Best Way to Roast a Chicken & Transform It to Broth

Best Way to Roast a Chicken & Transform It to Broth

• Sunday, December 9, 2018

I love a recipe that is easy, has a short list of ingredients and requires little prep. I REALLY love a recipe that is all of these things in addition to being budget friendly!

The Lemon-Garlic Roast Chicken recipe by Kelly LeVeque of Be Well By Kelly checks all of these boxes and is super delicious! Plus roasting a whole chicken means that the fun doesn't end with dinner...after all of the meat has been picked over you can use the carcass to make amazing chicken broth. A roast chicken really is the gift that keeps on giving (to your tummy).

When I make this recipe for my just myself & my husband, I use a 3 lb chicken. It is tricky to know how much meat you will get from a whole chicken so err on the side of a larger bird. The juice that the chicken produces is also amazing so try drizzling over some roasted or mashed potatoes as a side!

All you need to do is combine some tasty seasonings (rosemary, thyme, garlic oregano, salt or substitute Italian seasoning) with some olive oil.

Slather the seasoning mixture all over your bird, stuff with a head of garlic and 2 lemon halves, and throw some extra lemons on the sides.

Lemon-Garlic Roast Chicken Recipe
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
3 lb whole chicken
2 lemons, halved
1 garlic head, top removed (cloves should be visible)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. Combine the herbs and sea salt in a small bowl, add the olive oil and stir
3. Remove the giblets from the chicken (if needed) and pat dry so that the skin can crisp up
4. Place the chicken into a shallow roasting pan, casserole or dutch oven (here is the one I use)
5. Rub the seasoning & olive oil mixture all over the top of the chicken, including the legs and wings
6. Stuff 2 of the lemon halves and the head of garlic into the cavity of the chicken
7. Place the other 2 lemon halves on the side of the chicken
8. Place the chicken into the oven uncovered and bake for 60-75 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F (I've used this instant read thermometer for last 3 years with no issues) 
9. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before carving & serving

Once you have had your fill of the roast chicken, take a few minutes to get the carcass into a slow cooker to make some easy homemade chicken broth!

Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe

Makes approx. 7 cups

1. Pull off any remaining meat (to eat!), discard lemon halves & head of garlic
2. Place the chicken carcass into a slow cooker (I own this one)
3. Fill slow cooker with water, leaving a few inches to the top
4. Cover and cook on low for at least 10 hours (I do this overnight after eating the roast chicken for dinner)
5. Turn off slow cooker and let it cool for awhile to prevent being burned by any splashing liquid
6. Remove the carcass from the slow cooker
7. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bigger pieces that fell off the carcass
8. Place a strainer over a large bowl and carefully pour in the liquid from the slow cooker 
9. Store the liquid however you would like - I usually keep a few cups in a Tupperware in the fridge to be used in the next couple of days and place the rest in 2 cup increments in individual zip lock baggies to be frozen. I label these by name and date with a Sharpie so I use them timely (and don't forget what they are!)