Family Chefmate: Italian Herb and Lemon Chicken

Italian herb and lemon chicken is the perfect roast chicken. The Italian herbs give the chicken meat a rich flavor with a slight lemon twist. The pan drippings are rich with flavor too so don't forget to sauce your chicken right before you serve. A whole roast chicken does take some time to cook but you can prepare it in just minutes and stick it into the oven when you are ready.

Italian Herb and Lemon Chicken:
Pre-Heat Oven: 400 degrees
Serving Size: 6 Servings

One whole chicken about 3 pounds (like Red Bird), rinsed and cleaned out
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning (like McCormick's)
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 lemon, cut in half
2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, washed and rough chopped
3 sprigs fresh sage leaves, washed and rough chopped
1/2 sweet onion, pealed and rough chopped
1 1/2 cups water

1. In a large roasting pan with a wire rack, place the whole chicken on top of the wire rack. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the salt, pepper, dried Italian spices and fresh herbs. Cut the lemon in half and place it in the chicken cavity. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and your onion to the bottom of the pan.

2. Bake the chicken for 1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees or until the meat reaches 165 degrees. If the juice is drying out at the bottom of your roasting pan just add another cup of hot water. This will allow you to have enough pan drippings. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before you serve. Ladle 1 tablespoon of pan drippings on top of the chicken meat.

Italian Herbs, Onion And Lemon