Roast Chicken with Tarragon and Lemon

Simple roast chicken gets a new twist by adding tarragon. Only five ingredients—including the chicken—but full of flavor! And just a little bit fancy, too.

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I roast a whole chicken once a week. Yes, I do! It's easy and economical. Most of the time, I just season it with a little salt, garlic powder and herbs de Provence. But sometimes I want something a little different.

And by different, I don't mean complicated. I mean throw on the seasoning and throw it in the oven. Adding tarragon is a simple way to zhuzsh it up, and go from the same old same old to the south of France in no time.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Tips
• FAQs
• Serving Suggestions
• Related recipes
• Recipe

Ingredients

So like I said, we are keeping things simple.

• Whole chicken: Get a medium-sized bird, about 4-5 pounds. Not too big, because it has to be able to fit in the skillet once the backbone is removed.
• Lemon: We'll use the fresh lemon juice and zest. The zest has so much aroma!
• Tarragon: I love the anise-like flavor of tarragon. It's also a tender herb, so you can use it in so many ways.
• Olive oil: The olive oil will be the base of our marinade and ensure that the chicken skin gets crispy.
• Salt: Use a mild sea salt.

That's it! We'll just let it marinate for 30 minutes, then pop it in the oven. We're not even going to truss it. No truss, no fuss.

Step by step instructions

Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson on NYT Cooking

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Use a good chef's knife and coarsely chop the tarragon.

Use a Microplane grater to zest the lemon before juicing it. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt in a small mixing bowl.

Pat the chicken dry and place on a sheet pan. Cut out the backbone using a pair of kitchen shears.

Flip the chicken so it's breast-side up and press down on the breast bone to flatten it out.

Place the chicken in a zip top bag and pour in the marinade. Squish it all around in the bag to make sure it's evenly coated. Marinate at room temperature no longer than 30 minutes.

Place chicken in a cast iron skillet and pour remaining marinade over the top. Really get in there and get all the tarragon out of the bag. Don't leave any behind!

Roast for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, until a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reaches 162 F. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes, then serve.

Tips

• Don't let the chicken marinate for more than 30 minutes. The lemon juice will start to "cook" the chicken and result in a weird texture if it's left in there too long.
• Once you've got the chicken in the zip top bag, place it in a casserole dish or plastic container just in case the bag gets punctured when you're trying to get the chicken fully coated with the marinade.
• Get all the tarragon out of the bag when pouring the marinade over the top. Don't leave any flavor behind!
• There's no need to truss the chicken. It will cook just fine without doing this so don't worry about it. No truss, no fuss!

FAQs

• How do you use tarragon? Tarragon is great with roasted or slow cooked meats - especially chicken. You'll also find it in that béarnaise sauce on your favorite steak, and in a delicate cream sauce that goes great with salmon. It can add a light, springy taste to roasted vegetables, and punch up a salsa verde. (The Italian kind made of herbs, not the Mexican kind made of tomatillos.) Try cooking with tarragon in some of your favorite recipes to change them up a bit!
• What does tarragon taste like? Tarragon has a bold flavor with a hint of licorice, vanilla, and fennel. It's a classic staple in French cooking. It seems quite strong when fresh, but really mellows out when you cook with it.

Serving Suggestions

• This Apple and Fennel Salad would be a perfect side, the fennel and tarragon have similar flavor profiles, and the lemon dressing will complement the marinade for the chicken.
• If you've go another cast iron skillet handy, try these Crispy Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts.
• A simple Massaged Kale Salad is a perfect side for almost any occasion, including roast chicken. Lemon in the dressing equals another perfect pairing.

Related recipes

Try these simple chicken recipes that have effortless prep and big flavors!

• You only need two ingredients to make the perfect Roast Chicken.
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Capers, and Lemon are a weeknight savior. Just a handful of pantry ingredients and you've got dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
• Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken Thighs and Potatoes with Arugula, Herbs and Lemon Yogurt only needs 30 minutes to marinate, and everything cooks on one sheet pan.

Recipe