Roast Chicken and Garlic Recipe for a Chilly Sunday Afternoon

When the temperature drops and the afternoons grow short, nothing quite compares to the comfort of a perfectly roasted chicken filling your kitchen with warmth and the most wonderful aroma. I'm talking about golden, crispy skin, tender meat that falls off the bone, and whole cloves of sweet, caramelised garlic that melt in your mouth.

This is the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table without any fuss. It's simple, it's satisfying, and honestly, it's exactly what a Sunday afternoon should taste like.

Why Our Free Range Chicken Makes All the Difference

I can't stress enough how much the quality of your chicken matters. Our Thoughtful Producer Free Range Chicken is multi-award-winning for good reason. These birds are slow-reared, free range chickens with plenty of space to roam, which means they develop proper flavour and texture that you simply won't find in intensively farmed poultry.

When you're roasting a chicken with minimal ingredients, you need that depth of flavour to shine through. A bird that's been raised well, fed properly, and given time to mature naturally will reward you with meat that's succulent and skin that crisps beautifully. It's the difference between a meal that's merely good and one that's truly memorable.

The Magic of Roasting Garlic

Whole garlic cloves might seem intimidating if you've only ever used them raw or finely chopped, but trust me on this: roasted garlic is a completely different beast. As it cooks alongside the chicken, the sharp, pungent bite mellows into something sweet, buttery, and utterly addictive.

You can squeeze the soft cloves straight onto warm crusty bread, mash them into your roast potatoes, or simply eat them whole alongside slices of chicken. They're also brilliant stirred through gravy or leftover meat for sandwiches the next day.

What You'll Need

• 1 Thoughtful Producer Free Range Chicken (1.8-2.2kg)
• 2-3 whole heads of garlic
• 2 lemons
• Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, or sage all work beautifully)
• 50g butter, softened
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200ml chicken stock or white wine

How to Cook It

1. Get your chicken ready

Take your chicken out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature. This helps it cook more evenly. Pat the skin completely dry with kitchen paper—this is crucial for achieving that crispy skin we're after.

2. Prepare the garlic

Break apart your garlic heads into individual cloves, but keep the skins on. You'll peel them after roasting when they're soft and sweet. If you have any very large cloves, you can slice them in half horizontally, but leave the smaller ones whole.

3. Season generously

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Mix the softened butter with a good pinch of salt, plenty of black pepper, and some finely chopped fresh herbs. Carefully loosen the skin from the chicken breast by sliding your fingers underneath, then push some of the herb butter under the skin. Rub the rest all over the outside of the bird.

Cut one lemon in half and stuff both halves into the cavity along with a few herb sprigs. This infuses the meat with citrus as it roasts. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and give it one final seasoning of salt.

4. Arrange in the roasting tin

Place your chicken breast-side up in a roasting tin. Scatter the garlic cloves around the chicken—they'll catch all those lovely cooking juices. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and tuck those around the bird too.

5. Roast to perfection

Pop the tin into the hot oven and roast for about 20 minutes to get the skin started. Then reduce the heat to 180°C (160°C fan) and continue cooking for another hour to an hour and 15 minutes, depending on the size of your bird. You'll know it's done when the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh, or when a meat thermometer reads 75°C in the same spot.

Halfway through cooking, pour the stock or wine into the bottom of the tin. This keeps everything moist and gives you a head start on the most delicious gravy.

6. Rest and serve

This part is important: lift the chicken onto a warm serving plate, scatter the roasted garlic around it, and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute through the meat, making every slice tender and juicy.

While the chicken rests, pour the cooking juices into a small pan, skim off excess fat if you like, and simmer for a few minutes to make a simple gravy. If you want to make things even easier, our Roast Chicken Box includes everything you need—gluten-free bread sauce, stuffing mix, and our traditional gravy alongside the chicken itself.

What to Serve Alongside

Keep it simple. This meal deserves good accompaniments rather than complicated ones. Crispy roast potatoes with rosemary, some seasonal vegetables, and perhaps a green salad if you're feeling virtuous. The Thoughtful Producer Chicken Box has everything you need for a complete roast dinner without the fuss.

Don't forget to set out good bread for spreading those sweet garlic cloves, and maybe some extra butter for those who want it.

The Best Part: Leftovers

If you somehow manage to have leftovers (and with a 1.8-2.2kg bird, you likely will), you're in for a treat over the next few days. Cold roast chicken sandwiches with leftover roasted garlic mashed into mayonnaise. Chicken and vegetable soup made from the carcass. Warm chicken salads. The possibilities go on.

In fact, knowing I'll have these leftovers waiting makes the initial effort feel even more worthwhile. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Making It Your Own

This recipe is wonderfully forgiving and open to your personal touches. Try adding whole shallots or baby onions to the roasting tin. Swap the thyme for tarragon if you prefer. Add a splash of cream to that gravy for something richer. Throw in some cherry tomatoes for the last 20 minutes of cooking.

The foundation is solid, which means you can play around with it depending on what you fancy or what you have in the larder.

When the wind is howling outside and you're wrapped up warm inside with the smell of roasting chicken and garlic filling the house, you'll understand why this has become my go-to Sunday meal. It's uncomplicated cooking that delivers extraordinary comfort, and sometimes that's exactly what we need.

Happy roasting!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I roast a chicken for?

For a 1.8-2.2kg chicken like our Thoughtful Producer Free Range Chicken, roast at 200°C for 20 minutes, then reduce to 180°C and continue for another hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The best way to check is with a meat thermometer—the thickest part of the thigh should read 75°C, or the juices should run clear when pierced. Always let it rest for 15 minutes after cooking. Remember, every oven is slightly different, so these times are guides rather than absolutes.

What temperature should I cook chicken at?

Start at a high temperature (200°C) for the first 20 minutes to get that lovely golden, crispy skin, then reduce to 180°C (160°C fan) for the remainder of cooking. This two-temperature method gives you the best of both worlds—gorgeous crispy skin and juicy, tender meat inside. The finished internal temperature should be 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh. If you're after convenience, our Roast Chicken Box includes everything you need for a perfect Sunday roast.