This recipe originally started as something very different, but through a few trial rounds I am SO excited about the final product: a roast chicken lightly stuffed with fresh herbs and onion, basted with a simple honey butter liquid, dressed in slices of bacon for added flavor – roasted to perfection.
It’s a perfect autumn recipe.
Extra delicious: the bacon actually absorbs flavor from the chicken, and you’re left with rich crispy bacon strips to add to salad or vegetables.
Honey Butter Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- One 4 lb. whole chicken rinsed and patted dry
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 springs of rosemary
- 4 springs of thyme
- 3 garlic cloves crushed and left whole
- 1/3 cup yellow onion roughly cut
- 6 strips of bacon
Instructions
- Position a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a small saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter. Stir in honey and mix the two liquids together until fully combined, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with thyme, rosemary, onion, and garlic.
- Brush the outside of the chicken with the honey butter, then season with salt and pepper.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen string (or self-truss) and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
- Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.
- Roast for 40 minutes, then remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Use the cooked bacon as a topping for a vegetable side.
- Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 40-50 minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken thighs reach 160°F and the juices run clear when pierced.
- Remove the chicken from the hot pan, cover with aluminum foil, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
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