A Beautiful Herbed Roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Lemon

Take your basic roast chicken to spectacular heights with a simple yet powerfully flavored tarragon and lemon butter. A whole chicken is coated in an herbaceous blend of fresh tarragon, garlic, lemon zest and butter before roasting to crispy perfection. As it cooks, the butter gently permeates the meat with bright citrus and licorice-y tarragon essence. Caramelized pan juices become an incredible sauce for serving. Let's dive into this beautiful herby roast!

Start with a Good Quality Whole Chicken

Look for an organic or free-range chicken around 4 pounds to serve 4 generously. Pay a little more for a premium bird here, as quality ingredients make a difference in the end result.

Fresh, Not Frozen

A fresh, never frozen chicken will roast up more evenly as well as better absorb the herbs.

Create Flavorful Herb Butter

Blend softened butter with chopped fresh tarragon, minced garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix in more butter if needed to make spreadable. This is the flavor foundation.

Tarragon Stars Here

Tarragon's sweet, licorice-like flavor pairs beautifully with lemon. Use fresh for the best flavor.

Loosen the Skin and Spread Butter

Gently loosen the breast skin on the chicken without detaching it. Push chunks of the flavored butter directly under skin and on flesh. Massage skin to evenly distribute.

Get up Under There

This technique maximizes herby flavor saturation as the butter melts during cooking.

Roast Uncovered for Golden Crispy Skin

Place herb-buttered chicken directly on a roasting rack in a pan. Roast at 400°F for around 90 minutes uncovered. The high heat crisps the seasoned skin beautifully.

Let Those Juices Flow

No need to tie the legs or cover. The free pan flow results in incredible fond and sauce.

Rest, Carve and Build Pan Sauce

Once cooked through, let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, use fond in pan to build an easy sauce with chicken stock, lemon juice, and tarragon.

Sauce from Scratch

That flavorful fond scraped from the pan makes the tastiest quick sauce ever.

Serve with Simple Sides

Let the herby roast chicken shine by accompanying it with simple sides like roasted potatoes, a green vegetable, salad, or crusty bread.

Top 5 Questions

How long does roasting take?

Figure 15-20 minutes per pound, so about 90 minutes for a 4 pound chicken.

Is tarragon essential or can I sub?

Tarragon is best, but a combo of parsley, thyme and oregano works too.

Should I brine the chicken first?

Brining is an optional extra step that helps keep meat moist.

Can I stuff the cavity with herbs too?

Absolutely! Stuff whole sprigs of tarragon inside before roasting.

How long will leftovers last?

Store carved chicken in an airtight container up to 4 days.

In Summary

With just a few quality ingredients like fresh tarragon, garlic, lemon and butter, you can transform a basic roast chicken into an amazing herby masterpiece. The flavors permeate while the skin crisps to perfection. Learn this technique and you'll make roast chicken this way forever.