• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Caroline's Cooking
  • Recipe Index
  • By country or region
  • By season or holiday
  • Subscribe
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • By country or region
  • By season or holiday
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • By country or region
    • By season or holiday
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Main dishes

    Garlic herb roasted chicken

    November 17, 2014 by Caroline's Cooking

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    • Yummly
    garlic herb roasted chicken

    This garlic herb roasted chicken ups your roasting game by adding herbs, garlic & butter under the skin for extra flavor. Comforting, easy to prepare and delicious.

    Jump to Recipe
    garlic herb roasted chicken on board with fresh herbs to side

    This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.

    Roast chicken was one of the first meats my son ate and it's still a favorite, indeed for all of us. At this time of year, it's an easy way to have a hearty meal without putting in all that much effort. This garlic herb roasted chicken takes a tiny bit more effort but with delicious results.

    We typically roast some vegetables like potatoes, squash, carrots, parsnips, beets and/or broccoli to go alongside. As well as being a great meal in itself, there is the added bonus of having the bones to make stock with.

    carving garlic herb roasted chicken

    I always keep ice cubes of stock in the freezer to add to dishes and make soups. It's so much better than bought, especially when you can really taste it such as in soups like Scotch broth or avgolemono soup.

    You also, sometimes, have some leftover meat which can go in a variety of things from sandwiches and salads to risotto. For us, Vietnamese chicken salad and butternut squash risotto with chicken are particular favorites.

    If there are less of you for a Thanksgiving meal, a chicken is a great alternative to turkey, while keeping the feel of the traditional. Although that said, we do love roast duck.

    One of the things I love about roasting a chicken is there is minimal preparation. And while it takes a little time to cook, you don't have to do anything, just let it get on with things.

    stuffing garlic herb mixture under skin

    I often roast it relatively plain with seasoning on top and some lemon inside. But sometimes I feel like doing a teeny bit more preparation than usual to add in some extra flavors.

    How to prepare garlic herb roasted chicken

    While it's a little more than just putting the chicken in the oven, the preparation for this roasted chicken is easy. You crush up some garlic with some salt, add the chopped aromatic herbs, then ease the mixture in under the skin of the chicken. You do this just by gently pulling the skin away from the breast of the chicken, from the neck end.

    chicken with garlic herb mixture rubbed under and over skin and pieces of butter under and over, ready to roast

    I didn't bother trying to put it under the skin of the legs as well, as I felt it was too much of a pain to try. Plus personally I really like the flavor of the brown meat as it is. It certainly feels enough with the herbs infusing just the breast meat.

    Having played around with roasting, I find adding a bit of butter under and over the skin really helps the flavor. I also really like using some whole lemon inside, so I added that too.

    See how it all comes together in the short video!

    All combined, you get a nicely aromatic flavor that makes a nice variation on a simple roast chicken. The skin still goes crispy and there is plenty of meat without the garlic-herb mixture on it in case some of your eaters (eg the kids) are less convinced.

    whole garlic herb roasted chicken on carving board

    So up your roast chicken game and try this tasty twist. This garlic herb roasted chicken takes only a tiny bit more work for wonderfully aromatic flavors that are oh so good.

    Looking for sides to serve with your roast chicken? Try these!

    • Maple-roasted buttercup squash
    • Dauphinoise potatoes (meltingly tender, cooked with cream, similar to scalloped potatoes)
    • Roasted asparagus with parmesan
    • Some of these garlic herb Parker house rolls from Garlic and Zest would also be great.
    • Plus get more ideas in the side dishes archives, as well as comforting winter recipes.
    garlic herb roasted chicken
    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Garlic herb roasted chicken

    A simple herby mix under the skin adds a delicious layer of flavor to roast chicken.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 15 mins
    Total Time1 hr 25 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 1002kcal
    Author: Caroline's Cooking
    SaveSaved!

