Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Rub chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic. Place breast-side up in large roasting pan. Brush with 3 Tbsp. butter. Coat potatoes with remaining 2 T. butter. Arrange with onions over chicken. Roast for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F. Roast for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Pour lemon juice over chicken. Remove chicken, potatoes and onion to warm serving platter. Slice chicken. Serve with gravy.
When I roast a small chicken (5 lbs.) in a same sized roaster, I add about 4 cups of either chicken broth or boullion to the roaster with the chicken already in it. I rub softened butter or margarine on the chicken first and add a few shakes of poultry seasoning on top of it. As it cooks (for at least an hour at 420 degrees F), you can use a turkey baster every so often to squeeze the juices from the bottom all over the chicken.
As the broth reduces, you're left with a nice thick sauce to make gravy from. Just remove the chicken and put the roaster on a burner on about medium heat and start making your gravy. I just add a couple of tablespoons of flour, maybe a few dashes of Worcestershire and some salt and pepper. Strain the gravy to get out the leftover bits and pieces.
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