Roasted Chicken with Autumn Root Vegetables
A Perfect One-Pan Wonder
About the Recipe
There's a subtle shift in the air, isn't there? The evenings are drawing in and that craving for something cozy and comforting is starting to take over.
For me, that means turning on the oven and letting it do all the work.
Enter the ultimate hero of weeknight dinners and lazy Sundays: the one-pan meal. This Roasted Chicken with Autumn Root Vegetables is everything you could want in a transitional-season dish. It’s incredibly flavorful, requires minimal effort and the cleanup is an absolute breeze. The chicken skin gets irresistibly crispy while the meat stays juicy and the vegetables become sweet, caramelized and tender. Let’s get cooking!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Minimal Cleanup: Everything cooks together in one roasting pan or cast-iron skillet.
- Effortlessly Impressive: It looks and tastes like you spent hours on it, but the oven does 90% of the work.
- Seasonal & Customizable: Use any root vegetables you have on hand. Carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts all work beautifully.
- Incredibly Flavorful: A simple blend of herbs, garlic and lemon makes this dish taste like a rustic dream.
Instructions
- Vegetables: peel and chop the root vegetables into 2-3 cm (1-inch) chunks, cut the onion in wedges, slice off the top of the garlic
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). In a large roasting pan, toss the chopped vegetables, onion wedges, rosemary and thyme with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and pepper.
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels (this is the key to crispy skin!). Rub it all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season it liberally inside and out with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the Dish: Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the pan. Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon and the top of the garlic head. Place the bottom part of the garlic head among the vegetables.
- Roast to Perfection: Place the pan in the preheated oven. Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. The cooking time will vary based on your chicken's size. It's done when the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh, or a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 74°C (165°F).
- Rest is Best: Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 10-15 minutes before carving. This is crucial for a juicy bird! While it rests, you can toss the vegetables in the pan juices.
Chef’s Notes
Serve: Carve the chicken and serve it alongside the beautifully caramelized vegetables. Don't forget to squeeze out the soft, roasted garlic cloves to spread on the roasted chicken with root vegetables!
Common Recipe Abbreviations
- g: gram
- kg: kilogram
- l: litre
- lb: pound
- ml: millilitre
- oz: ounce
- tbsp: tablespoon
- tsp: teaspoon
