Roast Chicken with Croutons and Onions

Fall-of-the-bone dark meat and juicy white meat roast chicken accompanied by onion-roasted croutons which soak up residual juices from the roast, aka nuggets of flavor! Be sure to scoop out all of the onion and bread chunks; they are filled with delicious flavor that adds great texture and flavor to the meal. Serve with salad or greens to your liking.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 349 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
• ¼ lemon, juiced
• 1 large rosemary sprig, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 cups cubed French bread
• 1 large whole rosemary sprig

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (199 degrees C).

Step 2

Rinse chicken, pat thoroughly dry with paper towels, and allow to reach room temperature.

Step 3

Rub olive oil over outside of chicken and sprinkle skin and inside of cavity generously with salt. Rub black pepper and chopped rosemary onto chicken skin. Place 2 or 3 chunks of onion and French bread into cavity, along with whole rosemary sprig. Place chicken into a cast iron skillet and arrange remaining onion and bread chunks around the bird; squeeze lemon juice over the chicken, onion, and bread cubes.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes and turn chicken over so breast side is down. Bake 30 more minutes; turn chicken back over so breast side is up. Bake until chicken is browned and the juices run clear, an additional 30 minutes (90 total minutes roasting time). An instant-read meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let chicken rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing chicken meat and serving with onion and bread cubes.