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Classic roast chicken recipe

35 ratings

A classic roast chicken recipe is a must for Sunday lunch. Succulent and crisp, the trick is getting the meat to stay tender yet with beautiful golden skin on the outside. Follow our easy roast chicken recipe for perfect meat every time and a delicious gravy to serve it with, too. See method

Serves 4
10 mins to prepare and 1 hr 30 mins to cook
419 calories / serving
Healthy

Ingredients

1.5kg whole chicken
½ lemon, cut into wedges
1 onion
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
4 sprigs rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot
2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
150ml white wine

For the gravy

2 tsp plain flour
2 tsp softened butter
300ml hot chicken stock
1 tsp redcurrant jelly

Each serving contains

Energy
1760kj
419kcal 21%
Fat
14g 19%
Saturates
3g 14%
Sugars
4g 5%
Salt
1.1g 18%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 7.1g Protein 59.9g Fibre 1.6g

Method

Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.
Put the chicken into a large roasting tray, stuff with the lemon wedges, half the onion wedges, garlic cloves and half the rosemary. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and season well. Put the rest of the onion wedges and rosemary around the chicken, along with the carrot and celery. Pour half the wine into the base of the roasting tin and add 150ml of water. Cover the whole tray tightly with foil and roast for 45 mins.
Remove the foil, baste the chicken with the juices in the tin, add the rest of the wine and roast for another 25-30 mins or until the skin is golden brown; when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, the juices should run clear. This is when you know it's cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, cover loosely with foil to keep warm and leave to rest for 10 mins.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Put the roasting tin back on the hob over a medium high heat and whisk the juices to release any sticky bits on the bottom of the tin. Mix together the flour and butter to make a smooth paste and then whisk into the gravy until smooth and combined.
Mash the vegetables in the base of the tin with a potato masher and pour in enough hot chicken stock to make gravy to the consistency you prefer. Whisk in the redcurrant jelly and bubble over a high heat for a minute or two. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary and then strain through a sieve (discarding the vegetables in the sieve) into a warm gravy jug.
To serve, carve the chicken, pour over the hot gravy and serve with roast potatoes, a mix of green veg (such as peas, broccoli and beans) and bread sauce.

See more Chicken recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.