    Ingredients

    • 4 lb chicken 1.8kg, approx
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon fresh sage
    • 2 teaspoon fresh thyme
    • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
    • ½ lemon
    • ¾ tablespoon butter 10g (approx)

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
    • Roughly chop garlic and crush with the salt.
    • Roughly chop herbs and add to garlic, crush to combine.
    • Gently ease the skin away from the meat over the chicken breasts from the neck end (ie not from the cavity). Take some of the garlic-herb mixture and push it in under the skin, over the breast, on each side, and ease it over as much of the breast as possible by rubbing from the outside once you have put the mixture in as best you can. Rub the rest of the paste over the outside.
    • Cut the half lemon in two and push into the cavity of the bird, then place on a roasting tray. Slice the butter into 3 or 4 thin slices and put a slice under the skin on each breast.
    • Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper then drizzle over a little olive oil and rub in. Dot a couple more pieces of butter on the outside.
    • Roast for 1hr, 15 mins until the skin is crisp and the juices run clear.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1002kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 84g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 345mg | Sodium: 627mg | Potassium: 875mg | Vitamin A: 740IU | Vitamin C: 15.5mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4.3mg

    See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

    Remember to pin for later!

    This garlic herb roasted chicken ups your roasting game by adding herbs, garlic & butter under the skin for extra flavor. Comforting, easy and delicious. #roastchicken #chicken #roast #herbs
    « Cranberry gin
    Butternut squash soup with apple, sage and thyme »
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Patty

      February 03, 2019 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      Mmmm I really need to try this! I always stuff a few brindles of tarragon under the skin of my chicken but never thought to add butter, sounds delicious and of course a great way to make a juicy roast chicken, thanks for the tip, can't wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 04, 2019 at 1:29 pm

        Thanks, yes the butter definitely helps add to the flavor and juiciness.

        Reply
    2. Geetha Priyanka

      February 02, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      Love garlic and herbs combo. This dish sounds so flavourful and simple to make with handful ingredients.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 04, 2019 at 1:28 pm

        Thanks, yes it's nice and easy.

        Reply
    3. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      February 02, 2019 at 7:46 am

      5 stars
      This is a perfect roast chicken with all of those flavours and I bet the juices made an amazing gravy too.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 04, 2019 at 1:28 pm

        Thanks, yes it's tasty poured over the top of the chicken too!

        Reply
    4. Jacqueline Debono

      February 01, 2019 at 11:09 am

      5 stars
      I put butter under the skin of a roast chicken but have never done the same with garlic and herbs. Love the idea. Def going to do it next time I roast a chicken!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 04, 2019 at 1:28 pm

        It's definitely worth trying them in there too for some extra flavor!

        Reply
    5. Beth Neels

      February 01, 2019 at 10:25 am

      5 stars
      I started to put fats and herbs under the skin a few years ago! It really makes a huge difference in the flavor of the meat! I love the garlic addition, as well!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 04, 2019 at 1:27 pm

        I agree, it does really help add some flavor!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Caroline's Cooking

    Welcome! I'm Caroline and this is where I share recipes inspired by travels, places I want to go, or just ideas from feeding the family. Most recipes are easy to make and healthier, but there are treats too!

    Read more →

    Try these popular recipes

    • baked portobello mushrooms on plate
      Baked portobello mushrooms
    • side view of torn loaf of Japanese milk bread
      Japanese milk bread
    • Tarta de Santiago from overhead
      Tarta de Santiago (Spanish almond cake)
    • pumpkin risotto
      Pumpkin risotto
    • Swedish cardamon buns with one on plate in front
      Swedish cardamom buns
    • stacked plates with English tea sandwiches close up
      Traditional English tea sandwiches

    Recent posts

    • whole imeruli khachapuri on plate
      Imeruli khachapuri (Georgian cheese filled bread)
    • overhead view of bowl of chashu pork ramen
      Chashu pork (for ramen and more)
    • bowl of blueberry apple smoothie
      Blueberry apple smoothie
    • plate of crab pasta from overhead
      Crab pasta

    Let's get social!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    Learn more

    • Privacy Policy
    • Language and measurements
    • About Caroline's Cooking
    • Web stories

    Caroline's Cooking is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Cook the latest!

    Newsletter

    Signup for the latest recipes straight in your inbox!

    Thank you!

    Please check your inbox to confirm your email.

    .

    Copyright © Caroline's Cooking 2014 - 2022