptable; this recipe is built around meat, poultry, or seafood.
How to adapt: The chicken itself is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free; skip the flour gravy or swap the flour for cornstarch and use olive oil or dairy-free butter if you want a GF/DF pan sauce.