Roast chicken for weeknight leftovers
Prep
20 mins
Cook
1 hr
Servings
800
Difficulty
Medium
Here's my go to weeknight dinner that somehow feels fancy but takes barely over an hour start to finish. A whole roasted chicken is honestly one of the smartest things you can cook because you get a beautiful main course plus tons of leftovers for sandwiches, salads, and soups all week long. The garlic becomes sweet and mellow as it roasts, giving you all those wonderful anti inflammatory benefits alongside incredible flavor. Plus at this price point, you really can't beat it for feeding people well without spending much. Just prep for twenty minutes, pop it in the oven, and dinner is basically done.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 11 whole chicken around 2kg
- 11 lemon halved
- 1 smallbunch of thyme
- 11 garlic bulb separated into skin-on cloves
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 75 gbutter melted
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken dry all over and sit in a roasting tray. Combine 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp ground pepper, then rub all over the chicken, getting under the skin and being careful not to rip it. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves and most of the thyme sprigs. Scatter the remaining thyme and the garlic in the roasting tin. If you have time, chill overnight in the fridge. If not, leave at room temperature for 1 hr.
- 2
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Coat the chicken in the olive oil and butter and lay back in the roasting tin, breast-side down. Roast for 50 mins to 1 hr. To check if it’s cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast – it should read 70C, or pierce the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Use two forks to shred the meat. Remove the skins from the garlic and keep chilled in an airtight container along with the roasting juices and shredded chicken. Will keep chilled for up to four days.
Recipe Variations
Get AI-powered ingredient substitution suggestions.
You Might Also Like
Butter bean curry
This butter bean curry is one of my go to weeknight dinners when I want something satisfying but don't have hours to spend cooking. The whole thing comes together in under an hour, and butter beans are incredibly affordable and packed with fiber, keeping you full for ages. I love how versatile it is too, with the warming spices and creamy beans balanced by fresh coriander and a zingy banana and cucumber raita on the side. It's genuinely delicious, feels a bit fancy, but honestly couldn't be simpler.
Campfire stew
Nothing beats a hearty campfire stew when you're feeding a crowd, and this one's become my go to recipe because it's so straightforward to throw together. The beauty of this dish is that most of the work happens while you're relaxing by the fire, letting everything simmer away for hours. Gammon gives it a wonderfully smoky flavor, while the haricot beans pack in fiber and protein to keep everyone satisfied. It's the kind of rustic, warming meal that tastes even better outdoors, and honestly, it costs very little to make while feeding plenty of people.
Bread in four easy steps
Making your own bread doesn't have to be intimidating. This granary loaf comes together in just four straightforward steps, ready to eat in under an hour. Granary flour is packed with whole grains and fiber, which means you're getting real nutritional value with every slice. What I love most is how simple and budget friendly this recipe is. You probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already, and the fast action yeast does all the hard work for you. Trust me, once you taste homemade bread warm from the oven, you'll be making this constantly.
Reviews
Sign in to write a review.