I recently read an article about how easy it is to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker so I trotted off to the market and bought myself a chicken. Sadly I got home to realize the slow cooker is up at our house in VT. (Still there from the one and only time I unsuccessfully tried to make pulled pork for a friend from Tennessee. Not my finest cooking moment…) I was not to be deterred so I decided to go with the almost-as-easy “Sheet Pan Supper” plan that I had read about in the NY Times a few months back and had been meaning to try. I am all for ease of clean-up during the week. This recipe means only one plan to clean. Yay!
I was blown away with how tender the meat was after an hour and 15 minutes in the oven. And the best part? It was a meal that both the girls and John and I could all enjoy. The girls loved the drumsticks and John and I ate the breasts. Bon Appétit!
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove bag of giblets from inside cavity, rinse whole chicken in cold water, and pat dry.
- Slice one medium onion and line bottom of sheet pan with onions.
- In a small bowl mix a pinch of dried Tarragon, 2 pinches of Herd de Provence, 2 tsps of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, fresh Ground Pepper, and 2 pinches of dried Thyme. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil and mix well.
- Rub seasoned mix on the outside of the chicken, also rubbing herbs inside the cavity.
- Place bird on top of onions.
- Slice two medium sized potatoes and sprinkle around the edge of the bird on the sheet pan.
- Add one cup of uncooked baby carrots to the sheet pan.
- Place in preheated oven and set timer for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes remove from oven and use a spatula to toss vegetables and lightly coat them with juices.
- Put sheet pan back in oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken breast is at least 180 degrees.
- Slice and enjoy!
And now is when we separate the real chefs from the home cooks like myself… Who noticed what I did wrong with this chicken? Wait for it… I cooked it upside down! Poor John came home to carve away at this beautiful bird and said, “I think you might have overcooked it. There is so little meat to carve.” It was then that I flipped her over and realized her big beautiful breast were underneath her. Whoops! I never said I was perfect.
You are too cute! Tastes as good either way.xo
There’s a “school of cook” that claims cooking a chicken or turkey upside down is what makes it so tender as the dark meat joices drip down onto the white meat. I’m going to try it your way!