Sunday roast chicken
A whole chicken roasted with lemon, garlic and thyme until the skin is golden and crisp, with an easy gravy made in the tin.
- Serves4
- Prep15 min
- Cook1 hr 40 min
- HeatMild
A whole chicken is the best value at the counter, and roasting one is easier than it looks. Ask us to leave the skin on. Allow 20 minutes per 500g plus 25 minutes, so a 1.6kg bird takes about 1½ hours.
Ingredients
- For the gravy
Ask at the counter forA whole chicken, about 1.6kg, skin on
Cut: Whole chicken
Method
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Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C, gas 5).
Pat the chicken dry. Put the lemon halves, garlic and half the thyme inside it. Rub the butter or oil all over the skin and season with the salt and pepper.
Lay the onions in a roasting tin with the rest of the thyme and sit the chicken on top. Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, basting with the juices halfway through.
Check it's cooked: the juices from the thickest part of the thigh should run clear with no pink, or a thermometer should read 75°C. Lift it onto a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes.
For the gravy, put the tin over a medium heat, stir the flour into the juices and onions and cook for a minute. Pour in the stock, scraping up the brown bits, and bubble for 5 minutes. Strain into a jug.
Carve the chicken and serve with roast potatoes, vegetables and the gravy.
Tips
- Roast potatoes go in an hour before the chicken comes out: parboil them for 8 minutes, shake them in the pan to rough them up, then roast in hot oil.
- For a bigger or smaller bird, allow 20 minutes per 500g plus 25 minutes. Our roasting times guide has a calculator.
- Leftovers make great sandwiches, a quick chicken soup or a next-day biryani.
Good to know
- Make ahead and freezing
- Cool leftover chicken quickly and freeze within 2 hours of cooking, for up to 2 months.
- Heat
- Mild. Add green chillies at the table if you like it hotter.