Preserved Lemon, Herb and Garlic Confit Chicken
Monday’s are my go-to meal prep day and this chicken is a staple for us. I always have garlic confit and lemon preserves on hand (click here for recipe) and it adds the most flavorful touch to a tried and true recipe.
I personally try to keep our kitchen “zero waste” and love using the bones to make bone broth. You can have the roast freshly out of the oven, meal prep for the week, and have broth on hand. The versatility with one whole roasted chicken is endless and I can’t wait to see you all enjoy it!
Preserved Lemon, Herb and Garlic Confit Chicken
Ingredients:
- 5 lb whole chicken (giblets and neck removed from cavity)
- 4 tbl unsalted butter or ghee
- 5 cloves of garlic confit
- 1 preserved lemon remove and discard pulp
- 1 fresh lemon
- 10-15 sprigs of thyme
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 onion cut into quarters
- 2 whole carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 tsp all purpose seasoning (any brand you prefer, my favorite mix below)
All purpose seasoning: 2 tbl garlic powder, 1 tbl onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425. Unwrap chicken, remove neck and giblets and discard or reserve for making stock. Pat down to dry with paper towels and let it sit out to get it to room temp for 20 minutes.
- Remove pulp from preserved lemon and discard. Finely chop lemon rind and set aside.
- Mash up garlic confit with butter until garlic is blended well into butter, add the chopped preserved lemon to butter.
- Squeeze lemon juice into cavity of chicken and stuff the lemon, herbs and 1/4 onion into cavity as well.
- Rub the garlic, lemon butter all over the outside of chicken and carefully pulling the skin back and rubbing butter in between skin and chicken too.
- Sprinkle all-purpose seasoning on the outside of chicken
- Put remaining 1/4 onion, carrots and celery on the bottom of roasting pan and lay the chicken on top of veggies.
- Tie legs together with kitchen twine, tucking wings back.
- Roast chicken at 425 for 45 minutes and reduce heat to 400 for another 30 minutes. Chicken is done when thermometer reads 165-175 F in deepest part of thigh without touching the bone.
- Move chicken to serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to rest for 10 minutes.
- Poor au jus from roasting pan over a fine mesh strainer to serve to dip chicken.
- Slice chicken and serve with au jus on the side. Optional: garnish with fresh herbs and lemons.