Perfect Juicy Roast Chicken Recipe | Brined & Herb Butter Roasted

This is a showstopping roast chicken recipe! It’s juicy, flavorful, and foolproof? This brined and herb-butter-roasted chicken is a game-changer! By brining the chicken overnight in a fragrant mix of lemons, garlic, and fresh herbs, you’ll lock in moisture and infuse every bite with flavor. Then, a rich herb butter rub (with lemon zest, black pepper, and aromatic spices) creates crispy, golden skin that’s impossible to resist.

Whether you’re cooking for a holiday, Sunday dinner, or meal prep, this recipe guarantees tender meat and restaurant-quality results. Plus, I’ll share my secret for using pickled lemons to add a tangy, gourmet twist. Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

1 Whole chicken, medium size
3g black peppercorn
2 spring onions
4 unwaxed lemons, cut into quarters
3 fresh bay leaves
1 sprig of rosemary
60g sea salt
2 litres of water
Handful of coriander
Knob ginger
7-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic
10g of caster sugar
Pickled lemons

Butter Rub:

½ of dried dill
300g unsalted, softened
1 tsp of cracked black pepper,
½ tsp of onion powder,
½ tsp of white pepper powder,
½ celery salt heap,

Method:

Chicken prep: Start by prepping the whole chicken. Remove any feathers and visible hair on the bird. Place the chicken in a size-appropriate container, generously sprinkle with salt, and squeeze ½ lemons over the bird. Rub the salt into the chicken all over to remove the yellow pigment and other debris. Cover the chicken with cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

In a pot, pour one litre of water. Add the salt and sugar. Bring to a boil over low/medium heat until dissolved.

In the meantime, cut the lemons into halves, and then cut once again. Crush the garlic and ginger. Once the salt and sugar have dissolved, add the lemon, peppercorns, spring onions, bay leaves, rosemary, coriander & thyme into the pot and simmer for five minutes on low heat. Remove and pour into a large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining water and allow the mixture to cool completely. Once the brine has completely cooled, add the chicken to the brine. Ensure that the chicken is fully submerged. (Place a saucer on top of the chicken to weigh it down.) Cover and leave to brine overnight in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Remove the chicken from the overnight brine and set aside. Place the chicken on a plate with kitchen tissue underneath and pat the chicken dry.

While the chicken is drying, prep the butter rub; in a small mixing bowl, add the softened butter, black & white pepper powder, celery salt, onion powder, dill and the zest & juice of one-half lemon. Mix until fully incorporated.

Separate the chicken skin from the meat to allow the butter to be placed under the skin. Once placed under the skin, smooth out the butter evenly; be gentle to avoid breaking the skin. Place the remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. In a roasting tray, place some of the lemons from the brine on the tray and lay the chicken on top. Rub the remaining butter on to the chicken.

Stuff the chicken cavity with a few pickled lemons and spring onions. Rub the remaining butter onto the chicken and place it in the oven on the middle rack to roast. Halfway through the roasting, baste the chicken and cover the wings with foil to avoid burning and continue cooking until golden brown

When the chicken is done roasting, baste it one more time and leave it to rest for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, pour the remaining butter/gravy from the baking tray over the chicken.

Enjoy!.