Ingredients
FOR LEMON-HERB BUTTER:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon All-Purpose Poultry Sprinkle (page 135)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, Minute Maid®
1 teaspoon crushed garlic, Gourmet Garden®
1⁄4 teaspoon lemon zest
FOR CHICKEN:
1 4-pound whole roasting chicken
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, McCormick®
1 packet (0.75-ounce) fresh herbs poultry herb blend
(sage, thyme, and rosemary), Ready Pac®
1 lemon, thickly sliced
Directions
For Lemon-Herb Butter, in a small bowl, using a fork, combine softened butter, All-Purpose Poultry Sprinkle, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or until firm but not hard.
Set up grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (no direct heat source under bird; see page 15). Oil grate when ready to start cooking.
Remove neck and giblets from chicken cavity. Trim excess fat. Rinse the chicken body cavity under cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird.
Chop Lemon-Herb Butter into small pieces. Place some of the butter pieces under the skin of the chicken. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with fresh herbs and lemon slices.
Place chicken, breast side up, on hot, oiled grill over a drip pan. Cover grill. Roast for 1 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 hours or until golden brown and internal temperature of thigh meat reaches 180 degrees F. Remove chicken from grill and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.
