Gordon Ramsay’s roast chicken is a 2kg bird with parsley butter pushed under the skin, lemon halves stuffed in the cavity, and roasted on a bed of vegetables at 190°C until the juices run clear. He separates the legs from the crown before roasting so the breast and thighs cook evenly. Rest for 15 minutes, then carve. Serves 4-6.
This recipe comes from Chef’s Secrets where he says “the problem with roasting a large chicken is that the breast and legs take different lengths of time to cook. The trick is to cook them apart.” In the Ultimate Cookery Course he uses a different approach: roasting under “a tent of foil with stock and water” for the first hour, then removing it to brown, which “results in a much plumper and fuller chicken.”
The herb butter under the skin is what makes a Ramsay roast chicken different from everyone else’s. He works his fingers under the breast skin from both ends and spreads the soft butter evenly, which bastes the meat from the inside as it renders during cooking.
Gordon Ramsay Roast Chicken
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium4-6
servings20
minutes45
minutes480
kcal80
minutesClassic roast chicken from Ramsay’s Chef’s Secrets. Parsley butter pushed under the skin, lemon and herbs in the cavity, roasted on a bed of chopped vegetables. His key technique is separating the legs from the crown so both cook perfectly. Serve with cardamom carrots and dauphinoise potatoes. About 480 kcal per serving.
Ingredients
1 large free-range chicken, about 2kg (4 lb 6 oz)
200g (7 oz) butter, softened
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large leek, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
Half a head of garlic (5 cloves), peeled
Handful of thyme sprigs
Few small rosemary sprigs
1 lemon, halved
Olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Separate the legs: Slash the skin between the thighs and breast, pull the legs out to dislocate the joints, then cut through to separate. Chop off the bony ends. This means the breast and legs can cook at their own pace.
- Remove the wishbone: Lift the neck skin and cut the wishbone away from the flesh using a sharp knife. Where the tip meets the breastbone, stick the knife in and press down to break it free. This makes carving much easier later.
- Make the herb butter: Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Mix half the softened butter with the chopped parsley and season with pepper. Work your fingers under the breast skin from both ends and spread the herb butter evenly between the skin and flesh.
- Build the roasting bed: Scatter the chopped carrot, leek, onion, and celery in a roasting tin. Sit the chicken crown on top. Scatter the garlic cloves, thyme, and rosemary over the vegetables. Season the skin and place the lemon halves in the body cavity.
- Roast: Cook for about 30 minutes, basting with the pan juices 3-4 times to brown and crisp the skin. Roast the legs separately on another tray, they need about 45 minutes. The breast is done when a skewer inserted into the thickest part produces clear juices.
- Rest and carve: Remove to a warmed serving dish, cover loosely with foil, and rest for a good 15 minutes. The juices will be reabsorbed into the flesh. Carve the breast and serve with the roasted legs, cardamom carrots, and roast potatoes.
FAQs
Why put butter under the skin?
Ramsay says “to keep the breast moist, spread herb butter under the skin.” The butter melts during roasting and bastes the breast from the inside, which means the meat stays juicy even if you overcook it slightly. It’s different from rubbing butter on top, which only flavours the skin.
Work your fingers gently under the skin from both ends of the breast. You’ll feel it separate easily from the flesh. Spread the soft butter evenly, then smooth the skin back into position and massage to distribute it. The parsley in the butter releases its flavour directly into the meat.
How do you carve a roast chicken properly?
Start by removing the legs. Cut between the leg and the breast, bend the leg back to find the joint, and slice through it. Separate the drumstick from the thigh at the joint. Then carve the breast: slice downwards at a slight angle, keeping the slices thick enough to stay moist.
Removing the wishbone before roasting makes carving much easier because the knife glides through without hitting bone. Rest the bird for a full 15 minutes before touching it. Cutting too early means the juices pour onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
What to roast alongside the chicken?
The cookbook serves it with cardamom carrots: baby carrots fried in butter with cardamom pods for 15 minutes until caramelised. He specifically suggests his dauphinoise potatoes as “the ultimate Sunday lunch” accompaniment.
For a proper roast dinner, start with his broccoli and Stilton soup as a starter. Steamed greens, roast parsnips, or cauliflower cheese all work alongside. Pour his chicken gravy over everything.
Why stuff with lemon?
The lemon steams inside the cavity as the chicken roasts, which does two things. The steam keeps the inside of the breast moist, and the citrus flavour works its way into the meat and the pan juices. Ramsay uses this in both his Chef’s Secrets and UCC recipes.
In the UCC version, he squeezes the roasted lemon into the pan juices after cooking and whisks to create “a light gravy.” That one step turns the drippings from fatty liquid into an actual sauce. If you want a thicker gravy, he says to “reduce over a high heat.”
Can you roast thighs instead of a whole chicken?
Bone-in thighs take about 35-40 minutes at 190°C. They’re more forgiving than breast because dark meat has more fat, so they stay juicy even if you slightly overcook them. Score the skin side for crispier results.
The trade-off is you lose the drama of carving a whole bird at the table, and you don’t get the cavity for lemon or stuffing. For a weeknight dinner, thighs are easier. For a Sunday roast, the whole chicken is worth the extra effort.
Does roast chicken store well?
The meat keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. Slice it cold for sandwiches, or shred it for his chicken pie which is the best use of leftover roast chicken. The carcass makes brilliant stock: simmer with carrot, celery, onion, and water for 2-3 hours.
Don’t reheat roast chicken in the microwave. It dries out the breast completely. If you want it warm, lay the sliced meat in a tray, pour over a splash of stock, cover with foil, and warm through at 160°C for 10 minutes.
