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Sunday Supper Roasted Chicken
A Sunday supper centerpiece: whole chicken roasted over onions and carrots, with lemon and thyme in the cavity and Harvest Select compound butter tucked beneath the skin. White wine and the pan juices make a simple finishing sauce.
There is something about a whole roasted chicken that makes an ordinary meal feel like an occasion. This version brings together everything we love about a Sunday supper: a beautifully browned bird, vegetables that catch the drippings, and a warm pan sauce to pass around the table. Harvest Select is worked into softened butter and spread beneath the skin, where it seasons the meat as the chicken roasts. The remaining butter coats the outside. Lemon and fresh thyme add brightness and aroma from the cavity, while onion, carrot, garlic, and white wine build flavor in the pan. The method is straightforward, but the details matter. Dry the skin, spread the butter evenly, watch the color as the chicken roasts, and let a thermometer—not the clock—tell you when it is done.
Featured Smoked Product
Harvest Select
Culinary Poultry Seasoning
A refined poultry seasoning that brings together aromatic herbs, savory garlic, pepper, and subtle earthy depth for a beautifully balanced flavor.
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Cooking Specifications
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken5–6 lb, fully thawed
- 1 stick unsalted butter½ cup, softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons Harvest Select
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme
- 1 whole lemonhalved
- 1 head garlichalved crosswise
- 1 whole yellow onionthickly sliced
- 1 whole carrotcut into medium pieces
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
Equipment
- Roasting pan
- Small mixing bowl
- Paper towels
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Cutting board
- Small saucepan
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the oven and roasting pan
Heat the oven to 350°F. Scatter the onion and carrot across the bottom of a roasting pan. Nestle the garlic halves among the vegetables, cut sides up. The vegetables form a bed for the chicken and catch its seasoned drippings.
- 2
Dry the chicken
Pat the fully thawed chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels, including around the legs and wings. Dry skin browns more readily. Set the chicken breast side up while you prepare the butter.
- 3
Make the Harvest Select compound butter
Mix the softened butter and Harvest Select in a small bowl until the seasoning is evenly distributed. The butter should be soft enough to spread without tearing the skin, but it should not be melted.
- 4
Season beneath the skin
Starting near the cavity opening, gently loosen the skin over the breasts with your fingers. Loosen the skin over the thighs where you can reach without tearing it. Spread a generous portion of the Harvest Select compound butter directly onto the meat beneath the skin, working it into an even layer.
- 5
Season the outside
Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the chicken, including the legs, thighs, and wings. Even coverage matters more than a perfectly smooth appearance; the butter will melt and settle as the chicken roasts.
- 6
Add the aromatics and wine
Place the lemon halves and thyme loosely in the cavity without packing them tightly. Set the chicken breast side up on the onion and carrot. Pour the white wine into the pan around the chicken, keeping it off the seasoned skin.
- 7
Roast and watch the color
Roast for approximately 2–2¼ hours, beginning to check before the estimated finish time. Look for deeply golden skin and juices collecting in the pan. If the skin browns too quickly, tent the chicken loosely with foil. If the drippings begin to scorch, add a small splash of water to the pan.
- 8
Check for doneness
Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh and wing, avoiding bone. Each location should reach 165°F. Do not judge doneness by skin color or elapsed time alone.
- 9
Rest the chicken
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and rest for 20 minutes before carving. Use this time to finish the pan sauce.
- 10
Make the pan sauce and serve
Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and skim off excess fat. Squeeze a little of the soft roasted garlic into the juices and simmer briefly, stirring to bring the flavors together. Taste before adding any more seasoning; the Harvest Select compound butter has already seasoned the drippings. Carve the chicken and serve it with the warm sauce, roasted onion, and carrot.
Key Tips
- Begin with a fully thawed chicken so the roast cooks evenly.
- Drying the skin before applying the butter helps it brown.
- Softened butter is easier to spread beneath the skin than cold or melted butter.
- Loosen the skin gently; small movements are enough to make room for the butter.
- Keep the lemon and thyme loose in the cavity rather than packing them tightly.
- Pour the wine into the pan, not over the chicken, to preserve the seasoned coating.
- Tent the skin if it browns before the chicken reaches its target temperature.
- Watch the pan as well as the bird. Add a splash of water if the drippings threaten to burn.
- Check the breast, thigh, and wing with a thermometer; a whole chicken does not cook uniformly.
- Rest for 20 minutes before carving.
- Taste the pan sauce before adding anything to it because the drippings already contain Harvest Select.