Expect this paleo and keto roast chicken to be ridiculously juicy, bursting with flavor, and very (very!) easy to whip up!
Lemon & Thyme Keto Roast Chicken 🍗
Ridiculously Juicy!
Roasting a whole chicken can seem a little intimidating at first; but fact is, that even if you’re living solo, whipping up a whole bird is surely the way to go!
Think only 15 minutes prep time, and the chicken will be good for more than just one meal. i.e. meal prepping supreme!
Plus, buying a whole chicken is a sure way to get more bang for your buck. 💸
The Deets
I’ve been very much in love with roasted radishes (i.e. ‘potatoes) for a while now, and they’re simply awesome in roast dishes too! They soak up all the juices, making for an incredibly tasty side.
And perhaps one of the most lovable things about radishes is their carb count. We’re talking 1.8g net carbs per 100g serving…! That equates roughly to 0.1g net carbs per medium 1-inch radish. Nuts right?
You’ll also notice that I mix in a teaspoon or two of blackstrap molasses (with a dry white wine or broth) for a killer flavor kick. 1 teaspoon (7g) adds 5g net carbs (depending on your macros, very little effect on carbs/serving). But carbs aside, blackstrap molasses is a nutritional powerhouse rich in vital vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium.
But then again, if that’s not your thing just sub in with something such as Lakanto Golden or Sukrin Gold.
Oh, and I’m also rather fond of serving the chicken with the caramelized lemon slices. You see, after the nice and long roast, they take on a killer flavor and caramelize to perfection; becoming completely edible. But if they’re not your thing, simply remove after roasting.
Lemon & Thyme Keto Roasted Chicken 🍗
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken skin on, 5 to 6 pounds
- kosher salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 20 springs thyme
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8-10 cloves garlic thinly sliced lengthwise
- 4 medium shallots peeled and quartered lengthwise**
- 2 bunches medium radishes trimmed and halved
- 1/4 cup olives optional
- 1 lemon thinly sliced crosswise
- 2/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses or sweetener of choice*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C.
- Rinse the chicken inside out and pat dry. If need be, remove any leftover pin feathers. Liberally season with salt and freshly ground black pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the quartered onion, part of the thyme, and some garlic. Tie the legs together with a kitchen string.
- Pour olive oil onto roasting tray. Spread around the bottom of the pan remaining garlic, shallots, radishes and olives. Place prepared chicken on top and add lemon slices and remaining thyme springs.
- Mix together thoroughly white wine (or broth) and molasses (or sweetener). Pour over the chicken and veggies. Season the chicken on the outside liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear between the leg and thigh. A thermometer inserted near the bone should read at least 165°F (75°C). Cover with aluminum foil, and allow the chicken to rest for 20 minutes prior to slicing and serving.
- Oh, and I'm also rather fond of serving the chicken with the caramelized lemon slices. After the nice and long roasting time, they take on a killer flavor and caramelize to perfection; becoming completely edible. But if they're not your thing, simply remove after roasting.
The first time I made this, I burned the dickens out of the veggies, which was sad. Allrecipes says to cook at 425F for 15 minutes for a darker, crispy skin, then turn the heat down to 350F for 20 minutes per pound of chicken. So I tried again that way, tented with foil after 40 minutes to prevent singeing the veggies, and it was a success. So good! Glad I got to taste it in its full glory.
Thank you for sharing this! I followed the recipe exactly, using white wine and golden Lakanto, and it was SOOO good. I roasted it in a cast iron pan, and I was even able to make a delicious gravy from the juice. Served it with cauliflower mash and it was Sunday chicken dinner. I will definitely make this again…the biggest problem was to not eat too much if it! 😁
I made this as written, and while the chicken came out delicious, the veggies all burned to a crisp except for the ones the chicken was sitting on top of. Waaaahhh! I baked everything for an hour and 25 minutes in a darkish gray, non-stick roasting pan. Maybe the pan was the problem, as I’ve read dark colors cause food to cook faster. Or maybe it would’ve been okay if I’d thrown a foil dome over everything once the veggies were browned to my liking. Or I could’ve tried turning the heat down to 350F after the first 15 minutes, like I saw in a few, different recipes. Some of the singed veggies were still very tasty while others were just cinders. Anyway, I threw together a quick salad in lieu of the singed veggies. Success! Whole family loved it, including the dog. Will try again, maybe trying the foil dome idea next time.
My family doesn’t like the skin on chicken. So would the flavors get through to the meat or just on the skin of the chicken? For some reason, the baked chickens, in the deli department at grocery stores, is flavored through out the whole chicken. Would love to know how they do this. Thanks!
They inject it with brine, ie salty water.
Made this chicken tonight for the boyfriend. So easy and delicious! He said he had never tasted chicken so good, not even in a pricey restaurant. I love to roast veggies, and pre-Keto always had a variety ready to snack on.
Never tried radishes but now am a big fan!
This will be my go-to recipe from now on!!
Thanks for posting it!
What kind of olives do you use?
I just used normal green olives for this, nothing special xo!
Hi Paola, I recently discovered your blog while looking for keto recipes. I made the lemon thyme roasted chicken and it was an instant hit! And so easy to make! We loved it so much that I made it again two days later for lunch guests. I’m going to make your raspberry chia jam next. Thank you 🙂
That’s awesome to hear Zana! So happy you’re enjoying xo!
I made this tonight. It was amazing!!
Looks beautiful!! Do you have the nutrition values by any chance? Thanks
It’s at the bottom of the recipe