This Rosemary Citrus Roast Chicken is perfect for the holidays or just a simple weeknight dinner. Its moist, tender and comes together in one dish.
This Rosemary Citrus Roast Chicken is bursting with bright flavor and holiday-worthy aroma. The chicken is stuffed with citrus to keep it tender and juicy, then coated in a rich herb butter before roasting alongside carrots, potatoes, and shallots. As it cooks, the vegetables soak up all those delicious drippings, becoming caramelized and full of flavor. A final brush of rosemary-infused oil over the crispy golden skin takes it to the next level — fragrant, glossy, and irresistibly good.
A roast chicken like this is the perfect alternative to turkey for Thanksgiving if you’re cooking for a smaller crowd. It’s just as festive, takes half the time, and honestly, tastes even better. The combination of rosemary, citrus, and buttery roasted vegetables makes it feel special enough for any holiday table — Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a cozy Sunday dinner. Simple, elegant, and completely delicious.
If you like this chicken recipe, you’ll love my Chicken Provençal and my Crispy Chicken and Couscous Halloumi Salad.
Rosemary Citrus Roast Chicken
Equipment
- Kitchen twine
Ingredients
- 1 whole (5- to 6-pound) roasting chicken
- 2 cups chopped (or small) potatoes
- 2 carrots
- 1 shallot
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- A few sprigs of thyme
- 3 tbsp Wesson canola oil
- 4 sprigs of rosemary, 2 for oil, 1 for the butter, 1 for potatoes
- Sea salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry.
- Wash potatoes and carrots. Chop into bite sized pieces and add to a large roasting pan with quartered shallots and a few sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary. Place chicken overtop.
- Remove the leaves from a sprig of thyme and rosemary and chop. Add to the soften butter with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Using a spatula, scoop herb butter between the skin and the meat of the bird. Try and get as much under the skin in an even layer as you can. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- Quarter the orange and lemon and fill the cavity of the bird.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Roast the chicken for 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
- While the chicken is cooking, add canola oil to a skillet and heat. When the oil is hot, add 2 sprigs of rosemary and let the rosemary sizzle in that oil for a few minutes. It will infuse the oil after about 3-5 minutes. When chicken is done, brush the oil over the crispy skin.
- Carve the chicken and serve over the roasted potatoes and carrots. Enjoy!
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