Delicious and flavourful, this Tarragon Lemon Roast Chicken and potatoes is two meals in one. Enjoy the chicken and potatoes for one meal, then remove the left-over chicken to use in sandwiches and/or on a salad plate.

tarragon lemon roasted whole chicken in skillet

I have to tell you that I tried really hard to make this roast chicken look as delicious in photos as it tastes in real life. but fact is, roast chicken is just not all that pretty. I hope you will look beyond it’s somewhat homely looks and give this one a try! It’s one of my absolute favourite ways to enjoy chicken and it’s two (or more) meals in one!

Enjoy this delicious and flavourful roast chicken and crispy potatoes for a first meal, then remove the remaining chicken to use for sandwiches and/or as a lovely addition to a salad plate dinner then next night. As this chicken roasts, it infuses the meat with the lovely flavours of tarragon, lemon and garlic. It’s delicious, assuming you like tarragon, of course :) If you don’t feel free to substitute thyme, rosemary or sage, or a combination of the three.

This chicken cooks relatively quickly in a hot oven and does make a little smoke as it cooks. Be sure your room is well ventilated as it cooks. Look for a large a chicken as you can find, to ensure lots of left-overs.

Cook’s Notes

My smoke detector goes off every time I roast a chicken with high heat, so as mentioned above, be sure to run your fan or open a window while your chicken cooks. If you’d rather not deal with smoke and a slightly messy oven, simply roast chicken at 375 or 400 F. for a longer period of time.

Also, as mentioned above, if you’re not a fan of tarragon, substitute the herb of your choice (or a combination). For this chicken, I do recommend fresh herbs, if you can.

tarragon lemon roasted whole chicken in skillet

tarragon lemon roasted whole chicken in skillet

Get the Recipe: Tarragon Lemon Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Delicious and easy roast chicken and potatoes, cooked up quickly in one pan.
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Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Yield: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, (as large as you can find)
  • 1/2 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
  • 2 sprigs fresh tarragon , plus 1 Tbsp chopped tarragon
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 lemon
  • Small white and/or red potatoes, halved

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Rub chicken inside and out with the garlic half, then place inside the chicken cavity. Place the tarragon sprigs inside the chicken cavity as well.
  • In a small bowl, stir together butter, shallot and chopped tarragon. Season chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper, then loosen skin of chicken near cavity with hands and spread the tarragon butter mixture under the skin, between the skin and the chicken meat.
  • Squeeze juice from the half lemon over the chicken, then place the squeezed lemon in the chicken cavity.
  • Place chicken into a greased skillet or baking pan. Arrange halved small potatoes around the outside of the chicken and season then with salt and pepper (if you place them skin down as much as possible, they will get lovely crispy and golden!).
  • Place in pre-heated oven and roast until the skin is deep golden and crispy and the meat temperature in the breast area reaches 165° , about 1 - 1 1/2 hours (depending on the size of your chicken).
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Author: Jennifer
Calories: 331kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 110mg, Sodium: 90mg, Potassium: 286mg, Vitamin A: 385IU, Vitamin C: 7.4mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1.5mg
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