Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees Celsius).
Remove the giblets from the inner cavity of your chicken (heart, liver, neck, etc). Sometimes this will be in a little bag and sometimes they will be in there on their own. Trim any fat you do not like and remove any remaining feathers. Cut off the butt off the chicken with a sharp knife or culinary scissors.
Wash the THAWED chicken well inside and out and pat dry. You may wish to place a little salt in your hand and scrub the chicken well. This works like an abrasive.
Line your roasting pan with aluminum foil. Spray roasting pan with cooking spray and place chicken BREAST SIDE UP into pan.
Salt and pepper outside and inside of chicken liberally.
Mix in small bowl softened butter (not melted), garlic, seasoned salt, dash of pepper and dried Italian seasonings (rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, etc) or fresh herbs from your garden.
Reach under the breast skin of the chicken and place butter mixture between the skin and breast meat on both sides. Then, rub the entire bird with the butter herb mixture and/or olive oil.
Place inside the cavity of chicken 3 – 4 whole garlic cloves, a few sprigs of rosemary and fresh herbs of choice (thyme, basil, oregano, etc) and onion cut into quarters. If you have a fresh lemon, cut into quarters and add in the cavity as well.
Truss your chicken’s leg together with butcher twine. Tuck the chicken’s wing under the breast of the chicken. (optional step but it makes your chicken look beautiful)
Arrange potatoes and carrots around the edge of chicken in roasting pan.
Salt and pepper the chicken liberally and also the potatoes and carrots.
Add cooking wine and chicken broth and mix around the edges of the chicken into the roasting pan.
Put lid or aluminum foil over dish and place whole chicken into the preheated oven on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes into the cooking time, take off lid or aluminum foil and cook uncovered.
Baste chicken approximately every 15 minutes while cooking after you remove the aluminum foil lid. If you have an uneven oven, turn the chicken midway in the cooking process so it browns evenly on all sides.
Approximate Cook Time: Depends on weight of chicken- (unstuffed at 375-degree F/190 degrees Celsius) A) 2 ½-3-pound whole chicken- approximately 1 and ¼ hours to 1.5 hours B) 3-4-pound whole chicken- approximately 1.5 to 1 and ¾ hours C) 4-6 pounds whole chicken - approximately 1 and ¾ hours to 2.5 hours
Check the temperature of your chicken in the meaty section of the chicken thigh. Do not let the thermometer touch the bone and it should not be near the skin. It needs to be in the middle meaty section of the thigh. If the temperature is at LEAST 165 degrees F in the thigh, the juices run clear and your chicken is golden brown, remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes UNCOVERED. (if you cover your chicken during the resting period, the skin will become soggy) The temperature of your chicken will raise while resting.
However, If your chicken thermometer reads less than 165 degrees F, allow your chicken to continue to roast in the oven and recheck the temperature. Reset your timer for a few minutes so you do not forget about it.
Please use the times listed above as a guide for length of time need for cooking. As a general rule, calculate a cooking time of 20 minutes per pound of meat plus an additional 10 - 20 minutes at a temperature of 375ºF (190ºC). The goal should be a lovely golden-brown chicken. The meat thermometer should read approximately 165-170 degrees when it is done as the chicken will continue to cook when removed from oven. Your chicken should be juicy and the juices should be clear in color when it is carved.
Carve the chicken and place potatoes and carrots on dishes. Savory Herbed Roasted Chicken is lovely served with a light salad for a delicious weekend meal. Enjoy!