Apple Honey Roasted Chicken
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 3- to 5- pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, to your taste
- 3-4 rosemary sprigs
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 bundle sage leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 apples, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- kitchen thermometer
Instructions
- Thirty minutes to 1 hour before roasting, remove the chicken from the fridge and begin to bring it to room temperature. Placing a cold chicken into a hot oven will increase the cooking time as well as affect the quality of the end product.
- Meanwhile, set the oven to 425 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Remove the insides of the chicken, pat the chicken dry. Place in a cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven or small roasting pan.
- Pour about 1/2 the salt and pepper combination inside the chicken cavity. Then place a handful of herbs in the cavity, add the cinnamon stick followed by a few apple, garlic and onion pieces. Don’t worry if all the aromatics do not fit inside the chicken, they are not intended to. Truss (tie up) the chicken legs.
- Scatter the remaining apples, onions, garlic, cinnamon stick, and herbs around the chicken.
- Rub the butter over the chicken and massage it into the skin. Evenly sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper mixture over the chicken (There may be some left over and that is OK. each chicken is sized differently and may not require as much salt and pepper.) Then evenly drizzle the honey over the chicken.
- Cook the chicken for 50-65 minutes. After 50 minutes, place the kitchen thermometer between the chicken leg and breast. If the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees, the chicken is done. If not, place the chicken back in the oven and cook for an additional 5 to 15 minutes depending on its temperature. If the bird begins to darken quickly, loosely cover with foil to prevent burning.
- When the chicken is done remove from the oven, cover the chicken tightly with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Break the chicken down and then serve with the pan juices. If you plan on using for later, break the chicken down, place in a glass container and cover with the pan juices. The chicken will keep for about 5 days.
