Simple and Delicious Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about 5 podcasts I enjoy listening to when I go on those "slow and steady" walks or runs. Well, I've found another one I enoy: Paleo Magazine Radio. The host, Tony Federico, also runs the Paleo Magazine website. I like this podcast because it's quick and to the point when I'm hoping to learn about something specific. I also respect the fact that the guidelines for the diet are often blurred, and that's perfectly okay. We're human, and most people can't stick the each and every Paleo guideline each and every day. Fortunately, Paleo isn't about perfection.

Anyway...I got a little off track, there...at the end of a great podcast about gymnastics, there was a five minute segment on the best way to roast a whole chicken. It sounded pretty simple, and I've never roasted a whole chicken before so I was eager to try it out.

Here were the basics:

• Buy a whole, organic chicken. (These run up to 5 lbs at most. Organic chickens don't get much bigger.)
• Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before preparing or cooking. The suggestion was one hour. Also, any ingredients you want to put on or in the chicken should also be brought to room temperature. 
• Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. (Don't rinse the chicken because then you just have salmonella splashing everywhere.)
• Remove insides. (Keep them in a separate container if you want to make homemade chicken broth.)
• Don't get too complicated with the ingredients. 
• Cook in a cast iron skillet at 450 for an hour.

Once you take care of the basics, you have free range to season/prepare the chicken however you'd like. I put 4 cloves of garlic and a halved lime in the chicken.

Then I rubbed butter on the outside of the skin. It doesn't take much...maybe 1/2 tablespoon. I also rubbed salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Feel free to go as heavy or as light with seasonings as you'd like. I wouldn't add more butter or oil. It's definitely not needed.

So simple!

I put the chicken in a cast iron skillet and left it in the preheated oven for an hour. Once it's done, allow the chicken to sit for about 10 minutes before cutting it.

While the chicken was cooking, I prepared broccoli (olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper) and acorn squash (olive oil, salt, pepper). I put the acorn squash in the oven for about 35 minutes, and I put the broccoli in the oven for about 15 minutes. 

This chicken came out perfectly cooked! The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. I struggle when cooking chicken because I always over-cook it. Not this time! I was pleased :)

This meal is also one of the easiest meals around. It took 5 minutes to prepare and an hour to cook, so I could make the side dish and clean the kitchen while the chicken was cooking. Love it!

Question: What are your favorite quick, go-to meals? And do you have a favorite roasted chicken ingredient??? I love rosemary, but I should probably branch out a little more!