A nice roasted chicken is one of life’s pleasures. Ditch the complicated techniques and trendy tricks and stick with this easy recipe to turn out a fantastic roasted bird.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove giblets from chicken. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
In the cavity of the chicken, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Insert lemon halves, garlic cloves, and about 10 sprigs of fresh thyme. On the outside of the chicken, rub in spice mixture all over the chicken.
Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. If you do not have a rack you can use vegetables such as celery or carrots to set the chicken on. Roast for about 15-20 minutes per pound of chicken; a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the breast should read 165. The juices between the leg and the thigh should run clear when done.
Remove chicken from oven and tent with foil. Let rest for 20 minutes then serve.