Herb Stuffed Roast Chicken

Whole roasted chicken, infused with fresh herbs - parsley, basil, thyme, oregano.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated June 03, 2022
Elise Bauer
Herb Roasted Chicken
Elise Bauer

A great way to infuse chicken with flavor? Stuff seasonings right underneath the skin. That way as the chicken cooks, it bathes the meat in the flavor of the seasonings.

In this recipe we are using a mix of fresh chopped herbs and some salt and pepper to season our chicken. The recipe comes (barely adapted) from Jamie Oliver, in his wonderful book Naked Chef.

Herb Stuffed Roast Chicken

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 75 mins
Servings 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (5-pound) chicken

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram or oregano), finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 lemon, halved

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F with a roasting pan in it
  2. Rinse and salt the chicken:

    Rinse the chicken and chicken cavity with water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub salt over the inside of the cavity.

  3. Stuff herbs under skin:

    Grasp the skin at the tip of the chicken breast and gently pull up. Use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the breast meat, taking care not to tear the skin. Sprinkle a little salt into the gaps and insert as much of the chopped herb mixture as you can.

    herb-roasted-chicken-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    herb-roasted-chicken-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  4. Stuff the cavity with the lemon, bay leaves, rosemary, and any remaining herbs:

    Pull the skin of the chicken breast over the breast so that none of the meat is exposed.

  5. Tuck in the wings and truss with kitchen string
    herb-roasted-chicken-method-3
    Elise Bauer
  6. Brown the breast side of the chicken in roasting pan in oven:

    Rub olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and add a little oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken on one side, breast side down, on the roasting pan and put it back in the oven.

    Cook for 5 minutes, then turn the chicken so that the other breast is on the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Starting off by cooking the chicken this way will help brown the breasts.

  7. Turn chicken over and roast until done:

    Then turn the chicken over so that it is breast-side up. Cook for 45 min to 1 hour, or until the juices run clear (not pink) when a knife tip is inserted into both the chicken breast and thigh, about 165°F for the breast and thigh.

    herb-roasted-chicken-method-4
    Elise Bauer
Herb Roasted Chicken
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
432 Calories
24g Fat
18g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 5
Amount per serving
Calories 432
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 121mg 40%
Sodium 230mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 87mg 433%
Calcium 71mg 5%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 579mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.