Rosemary and Thyme Roast Chicken and Potatoes

5 from 5 votes

Crispy-skinned roast chicken infused with rosemary, thyme, lemon and garlic. A simple roast chicken and potatoes dinner for weeknights.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Resting Time15

Total Time2 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: roast chicken and potatoes

Servings: people

Pre-heat the oven to 375F/190C.
Chop up the herbs, peel the garlic cloves and slice them. Make little slits all over the chicken with the tip of your knife and slide the garlic slices into them.
Prick the lemon with a fork and put it inside the cavity along with the half of the chopped herbs and a clove of sliced garlic.
Rub the surface of the chicken with olive oil and the other half of the herbs. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Put in the oven in a large roasting pan and set the timer for 40 minutes
While the chicken is cooking, get the potatoes ready. Wash the potatoes and cut them in half lengthways or in quarters if using large potatoes. Put them in a pot with salted water and bring them to a boil, continue boiling for 7 minutes, then drain in a colander, cover with a lid and set aside.
When the timer for the chicken goes off take it out of the oven, baste it and scatter potatoes around it. Dip a pastry brush in the fat that collected in the roasting pan and brush the potatoes with it.
Put the pan back in the oven for 1 hour-1 hour 20 minutes, checking from time to time making sure that your potatoes are roasting evenly and turning crispy on the outside.
A half hour before the chicken is finished roasting add shallots if using.
Take out of the oven when the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F/75C and the chicken skin is golden. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Cooking time may change due to the size of the chicken size and variations in oven temperatures. The best way to know if the chicken is done is to use an oven thermometer. Remove the chicken from the oven when the thermometer reads 165F/75C.
Rubbing the skin of the chicken with flaky sea salt is the best way to achieve thin and crispy skin after cooking. The salt draws the moisture out, which allows it to crisp up.
Letting the chicken rest before serving allows for moisture to be reabsorbed into the meat, which makes for a far juicier roast chicken. Cover loosely in aluminium foil to keep it warm.