This is great practice in roasting for me – Fall is just around the corner! I love  Fall because of all the warm, comforting recipes I can make again. The chicken smelled amazing about 10 minutes in and only took about 70 minutes to cook to the 160 degree mark. Once the bird is out of the oven, it continues to cook (“carry-over cooking); so you want to take it out early or it will be toast!

Verdict: Moist, tender, delicious! Trussing the chicken does make a difference and using the probe thermometer makes this a worry free method of cooking the whole chicken. I’m not one to eat the skin, but it was nice and crispy and perfectly browned. Don’t throw the carcass away – there is a lot of great flavor and meat remaining which is perfect for making homemade chicken stock. I’m going to collect a few more for the freezer before making some. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap a half sheet pan in heavy duty foil.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of cilantro, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Insert a probe thermometer in the thickest part of the breast (*it’s the easiest, fool proof way of knowing when the chicken is finished cooking*)

Roast the chicken until a thermometer reads 160 degrees, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.