Cook Time: About 1 1/2 hours.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

There's just something comforting about the aroma of roasted chicken wafting through the air, right? How about chicken stuffed with lemons, onions, Rosemary, Thyme, and smothered in a basil compound butter? Are you salivating yet? You definitely need to add this tasty recipe to your recipe arsenal!

Did you know September is National Chicken Month? How about that for fun facts? In honor of National Chicken Month and because I love ya, here's my family's favorite roasted chicken recipe using my favorite new seasoning blend, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz. Scrumptious!

This delicious roasted chicken recipe couldn't be simpler, golden and crispy on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside, it is elegant enough for guests, and the leftovers can be used in casseroles, sandwiches, burritos, etc.

So, who's up for a mouth-watering roasted chicken? Celebrate National Chicken Month by making this delicious Lemon Herb Roasted Recipe today! You won't be disappointed!

Here's how it's made.

Ingredients

1 Roaster Chicken- removing the "gizzards"
2 lemons, one sliced in half, and the other sliced into five slices
1 medium onion, sliced in half
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
4 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 stick of butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) + 1 teaspoon (reserved) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) + 1 teaspoon (reserved) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning
Kitchen twine
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Olive oil

Preparation

It's all in the preparation. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the onion and lemon in half. Peel the garlic. Mix the softened butter in a small bowl with 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz and 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and set aside.

Remove the "gizzards" (liver, heart, and neck) from the cavity of the chicken. For store-bought chickens, the gizzards are usually packaged in a bag inside the cavity of the chicken. If you're feeling adventurous (say for a paté party later), remove the chicken livers from the bag and freeze in a freezable plastic bag. If not, toss!

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Coarsely chop one onion half and place in a baking pan. Place the chicken on top of the chopped onions and loosen the skin on top of the chicken (breast side up). I usually use kitchen shears to loosen the membranes under the skin, but you could use a knife. Basically, you want to create a pocket to stuff all kinds of yummy goodness under the skin.

And now for the yummy goodness...Place the remaining onion half, 1 lemon half, the clove of garlic, 2 sprigs of Thyme, 1 sprig of Rosemary, and half of the butter mixture inside the cavity of the chicken.

Slice the remaining lemon half into fourths. Place the lemon slices under the skin of the chicken, followed by the remaining Thyme, Rosemary, and butter mixture.

Tie up the legs with the kitchen twine. Drizzle with olive oil and rub over chicken. Season the outside of the chicken with the remaining Basil Pizzazz and Garlic Seasoning.

Excuse the last picture. I made this recipe twice because the first time it was too dark to take a picture, but the legs should be tied to seal in all the flavors and keep the chicken moist;)

Loosely cover the chicken with foil for the first half of the cooking process (about 30 minutes). Place the chicken in oven and cook according to package directions until crust is golden and juices run clear (some chickens have those little buttons that pop up when the chicken is done. As a precaution, I would advise checking the chicken as it gets close, because I've had a few mishaps with the buttons...and that wouldn't be good).

When chicken is done, remove from oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. (This moisture moves outward toward the surface of the meat during cooking and some of it eventually evaporates. When you take your roast out of the oven, the moisture still inside needs some time to redistribute back through the meat. If you cut into it right away, the liquid will actually pool out (Yeesh!) and your beautiful roast will end up very dry. By letting it rest, the moisture is re-absorbed and your meat will be tender and juicy- kitchn- Food Science

And there you go...!

Golden, juicy, flavorful Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken! I'm salivating just writing this:) Guess I'd better go to the grocery store:) Enjoy!