OVEN ROASTED LEMON THYME WHOLE CHICKEN

I can’t rave enough about how great this chicken was. I feel like I can brag on this one a little harder because I can’t actually take the credit for it. For those of you new to my blog I participate in a recipe swap club where I partner with another blogger each month to trade recipes (of our choice) to try and write about. This month I partnered up with Payal from Don’t Give A Fork. Payal lives in Mumbai and has a fab collection of Indian recipes as well as some others that she has picked up on her world travels. I mean she takes cooking classes all over the world when she travels – how amazing is that?! It is so neat to me that I get to connect with other food bloggers not only locally but all over the world. I had so much fun chatting with the gal behind Don’t Give A Fork, learning her story, and feeling like I now have a friend in Mumbai. 
This lemon thyme chicken is so packed with flavor and comes out SO tender. I have a habit of keeping things overly simple in my kitchen – like putting only one veggie or rub into seasoning meat. This combination of flavor is so worth it and reminds me that sometimes the extra few minutes putting together a meal is SO worth it. To see Payal’s original version of this recipe click here

​I hope y’all enjoy this as much as I did!

INGREDIENTS:1 Whole Chicken2 tsp salt2 tsp chili powder1 tsp cumin3 lemonsHandful thyme sprigs7 sage leaves1 tbsp butter3 tbsp olive oil1 onion peeled & quartered2 garlic cloves*Optional – if you want to roast potatoes with your chicken halve as many potatoes as you would like!
DIRECTIONS:Rinse chicken and pat dry inside & out. In a small bowl mix together salt, cumin, chili powder, juice of 2 lemons & 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix together and rub evenly all over chicken. Preferably let sit to marinate a few hours. 
Preheat oven to 350′. 
Line baking tray with foil & lay chicken back down in the center. Insert your garlic cloves, 3rd lemon (halved), and butter inside the chicken to boost flavor. 
Plug the neck and bottom of the chicken with 2 of the onion wedges to help keep moisture and flavor inside. Lay other 2 onion wedges on the baking tray. If you want to roast potatoes or other veggies toss them in a bit of olive oil and sprinkle some salt and arrange around the chicken. 
Arrange sage and thyme sprigs on and around chicken. Bake for around 75 minutes – I recommend checking in with a meat thermometer starting at around 1 hour mark and then every 10 minutes to make sure chicken hits 165′ internal temperature – measure in the thickest part of the chicken. Let chicken sit for 10 minutes after removing from the oven to let the juices set. Carve and serve up with your roasted veggies. ENJOY!

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