Slow Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Herbs and Garlic

This slow roasted whole chicken is simple to prep and loaded with flavor. Rubbed with herb and garlic butter and cooked at a low temperature with fresh lemons. It comes out wonderfully juicy and tender with golden brown, crispy skin. Perfect for a family Sunday roast or special occasion.

This recipe was first published in January 2016 and has been updated with new photos, tips and tricks.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my privacy policy here.

One of the best things about growing up was a family Sunday roast. I totally didn't appreciate it at the time, but now that I'm all grown up it's a tradition that I really enjoy. It's such a great time to catch up with everyone and look forward to the week ahead.

I've perfected this recipe over many years, and it's hands down my favorite way to make roast chicken. Slow roasting at a lower temperature takes longer, but the result is wonderfully tender and juicy meat. It's simple enough for a Sunday roast and special enough for occasions like Easter, Christmas and family birthdays.

No roast dinner is complete without the sides, so be sure to serve this up with my Roast Potatoes, Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and lashings of Red Onion Gravy. Go forth and feast, it's what Sunday's are for!

For a quicker method, be sure to check out my Buttermilk Roasted Chicken.

Ingredients You Will Need

The beauty of a roast chicken is its simplicity. You don't need a load of fancy ingredients to make a wonderful meal.

• Whole Chicken: This recipe is based on a chicken weighing around 3.5 to 4 pounds (1.7 to 2kg). If possible, choose an air-chilled chicken for the best flavor and crispiest skin.
• Lemons: You'll need 4 fresh lemons for the zest and juice. Fresh lemon juice gives this roast chicken a much brighter flavor than bottled.
• Garlic: This recipe requires a whole bulb of garlic, and the bigger the better!
• Fresh thyme and sage: These earthy herbs pair wonderfully with the lemon, garlic and chicken.
• Salted butter: Used to make the herb and garlic butter that goes under the skin and over the chicken, helping to keep the meat juicy and the skin golden and crispy. You can use unsalted butter and add an extra pinch of salt if that's what you have.
• Salt and pepper: I recommend kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning the chicken.

How To Cook Slow Roasted Chicken 

This slow roasted chicken takes about 30 minutes to prep, then the cooking time is mostly hands-off. I use a meat injector to add even more flavor and moisture to the chicken, but this step is completely optional — it will still be delicious without one.

• Mix the butter, lemon zest, garlic, thyme and sage together in a bowl (photo 1).
• Season the chicken cavity with salt and pepper, then add the lemon, herbs and garlic (photo 2).
• Gently lift the skin away from the chicken breasts using a spoon (photo 3).
• Spoon the herb butter under the skin, then use your hands to gently spread it evenly over the breasts (photo 4).

• Melt the butter with the lemon juice, garlic and herbs in a small pan (photo 5).
• If using a meat injector, inject the butter mixture into several areas of the chicken (photo 6). If you don't have an injector, simply skip this step.

• Place the chicken breast side down in a roasting pan. Add the remaining herbs, lemon slices and garlic cloves around the chicken, then loosely cover with foil (photo 7).
• Slow roast at 300°F / 150°C for 2 hours, then remove the foil (photo 8).
• Carefully turn the chicken breast side up (photo 9). Pour the melted butter mixture over the chicken and return it to the oven, uncovered, for another hour (photo 10).
• For extra crispy, golden skin, place the chicken under the broiler (grill) for a few minutes, watching it closely so that it doesn't burn.
• Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving and serving.

What's the best chicken to buy?

Any good-quality whole chicken will work well for this recipe. If you have the option, I like to use an air-chilled chicken, as the skin tends to crisp up more easily when roasted.

Do you need to truss the chicken?

Trussing helps to keep the chicken compact so that it cooks more evenly, but it doesn't need to be elaborate. Simply tie the legs together with kitchen twine before roasting. Some store-bought chickens are already trussed, so you may not need to do anything.

What size roasting pan should you use?

Use a roasting pan that comfortably fits the whole chicken without being excessively large. A cast iron skillet also works well. Choose one with high enough sides to safely contain the chicken and pan juices.

How long does it take to slow roast a chicken?

A 3.5 to 4 pound (1.7 to 2kg) whole chicken will take around 3 hours at 300°F / 150°C using this slow roasting method. The chicken cooks covered for the first 2 hours, then uncovered for the final hour to brown and crisp the skin.

Cooking times can vary depending on the size of your chicken and your oven, so always use the internal temperature rather than time alone to determine when it's done.

How do you know when the chicken is cooked?

The most reliable way to check that your slow roasted chicken is cooked is with an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, without touching the bone. The chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F / 74°C.

Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the chicken and your oven, so use the temperature rather than the 3-hour cooking time alone as your guide.

How to carve a roasted whole chicken

Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving so that the juices can redistribute through the meat. Using a sharp carving knife, remove the legs and thighs first, followed by the breasts and wings. Slice the breast meat and serve with the pan juices spooned over the top.

