Imagine a golden, crispy-skinned roasted free range chicken, infused with flavour, gracing your festive table. This easy roast chicken recipe is so simple, it frees you up to spend more time with loved ones while the oven does all the work! The chicken preparation time is a maximum of 15 minutes. Read on to discover this foolproof recipe that will impress your family and friends.
Using a free-range chicken makes all the difference in this recipe. You'll notice the incredible juiciness and tenderness of the meat, which perfectly complements the flavours of the other ingredients.
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You might remember that in my Cosori air fryer whole chicken recipe, I focused on flavouring the outside of the chicken. And in the garlic butter roasted chicken, the butter went under the skin. This recipe takes a completely different approach to infusing flavour.
In this roasted free range chicken recipe, we'll fill the chicken with aromatic herbs and spices, allowing the flavours to penetrate the meat from the inside out. Then, we'll generously butter the skin for a golden, crispy finish.
Ingredients
Free-range chicken: The star of the recipe, this chicken is typically raised in a more humane and natural environment than conventionally-raised chickens. This type of chicken is known for its juiciness and tenderness. Should be about 1.4 kg (3 lbs) for four servings.
For flavouring, I will use:
- One Lemon: A bright and acidic fruit that adds a burst of flavour to the chicken.
- One Onion: A pungent and aromatic vegetable that provides depth of flavour to the dish.
- Four cloves of Garlic: A strong and savory flavouring agent that complements the chicken and other ingredients.
- One Apple: I like the aroma of the apple baked in the oven and the chicken. Cutted in two and put inside the chicken.
- ½ bunch Fresh parsley: A versatile herb with a clean, fresh flavour.
- 2 sprigs of Thyme: An aromatic herb with a slightly minty flavour.
- 150 g Unsalted butter: Used to baste the chicken, resulting in a crispy and golden-brown skin.
- 2 teaspoon Sea salt: A natural salt that enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: A spice that adds a subtle heat and depth of flavor to the dish.
How to Make the Roasted Free Range Chicken
Filling the Whole Chicken
First, I prepare the chicken by removing the excess fat, feet, and wing tips. Patting the chicken dry with a paper towel is essential to ensure the skin crisps up nicely in the oven.
Cut the onion, apple, and lemon into quarters. This makes them easier to fit inside the chicken's cavity. A larger chicken should have plenty of space for all of these. If you have any leftover pieces, simply place them around the chicken in the baking tray.
Finally, add the parsley leaves. These will help to hold the other ingredients inside the chicken while it roasts.
Season the outside of the chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, rubbing it into the skin. Spread the room-temperature butter on all sides of the chicken. Place the chicken breast-side up in the baking tray, which you've already prepared with two spoons of sunflower oil.
Arrange the quartered onion, apple, and lemon around the chicken in the pan. Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil to keep the chicken moist as it roasts. Now, the oven does the rest of the work!
Roasting the Free Range Chicken
Place the baking tray with the chicken in an oven preheated to 180°C Fan (356°F) for an hour. This will give the chicken time to cook through, become perfectly tender, and allow all those wonderful flavours to permeate the meat.
Remove the foil and baste the chicken with the pan juices. Return the baking tray to the oven for another 10-20 minutes, or until the skin turns a beautiful golden brown and becomes irresistibly crispy.
There you have it! My easy roasted free range chicken recipe, with juicy meat and irresistibly crispy skin. Just imagine the aroma filling your kitchen as you present this golden beauty on a platter in the middle of the table, ready to be carved and enjoyed.
Variations
This basic roasted free range chicken recipe is a fantastic starting point, and you can easily customize it to your liking! Here are some ideas for stuffing variations:
- Bread Stuffing: Fill the chicken cavity with a classic bread stuffing for a more substantial meal.
- Rice Stuffing: Use a rice-based stuffing with vegetables and herbs for a different flavor profile.
- Fruit Stuffing: Try a sweet and savory stuffing with apples, cranberries, and walnuts.
Serving the Roasted Free Range Chicken
Allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes after cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavourful bird.
This roasted free range chicken is incredibly versatile when it comes to serving! Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter. Surround it with the roasted onion, apple, and lemon quarters for a rustic presentation.
Serve with classic sides like roasted vegetables (potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts with lemon), mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce are all excellent choices.
How to Store?
Storing your roasted free range chicken properly is key to maintaining its deliciousness and ensuring food safety.
Before storing, let the chicken cool to room temperature. This helps prevent condensation from forming in the container, which can lead to bacterial growth. But don't leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
If you have a lot of chicken left, you can store the whole bird in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. Stored properly, your roasted chicken will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
F.A.Q.
Free-range chickens can sometimes be a bit tougher than their commercially raised counterparts due to their active lifestyle. But don't worry, there are several ways to ensure your free-range chicken turns out tender and delicious:
- Soaking the chicken in a saltwater solution helps the meat retain moisture and break down some of the muscle fibers, resulting in a more tender bird.
- Marinades that contain acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or yogurt help to tenderize the meat while also adding flavour.
- Cooking the chicken at a lower temperature for a longer time helps to break down the connective tissue, resulting in tender meat.
- Allowing the cooked chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving helps the juices redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavourful bird.
That's a great question! It's a bit of a misconception that free-range chicken cooks faster. In reality, it often takes slightly longer to cook than commercially raised chicken. Here's why:
- Free-range chickens are more active, which means their muscles are more developed and may be slightly tougher. This requires a bit more cooking time to break down the connective tissue and ensure tenderness.
- Free-range chickens tend to have less fat than commercially raised chickens. Fat conducts heat, so leaner meat may take longer to cook through.
- Free-range chickens are often allowed to grow at a more natural pace, which can result in larger and older birds. Larger birds generally require longer cooking times.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with the roasted free-range chicken:
Roasted Free-Range Chicken
Equipment
- 1 baking tray
Ingredients
- 1.400 kg chicken free-range
- 1 piece apple
- 1 piece lemon
- 1 piece onion medium-size
- 2 sprigs thyme fresh
- ½ bunch parsley
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 2 teaspoon sea salt kosher
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper freshly ground
- 150 g butter unsalted
Instructions
- Cut and remove the unwanted parts of the chicken, i.e. the rump, the paws and the wing tips. Wipe the chicken with a paper towel, so the skin becomes as dry as possible.
- Cut the onion, apple and lemon into quarters so that they fit more easily and try to insert all the ingredients into the internal cavity of the chicken.
- Season the chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and massage it into the skin.
- Spread the butter on all sides of the chicken. Grease the baking tray with sunflower oil, and place the chicken on it, breast side up.
- Add, if remain, the rest of the ingredients in the pan and cover with aluminium foil.
- Place the tray in the preheated oven at 180 C Fan (356 F) and roast for an hour.
- Remove the foil and baste the chicken with the butter juice from the tray.
- Put it back for 10-20 minutes until the skin becomes crispy and acquires a beautiful golden-brown colour.
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