I could call this Marry Me Chicken… but I’m already married. Let’s just say it might earn you a vow renewal.

Roast chicken has a way of making you feel like you’ve really got your life together. The house smells incredible, everyone magically wanders into the kitchen asking, “When’s dinner?” and somehow you look (and feel) like you maybe went to culinary school.

It starts with the most gorgeous lemon-herb butter that gets tucked beneath the skin so every bite stays juicy, the carrots roast right alongside the chicken soaking up all those glorious pan drippings, and then everything gets finished with a creamy Dijon mustard sauce that is, quite frankly, worth licking off your plate. (No judgment here!)

Some people might call this “Marry Me Chicken.” I’m already married, so let’s just say it has vow-renewal potential.

It’s cozy enough for a Sunday dinner, impressive enough for company, and easy enough to pull off on a weeknight if you’re feeling ambitious. Serve it with plenty of crusty bread because leaving even a drop of that mustard sauce behind would be a crying shame.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 whole chicken, about 4 lbs.
1 lemon
6 tbsp salted butter, at room temp
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped, plus a few sprigs for serving
kosher salt and pepper
1.5 lbs carrots, peeled, trimmed and halved lengthwise if large
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water

For the mustard sauce:

2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp grainy mustard
kosher salt and pepper
1 tbsp creme fraiche

Method

For the roast chicken:

Remove the chicken from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a plate and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center position. Finely grate the zest from the lemon and cut the fruit into quarters. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, lemon zest, garlic, and chopped thyme. Season the lemon-herb butter with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
On a rimmed baking sheet, add the carrots, olive oil, water, and a few thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and stir, then push to one side of the baking sheet.
Using your fingers, loosen the chicken skin on the breast and legs. Rub 5 tablespoons of the lemon-herb butter over the breast and leg meat. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over the chicken skin, then season with salt and pepper. Put two lemon quarters in the chicken cavity and tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Place chicken on other side of the baking sheet. Cover the carrots with foil.
Transfer the baking dish to the oven and roast at 425°F on the center rack for 40 minutes. Uncover the carrots and stir, then discard the foil. Brust chicken with pan juices. Reduce the oven heat to 400°F. Continue roasting until the carrots are tender and browned in spots and the chicken until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, about 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken and carrots from the oven. Discard the thyme sprigs. Cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

For the mustard sauce:

Make the mustard sauce In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, Dijon and grainy mustards, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low until warm, about 5 minutes. Stir in creme fraiche. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add 1 tbsp heavy cream at a time until it reaches a nice, drizzly consistency.
Carve the chicken. Serve with the carrots, lemon wedges and mustard sauce.

Enjoy!

Cortney

Cortney LaCorte

Cortney LaCorte is the creator of CheeseGal, a food and entertaining blog born in her Nashville kitchen that celebrates cheese, charcuterie and joyful gatherings