How many of you are trying to be a bit more frugal with your grocery shopping? I know Jake and I always are! And it’s a bit unfair how the healthy foods are more expensive than the processed stuff! *end rant*
However, there are some ways to skirt around the expensive receipt and still get healthy ingredients. That’s why you will usually roast chicken on my menu at some point during the week. At our Costco store we bought 2 large birds for only $10! At our usual grocery store it’s $10 for 2lbs of chicken breasts! Yikes!
Roast chicken can be made so many different ways, and that’s why I love it. It makes plenty for the whole family and makes great leftovers too! You can shred the chicken and use it in salads, wraps, and sandwiches!
I have also been experimenting with fennel. I paired our chicken with roasted fennel as well and it came out delicious! I usually have it raw (in my salads) but this was a good way to make it too! I even incorporated some fennel seeds into the chicken seasoning. You, know, just to bring everything full circle.
I didn’t even tell you the best part! It cooks in 1 hour! Yup, you can come home and still have time to make this beauty.
Maybe even surprise that special someone for Valentine’s Day coming up? 😉
Lemon Fennel Roast Chicken is seasoned with fresh lemon juice, fennel seeds, thyme, rosemary, and paprika. It’s then roasted in the oven with some fennel bulbs. This dish packs tons of flavor, is low in calories and carbs, and an all-around healthy meal!
You Need:
1 roasting chicken
2 fennel bulbs, quartered
¼ stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tbs black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon thyme
Juice from ½ lemon
1 lemon, halved
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425
Place bird in roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels
In a food processor or blender, blend butter with spices and lemon juice until smooth
Spread lemon fennel butter on chicken evenly
Squeeze whole lemon inside the cavity and place lemon inside with it
Roast in oven for1hour until cooked all the through
In the last 30 minutes, place fennel bulbs on baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with some paprika.
Take the bird out of the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes (to let the juices set)
Slice and serve!
Hannah says
Excellent recipe! Even the picky eaters in the house ate it all up. Only thing I did differently was add some green onion for color during the last 10 minutes of cooking. We will definitely be making this again.
[email protected] says
Thank you so much for your feedback!! I'm so happy you and your family loved this! You made my day! 🙂
Cookin Canuck says
That fennel butter looks amazing! And it's so true that a roast chicken is a really good way to go for a healthy meal that's inexpensive.
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
Girlie, this chicken! It is insane! I love cooking chicken this way, especially on a cold day. So perfecto!
smacgloan says
Girrrrll!!! This looks and sounds so delicious! I see there are carrots there. Can we throw those at the bottom of the pan or on the rack? Hence there long size 😉
[email protected] says
Thank you!! Sorry i forgot to mention the cartots i actually peeled and threw them in with the fennel bulbs. I hope you like it!!!
[email protected] says
Hello gorgeous bird!!! What a delicious recipe, too!
[email protected] says
Thank you!!
comfortablydomestic says
Lemon and fennel together are the best! I really miss the days of the $5 whole chicken. It's way expensive here, too.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
I know what you mean! Our grocery bill went sky high went we started eating better. Love this chicken! I'll have to give it a try asap! I could eat chicken every day!
[email protected] says
Thank you Angie!
Bea says
Yup, I hear you same here. January is always a budget wise super tight month for us and roasting a chicken goes a long way. At least two great dinners out if one bird.
Love your twist on roasting the chicken with fennel and lemon. Will need to give it a try with the next bird.
A Family Feast (@AFamilyFeast) says
I adore fennel and lemon...and this chicken sounds incredible!
Nutmeg Nanny says
What a beautiful roast chicken! LOVE!
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez | girlichef.com says
Oh my gosh, that lemon fennel butter - I DIE! I would put that on so many things. This chicken sounds amazing. And yeah, chicken is ridiculously expensive here, too.
The Food Hunter says
this looks delicious! I am a huge fan of chicken. I'm sure I will be trying this soon