Juicy, moist herb-butter roasted whole chicken with golden, crackly skin. Chicken is first dry brined, then roasted alongside carrots and potatoes - this is a cozy one-pan meal that feels like a special occasion!
Place a cooking rack in a sheet pan. Put whole chicken on top of the rack. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken. Generously salt chicken making sure to salt all sides, and also underneath the skin. Let sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Take out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
In a small mixing bowl, add softened butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Preheat oven to 425℉.
While the oven is heating, prepare the carrots and potatoes. Place in the baking dish and toss with cooking oil and salt.
Stuff the garlic herb butter underneath the skin doing your best to spread the butter around. Stuff 2 lemon halves and 2 garlic head halves into the chicken cavity. If you have any extra sprigs of thyme and rosemary, you can also place some in the cavity.
Place prepared whole chicken over the vegetables. Brush the top of the skin with oil. Pour chicken stock over the carrots and potatoes - do not pour it over the chicken as we want to keep the skin dry. Place 2 lemon halves in with the vegetables, face side up. Add sprigs of thyme and rosemary onto vegetables if there is extra.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350℉. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165℉. (See notes for roasting time based on the size of chicken). Check at the 1 hour 15 minute mark so it doesn't overcook.
Once fully cooked, remove from oven and let chicken rest for 15 minutes. Carve the chicken.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
For the dry brine - use 1 tsp of salt per 1 lb of chicken.For roasting time - After roasting it at 450ºF for 15 minutes, drop the temperature down to 350ºF and roast it for ~20 minutes per pound of chicken.