Whole Chicken Baked with Onions, Apples + Garlic
- Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
- Yield: serves about 6
Ingredients
- 1 whole organic chicken
- 1/2 organic yellow onion
- 1 organic granny smith apple
- 2–3 cloves organic garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp organic garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp dried organic chopped onion
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Remove the chicken from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Place into the center of a baking dish or dutch oven and set aside.
- Slice the half onion and apple which will go inside and around the chicken while baking. Put onions and apples in prep bowls, set aside. Note, I like to quarter the apple first, then remove the cores and from there slice each quarter into quarters.
- Peel garlic cloves, break or chop each into a few pieces and set aside.
- Season the chicken inside and out. It doesn’t make a difference but I like to go in order: salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried onions.
- Take half of the sliced onions, half of the sliced apples, and the fresh garlic pieces and stuff them into the cavity.
- Place the remaining onions around and under the chicken to help keep the top a more even surface. Place the remaining apples around the chicken.
- Drizzle olive oil over the top of the chicken and pat gently to press in a little with the spices.
- Bake chicken uncovered at 350F for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast into the center reads 160F. If the top begins to brown too much before it’s done, cover that area with a piece of foil. I rotate the dish about half way through cooking for evenness.
- Remove from the oven and baste with juices from the chicken. Cover with aluminum foil (and lid if your baking dish or dutch oven has one).
- Don’t skip this step: Let the chicken rest covered for at least 30-45 minutes before carving and serving. This helps keep the meat juicy and tender. If you can swing it, wait a full hour.
- Carve and remove skin before serving.
- Discard the onions and apples from the pan and inside cavity. I don’t recommend you eat them or make gravy from the drippings as they contain the runoff oil/fat and browned skin/seasonings.
Notes
Chicken should be cooked to 165F. I take this out of the oven at 160F because it will continue to cook after it’s removed. We are also letting it rest for 30-40 mins so the steam and juices inside will keep the center hot.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Resting Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hr 25 mins
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