The Best Roasted Chicken with Herbes de Provence
This Roasted Chicken with Herbes de Provence takes minimal prep and the end result is superb! Like most dishes from the Provence region of France, it is made with simple ingredients that come together to make a delicious dinner.
Jump to Recipe
This chicken roasts in the oven to become juicy and flavorful on the inside, with a golden brown skin on the outside. It works well as an every day meal, as well as for a special occasion dinner.
Let’s get started.
Choosing The Chicken
This recipe is made with a whole roast chicken. I prefer to use organic, free range chicken.
Be sure to remember the weight of the chicken, or weigh it on a kitchen scale before starting. The weight will dictate the required cooking time.
Cook the whole chicken for 15 minutes for every pound of chicken. I typically use a roasting chicken that weighs about 4 pounds. This size will feed 4 adults. So, the cooking time is around one hour.
Using Chicken Pieces Instead Of A Whole Chicken
This recipe could also be made using chicken thighs or chicken breasts. If choosing this option, I recommend using bone-in with skin for maximum flavor.
One of the best things about this roasted chicken recipe is that the chicken skin becomes golden brown in color, and is crispy and flavorful. That would be lost with boneless skinless chicken pieces.
Chicken pieces will cook more quickly than a whole bird, so adjust the cooking time as to not dry out the bird.
Choosing The Roasting Pan
Any oven safe dish that is large enough to hold a chicken will work, and the type is a matter of preference.
For crispy skin all around, use a roasting pan with a wire rack on the bottom of the pan. This keeps the chicken from sitting in its own juice while baking, and results in a crispy golden skin all around, even on the bottom. The pan juices will still be available to use if desired, but they won’t be in direct contact with the chicken while roasting.
I like to use my trusty Dutch oven, with a round wire rack dropped in on the bottom. This keeps the chicken from splattering all over the oven while cooking, creates a nice crispy skin, and holds all of the chicken drippings for later. Its a win, win.
If you don’t mind having the chicken being extra tender at the bottom, then placing it directly into an oven proof skillet, dutch oven, or other other baking dish without a wire rack, would also work just fine.
Whichever dish you choose, leave the chicken uncovered!
Preparing The Chicken For Roasting
When using a whole chicken, rinse it first. Most store bought chickens are packaged in its own juice, that can be a little sticky.
After rinsing the chicken, pat it dry with paper towels. This step is very important. Removing excess water and moisture will allow the olive oil mixture to stick to the bird more readily. If the skin is too wet, it will slide right off.
It also allows the chicken skin to achieve that beautiful golden brown color. Caramelization can only happen in absence of water. So, you have to make sure you are creating the proper environment for that to happen.
Use the back of a large spoon to gently separate the skin from the flesh of the chicken. Start at the chicken breasts, and work your way down, as far as you can go. This will create nice pocket to insert our herbes de Provence rub.
Once the skin is separated, gently push about half of the herb and olive oil mixture into the pockets with your fingertips.
Rub the remaining olive oil and herbes de Provence mixture all over the outside of the chicken.
I like to use kitchen twin to tie the chicken legs and wings close to body. This prevents too much of the juice from escaping. But, it is not necessary if you do not have the time or where with all. We have all been there!
The Herbes de Provence mixture
Herbes de Provence is a mixture of herbs that has its origin in the south of France. This herb mixture can be found in most grocery stores, although I prefer to make my own. I cover the exact herbs used to make herbes de Provence in this post, and also show you how to make your own!
This mixture of herbs is most commonly used in slow cooked dishes. It also has a distinct flavor that instantly reads “French countryside.” The good thing about it, is that it is very versatile, and can be used on so many types of dishes.
In this recipe, the herbes de Provence are mixed with salt, black pepper, lemon zest and olive oil to make a rub that is easily spread onto the chicken for roasting.
Placing the herb mixture between the flesh of the chicken and the skin ensures maximum flavor penetration. It also contributes to the development of a nice crispy skin.
The same is true for placing a lemon and garlic cloves in the cavity of the bird. As the chicken roasts, those flavors come out and permeate it with flavor from the inside. Is your mouth watering yet?
Roasting the chicken
Once the chicken is prepared with herbes de Provence mixture, place it in the roasting pan or other oven safe dish, and then into a preheated oven. Bake the chicken at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes for every pound that it weights (eg. a 4 lb. chicken would bake for 60 minutes, or 1 hour).
When it is done baking, use an instant-read thermometer, or other meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the bird has reached between 165 – 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roasted Chicken with Herbes de Provence
Equipment
- 1 oven safe dish
Ingredients
- 2 tsp herbes de Provence plus extra for dipping lemons
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon zested and halved
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Rinse the chicken with water. Pat dry thoroughly using paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, herbes de Provence, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Mix until combined.
- Using a spoon, separate the skin of the roasting chicken from the flesh.
- Use your fingers to rub half of the herb mixture between the skin and the flesh.
- Rub the remaining herb mixture all over the outside of the chicken.
- Dip the two halves of the lemon in herbes de Provence.
- Insert the lemon halves and garlic cloves into the cavity of the chicken.
- Truss the chicken (tie the legs) if you are choosing to do this step.
- Place the chicken in an oven safe dish.
- Bake for the appropriate amount of time based on weight (15 minutes per pound).
- Periodically baste the chicken with its own juices to keep it from drying out.
- Once the cooking time is up, check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. Ensure that the internal temperature is between 165 F and 175 F.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Side Dishes That Pair Well With This Recipe
Roasted Chicken with Herbes de Provence pairs well with many things. Here area couple of ideas based on the time of year:
For warmer months, this herbes de Provence chicken would pair perfectly with a fresh green salad and a baguette on the side. You could serve this with a glass of medium bodied rosé.
For Fall or Winter, roasted potatoes, or other roasted vegetables and a small bowl of soup would be lovely side dishes. A good wine pairing for this combination would be a light bodied red wine, like a Beaujolais.
Storing Roasted Chicken with Herbes de Provence
If there are left overs, or you want to make this chicken ahead of time, it will store nicely in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Simply place it in an airtight container, and into the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat it, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
I hope that you enjoy! Please let me know in the comments below if you have made it!
Bon Appetit!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I make a small commission on purchases made through this post at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!
