Ingredients:

  • 1 (4-5 pound / 1.8-2.3 kg) whole chicken, giblets removed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 medium lemon, halved (one half pricked for cavity, other half for sauce)
  • 2 pounds (about 4 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes, halved or quartered if large
  • 1 pound (about 4-5 medium) carrots, peeled and roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth, low sodium

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chicken: Remove giblets from the whole chicken and pat it thoroughly dry. In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Rub the softened butter all over the chicken, then sprinkle generously with the herb and spice mixture. Prick one half of the lemon several times with a fork and place it inside the chicken cavity. Prepare vegetables: Halve or quarter the potatoes, chop carrots into 1-inch pieces, roughly chop the yellow onion, and smash the garlic cloves.
  2. Sear the chicken: Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of cubed butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Carefully place the chicken, breast-side down, into the hot Dutch oven and sear for 5-7 minutes until deeply golden brown. Flip the chicken and sear all remaining sides until similarly golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. This step develops deep flavor and color.
  3. Build the roast: Once the chicken is seared, arrange the chopped potatoes, carrots, onion, smashed garlic, fresh rosemary sprigs, and fresh thyme sprigs around the chicken in the Dutch oven. Pour the low-sodium chicken broth over the vegetables.
  4. Pot roast: Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid. Transfer it to a preheated oven and roast for 1 hour 55 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh, and the vegetables are tender.
  5. Finish and serve: Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil; let rest for 10-15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pot. To prepare the pan sauce, remove most of the herb sprigs and any large pieces of cooked lemon from the pot. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cubed butter until melted. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon half into the sauce, stirring to combine and scrape up any 'fond' (browned bits) from the bottom of the pot. Carve the chicken and serve it with the roasted vegetables, drizzled generously with the pan sauce.