Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

Roasted chicken over vegetables in roasting pan.

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5 from 2 votes

Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

Perfectly roasted chicken on a bed of root vegetables, easy comfort food for dinner.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Kelly Wildenhaus

Ingredients

1 5-pound chicken
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 lemon, cut in half
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
1 large bunch of fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
3 sweet potatoes, purple, white and orange, peeled, cut into chunks (or any mix of sweet potatoes you like or can find)
1 Yukon gold potato, peeled, cut into chunks
1 large red onion, peeled, cut into wedges
2 fennel bulbs, tops and tough outer layer removed, cut into wedges
Olive oil
Optional: chicken stock, preferably homemade, about 1 to 2 cups

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425º. Remove bag of giblets and rinse chicken, inside and out, removing any excess fat. Drain well and pat dry. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper, and tuck wings underneath the body. Stuff the chicken with the lemon halves, garlic and a good bunch of fresh thyme sprigs. Next, brush the melted butter all over the chicken, generously salt and pepper, and then tie the legs together with kitchen string.
Place all of the vegetables evenly in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and with cleans hands, toss to coat vegetables. Toss in a few more thyme sprigs.
Place chicken over top of vegetables, and roast for 1½ hours, or until juices run clear at the thigh. I added some stock to the pan after about 45 minutes, and then again in another half hour, about a cup or so. I wanted pan juices and it seemed like I wouldn't have enough.
Remove chicken to cutting board, tent with foil and let rest. Remove vegetables to a bowl, leaving drippings behind. Pour drippings into a fat separator, or bowl, and remove fat. Put pan juices in a small bowl or gravy boat and keep warm.
Carve up chicken onto a platter, serve with root vegetables and pan juices. Enjoy.

Notes

You can use these root vegetables, or swap out any to your liking, such as parsnips, yellow onion, regular potatoes instead of sweet, etc. The colors of these vegetables are stunning, and taste as good as they look.

Nutrition