Herb & Garlic Roast Chicken + Homemade Bone Broth Recipe

Hello Momma,

There’s something about roasting a whole chicken on a cool autumn day that just feels like home. 🍂 The kitchen smells incredible, dinner is taken care of, and you know you’re creating something that can stretch beyond one meal.

One of my favorite Back to Basics kitchen rhythms is simple:

Roast the chicken. Enjoy the meat. Save the bones. Make the broth.

It’s an old-fashioned approach to cooking that helps us make the most of what we already have in the kitchen. And when you’re preparing for postpartum, this kind of cooking can be especially helpful. Having simple, nourishing foods prepared ahead can make those early days feel a little easier.

🍗 Herb & Garlic Roasted Chicken

This chicken is seasoned with butter, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and fennel seeds for a simple, savory flavor that feels perfect for autumn.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken

• 4 tbsp French sea salt butter, softened

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 whole head garlic, cloves separated and smashed

• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Pat your chicken dry and place it in a roasting pan.

2. Add the butter.

Gently loosen the skin and rub some of the softened butter underneath.

Rub the remaining butter and olive oil over the outside of the chicken

3. Season.

Generously season the chicken with garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, sea salt and black pepper.

4. Roast.

Roast at 400°F for approximately 1 hour.

Increase the oven temperature to 450°F and continue roasting for approximately 30 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.

5. Rest and enjoy.

Let the chicken rest before carving.

Serve the roasted chicken with your favorite autumn sides, then save the bones and carcass for your broth.

🍲 Homemade Chicken Bone Broth
Now comes my favorite part. Instead of throwing those bones away, turn them into a beautiful homemade broth.

Ingredients

• Leftover chicken bones + carcass

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 whole head garlic, smashed

• 2–3 oz fresh ginger

• 10–12 cups water, or enough to cover

Instructions

1. Add your bones.

Place the leftover chicken bones and carcass into a large stockpot.

2. Add the aromatics.

Add the apple cider vinegar, smashed garlic and fresh ginger.

3. Cover with water.

Pour in approximately 10–12 cups of water, or enough to cover the bones.

4. Simmer.

Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 4½ hours.

You want a gentle simmer rather than a vigorous boil.

5. Strain.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve, removing the bones and aromatics.

6. Cool and store.

Allow the broth to cool before transferring it to storage containers.

Keep refrigerated for several days or freeze for longer storage.

🧺 Why I Love This for Postpartum Preparation

When preparing for postpartum, I like thinking about food in terms of what can be done ahead of time.

You may not want to spend an hour cooking every day when you’re recovering, feeding a newborn and adjusting to a completely new rhythm. So instead, build a kitchen full of foods that can work for you.

A roasted chicken can become:

🍗 Dinner

🥣 Shredded chicken for another meal

🍲 Homemade broth

🧺 Freezer portions for later

You can use the shredded chicken in soups, rice bowls, salads, sandwiches or simple meals throughout the week. And homemade broth can be enjoyed on its own or used as the base for soups, sauces, grains and other recipes.

Heal. Nourish. Cocoon. 🤎