Cooking the chicken breast side down

I slow roast the chicken breast side down for the first 2 hours to help keep the breast meat tender and juicy. For the final hour, carefully flip the chicken breast side up so that the skin can brown and crisp.

Do you roast a chicken covered or uncovered?

For this recipe, it's both. Cover the chicken loosely with foil for the first 2 hours of slow roasting, then remove the foil when you turn it breast side up. Roast it uncovered for the final hour so that the skin can become golden brown and crispy.

How do you keep chicken from drying out in the oven?

Overcooked chicken can quickly become dry, especially the breast meat. To keep your slow roasted chicken tender and juicy:

• Slow roast at a low temperature rather than cooking the chicken in a very hot oven.
• Rub herb butter under the breast skin to add flavor and moisture.
• Roast the chicken breast side down for the first 2 hours.
• Use a meat thermometer so that you don't overcook the chicken.
• Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

You can also freeze the cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Remove the meat from the bones and store it in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Pat the chicken with kitchen paper to remove an excess moisture. This helps you to get a nice crispy skin.
• If you don't have a meat injector, you can skip this step, just rub the butter under the skin. It's totally worth trying if you have one though!
• Use a meat thermometer for the best chicken! It should register at 160-165F.
• Rest the chicken for at least 15 minutes before carving it. This will mean that the juices redistribute to help keep it nice and juicy.
• Save those pan juices! Spoon a little over the carved chicken before serving for extra flavor.

Slow Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Herbs

This slow roasted whole chicken is rubbed with herb and garlic butter and cooked at a low temperature with fresh lemons. The result is wonderfully tender and juicy chicken with golden brown, crispy skin.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, british

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Calories: 590kcal

Author: Slow The Cook Down

Equipment

• Roasting pan
• Meat injector
• Instant read thermometer

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken about 2.6 pounds (1.2kg)
• Juice and zest of 2 lemons
• 2 whole lemons
• 1 garlic bulb
• 1 large bunch of fresh thyme
• 1 bunch of sage
• 5.5 ounces salted butter (150g)
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

• Let the chicken get up to room temp before you start and gently pat off any excess moisture with kitchen paper.  Pre heat the oven to 300F / 150ºc.
  1 whole chicken
• In a bowl, mix 3½ tablespoons of softened butter with the zest of two lemons, 1 garlic clove and the leaves from a couple of sprigs of thyme and 3-4 chopped sage leaves.  Leave to one side.
  Juice and zest of 2 lemons, 1 garlic bulb, 1 large bunch of fresh thyme, 5.5 ounces salted butter, 1 bunch of sage
• Put a couple of good pinches of salt and cracked black pepper into the cavity of the chicken. Take a lemon and stab it a few times with a fork.  Pop the lemon, most of the sage, 8 sprigs of time and 4 garlic cloves (the cloves don't need to be pealed, just lightly bashed) into the cavity.
  Salt & pepper, 2 whole lemons
• Using a spoon, gently lift the skin away from the breasts.  Be careful you don't pierce the skin. Take the butter mixture and spoon this between the gap you have created between the skin and the breast.  use your hands to push this as far down the chicken as you can. Spread any left over butter mixture of the top of the chicken.
• In a small pan melt 100g of butter and mix with the juice of two lemons, 1 chopped garlic clove and leaves from a couple of sprigs of thyme and a couple of chopped sage leaves.  Once it is all mixed and melted, use the syringe to inject this mixture into the chicken meat. Use about half. **YOU CAN SKIP THIS STEP IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MEAT INJECTOR**
• Place the chicken, breast side down in a roasting tin, and pop any left over herbs around it, along with slices of lemon and the rest of the garlic cloves.  Cover loosely with tin foil and put in the oven.
• Roast the covered chicken for 2 hours.
• Just before the two hours is up, heat the leftover butter mixture that you used to inject the chicken.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and discard the foil. Carefully turn over the chicken so it is breast side up and pour over the melted butter mixture. Place back in the oven for another hour.
• To check it's ready, use a meat thermometer which should register at 165F, or check the juices run clear when you pierce the skin.  
• For a super crispy brown skin, place the chicken under the broiler (grill) on medium/high for 5 to 10 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn.
• Let the chicken sit for 15-20mins, covered, before carving and serving.

Notes

• Get the chicken up to room temp before you start prepping it. Take the chicken out of the fridge about 30mins to an hour before you want to start the recipe. This will help it to cook more evenly.
• Pat the chicken with kitchen paper to remove an excess moisture. This helps you to get a nice crispy skin.
• If you don't have a meat injector, you can skip this step, just rub the butter under the skin. It's totally worth trying if you have one though!
• Use a meat thermometer for the best chicken! It should register at 160-165F.
• Rest the chicken for at least 15 minutes before carving it. This will mean that the juices redistribute to help keep it nice and juicy.
• Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of the pan juices over the carved chicken for an extra flavor boost.
• Nutritional values are based on one of four servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 183mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 387mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1365IU | Vitamin C: 44.9mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2.6mg

Tried this recipe? Pin it today!Mention @SlowTheCookDown or tag #SlowTheCookDown!