Moist and delicious Lemon Basil Roasted Chicken has garlic and basil under the skin and its stuffed with lemons. It comes out of the oven juicy and golden brown. This recipe comes from Chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco. It is gluten-free, has 2 carbs per serving, and is really the only roasted chicken recipe you'll ever need!
I Finally Got a Good Roasted Chicken Recipe!
For whatever reason, I just couldn't get roasted chicken right until I got this recipe! Twelve years went by without a roasted chicken in our home, and then I received this recipe in the mail from Chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco as a contribution to the cookbook I was writing. I prepared it and I was thrilled with the outcome! I've made this recipe 100 times since then!
Mise-En-Plas
The French term, mise en plas, loosely means lining up all of your ingredients and equipment before you begin to cook. It's a good practice so you've got everything ready to go when you need it.
How to Prepare the Chicken
For this recipe, you are stuffing basil and garlic under the skin of the breast. There is a thin membrane attaching the skin to the meat. Lift the skin at the top of the breast and gently run your fingers between the breast meat and the skin to make a pocket. You can then slide the basil and garlic into the pocket and evenly distribute them. Next, rub the chicken down with Dijon mustard and scatter the dry herbs over the whole chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken, inside and out, and place a lemon inside the cavity.
After roasting, let it rest 10 minutes to allow the juices to accumulate and cut into serving pieces.
If you are on the Kaufmann Diet:
Many people are sensitive to wine vinegar which is an ingredient in dijon mustard. All vinegar is excluded from the Kaufmann diet except for apple cider vinegar. I buy Whole Foods 365 Organic Dijon Mustard is made with apple cider vinegar, making it a superior option.
What is Trussing a Chicken?
To truss a chicken, you tie a string around the bird, starting under the neck and wrapping it around the legs, bringing it back to the front, and tying the legs together. It might sound daunting, but it's effortless.
In this video, Jacques Pepin shows you how to truss a chicken. When you secure the meat with a long piece of twine, the whole chicken remains juicy throughout roasting. If you have a minute, take a look at the video.
Use the Right Pan
Shown below is a 16" roasting pan with a rack insert that you can pick up at any home store. The rack lifts up the chicken so it's not sitting in the drippings and the skin crisps on all sides.
How To Store Leftovers
Store your Lemon Basil Roasted Chicken leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. You can use the meat to make chicken salad, top a salad, or you can eat it cold right out of the fridge.
Need a Great Side Dish?
Try making some Cauliflower Rice while the chicken is roasting. You can season the finished dish with fresh basil and lemon wedges. Other great options include the following:
- My Favorite Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic
- Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
- Roasted Asparagus
- Buckwheat with Onions (loaded with fiber!)
About Chef Traci Des Jardins
James Beard Foundation winning chef, Traci Des Jardins, is the owner of several award-winning restaurants in San Francisco. Check out her website, tracidesjardins.com, for more information.
Best Ever Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 large whole free-range chicken
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil stems removed
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with oven rack set in the center of the oven.
- Loosen the skin of the chicken by running your fingers under the skin of the breasts.
- Stuff the basil leaves and garlic under the skin, trying to distribute evenly.
- Combine all of the dried herbs. Rub Dijon mustard over the entire bird, and then scatter the herbs over the entire skin of the chicken.
- Season the inside of the cavity and the skin generously with salt and pepper. Finish by poking holes in the lemon with a fork and placing it in the cavity. Truss chicken or tie its legs together with twine.
- Place the chicken, breast side up ,in a roasting pan and cook one hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- When the chicken is done, all of the juices coming from the cavity should be clear. Remove the lemon from the cavity, cut it in half, and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and it comes from online calculators. Although we try to attempt to provide accurate information, these figures are estimates only.
Moist and delicious Lemon Basil Roasted Chicken has garlic and basil under the skin and its stuffed with lemons. It comes out of the oven juicy and golden brown.