Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables and Couscous

Whole roasted chicken with root vegetables and fresh rosemary.

5 from 2 votes

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables and Couscous

Whole Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables is a classic dinner every home cook needs in their line up! It's fancy looking, but really very easy to prepare. It's an all-in-one-pot meal, the chicken sits on a bed of root vegetables, roasting both at the same time. Slathered with garlic herb butter, it's crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside! Pair it with golden raisin, pine nut couscous for a stunning family dinner!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 651kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

For the Root Vegetables

1 large onion
2 ribs celery
2 to 3 carrots
2 potatoes any kind
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 grinds fresh black pepper

For the Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken
1 Tablespoon butter at room temperature
3 cloves garlic (divided)
1 Tablespoon fresh herbs any combination of rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or any chicken seasoning blend
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 grinds fresh black pepper
½ lemon

For the Couscous

1 Tablespoon butter
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup onion finely chopped
1½ cups Israeli couscous
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 grinds fresh black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon lemon juice
fresh chives or parsley for garnish

Instructions

For the Roasted Chicken

Preheat oven to 425° convection bake.
Chop vegetables into LARGE chunks so they don't burn before the chicken is done (See photo above). Arrange in a 9×12 casserole pan, and toss with oil, salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix together the butter, 1 clove of garlic minced and 1 Tablespoon of the chopped fresh herbs.
Prep the Chicken: rinse, pat dry with paper towel, and discard the little packet in the cavity if it came with one. Set the chicken on the bed of vegetables, tuck the wing tips under. Smear the entire chicken with the seasoned butter, even lift up the skin and smear some butter under it. Then season the chicken everywhere with salt and pepper. Put the half lemon, extra smashed garlic cloves and stems or extra herbs in the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together with string.
Roast for 75 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165° and the juices run clear. Be sure to check the chicken in multiple places, especially between the drumstick and the breast where it usually needs to cook the longest. If it's not 165°, put it back in the oven and recheck every 5 or so minutes.
Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

For the Couscous

Melt butter over medium heat in a sauce pot and add the pine nuts and onions with a pinch of salt. Toast until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not burn them! Stir often and don't walk away! Transfer to a bowl.
To the now empty warm pot, add couscous, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir a minute until couscous is lightly toasted. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, COVER, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
When the couscous is just finishing, add the raisins, lemon juice, pine nuts and onions, and lastly the chives (parsley would work too).
Serve chicken with the roasted vegetables on a bed of couscous.

Notes

Other vegetables can be substituted such as baby red potatoes, cauliflower, fennel, red bell pepper, golden beets, parsnip, sweet potato or winter squash. Be sure to chop them in large pieces so they don't burn before the chicken is done.
Roast chicken and vegetables together in any oven safe pan including a casserole dish, Dutch oven, or cast iron skillet
Save and freeze the roasted chicken bones and raw vegetable scraps to make your own Homemade Chicken Stock.
Check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F with a thermometer.

Nutrition