Maple Apple Herb Roasted Chicken
We’ve finally had some cooler weather here in Alabama and I have been enjoying it! We all know it’s probably just false fall and the hot weather will be back, but for now I’m going to enjoy it.
Cooler weather always makes me want something warm and good for supper, and I thought this Maple Apple Herb Roasted Chicken sounded perfect.
I love cooking a whole chicken because I can put everything in one pan and have supper pretty much taken care of. Add some potatoes, carrots, onions and apples and you have a whole meal without having to make a bunch of different things.
The maple syrup gives this one just a little sweetness, but with the butter, garlic and herbs it’s still a good savory chicken. Plus, everything cooks down together in the bottom of the pan and soaks up all that flavor.
Maple Apple Herb Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, around 5–7 pounds
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
2 apples, cut into wedges
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 pound baby potatoes, halved
3 carrots, cut into chunks
1 cup chicken broth
For fresh herbs:
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
A few extra sprigs of rosemary, thyme or sage to put inside the chicken, optional
Or, if you're using dried herbs:
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
You don't need both. Use whichever you have on hand.
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Pat your chicken dry and put it in a roasting pan or Dutch oven.
Mix the softened butter, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper with either your fresh or dried herbs.
Rub the mixture all over the chicken. I like to gently get some underneath the skin over the breast too. If you're using fresh herbs and have a few extra sprigs, you can put those inside the chicken.
Put the apples, onions, potatoes and carrots around the chicken and pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
Put it in the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375°F.
After lowering the temperature, plan on around 15–20 minutes per pound. So if you have a 6-pound chicken, you'll want to start checking it around the 1 1/2 hour mark.
I use the time as a guide, but I always go by the temperature of the chicken instead. Whole chickens can cook a little differently depending on their size, so using a meat thermometer is the best way to keep from overcooking it.
Check the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh without touching the bone. Once it reaches 165°F, take it out of the oven.
If it's at temperature, it's done. There's no need to leave it in for another 15 or 20 minutes just to make sure. That's how you end up with a dry chicken.
Let it rest for about 15 minutes before you cut into it.
And definitely don't forget about everything in the bottom of the pan. The apples and onions cook down with the butter, broth, herbs and chicken drippings and are so good spooned over the chicken.
Why I Like Cooking a Whole Chicken
One of the things I really like about a whole chicken is how much I can get out of it. We can have it for supper one night and then I can use what's left for another meal. I can also save the bones and make broth, so very little has to go to waste.
That's one of the things raising more of our own food has changed for me. I think a lot more about where our food comes from and how much work went into getting it to our table.
Our chickens at Broken Picker Farm are raised out on pasture and fed non-GMO feed. I know how they were raised because we're the ones out there taking care of them every day.
That's also what I want the people who buy chicken from us to have. I want you to be able to pull a chicken out of your freezer and know where it came from, how it was raised and who raised it.
You don't have to change everything about the way your family eats at once. Sometimes it's just knowing a little more about one thing you're putting on the table.
And if you've got one of our whole chickens tucked away in your freezer, this would be a really good one to pull out while this cooler weather lasts.
Because this is Alabama, and we all know better than to put the summer clothes away just yet.
