This elegant honey lavender roast chicken is the perfect centrepiece for a Lothlórien-inspired feast or an immersive Lord of the Rings dinner party menu. Fragrant with lavender, thyme, honey, and golden mead, this elven-inspired roast chicken pairs beautifully with our honey spruce tip cocktail inspired by Lothlórien and other elven recipes from Middle Earth.
At a glance: Honey Lavender Roast Chicken
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: ~2 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 4 servings
- Flavour: Herbal with floral notes, hints of sweetness and citrus
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Why this Works: Fresh thyme, delicate lavender, and a honey mead glaze give this roast chicken a fragrant woodland flavour inspired by the golden realm of Lothlórien.
A Feast in Lothlórien – The Golden Wood
Travel east over the Misty Mountains and enter the golden woods of Lothlórien for an enchanting elven feast. With hair as golden as the flowers of the Mallorn trees that adorn her realm, Galadriel rules over Lothlórien with her husband Celeborn. Aided by the power of Nenya, one of the three elvish rings of power, the woodland realm is kept beautiful and pure, free from evil and where the trees themselves do not die. Gather beneath the golden boughs of the Mallorn trees for an enchanting elven feast worthy of the woodland realm of Lothlórien – the heart of elvendom on Earth.
A Springtime Roast Chicken
Beneath the golden boughs of Lothlórien an elven feast is prepared with this elegant and aromatic roast chicken alongside a golden tomato zucchini galette. This succulent roast chicken is flavoured with delicate lavender buds and fragrant thyme which imparts a delicate floral aroma. The chicken is brushed with a sweet honey and lavender glaze and roasted until golden brown and juicy. After roasting, the chicken is served with a rich pan gravy made from the drippings and a splash of golden sweet mead. With a delicate floral aroma and hint of sweetness from the honey and mead, this delectable roast chicken is the perfect centrepiece for a lavish elven feast in the golden woods of Lórien.
Ingredients for Honey Lavender Roast Chicken
Chicken: I like to use a small fryer chicken for this recipe. Fryers are young chickens about 3 to 4 pounds in size. I recommend salting the chicken overnight which adds a ton of flavour and results in a more tender and juicy meat after roasting. I used this technique in our Roast Chicken with Mushroom Gravy.
Lavender: You can use dried or fresh lavender buds for this recipe.
Honey: The chicken is brushed with a sweet honey glaze during the last few minutes of roasting to add a hint of sweetness.
Thyme: Use fresh thyme if possible. Dried thyme can be substituted, simply reduce the amount to two teaspoons rather than tablespoons.
Lemon: The zest of the lemon in the herb butter adds a bright citrusy flavour to the chicken while the lemon juice in the honey glaze adds a balancing tang to the sweet glaze.
Mead: Mead, or honey wine, adds a hint of honey sweetness to the pan gravy and compliments the honey notes in the chicken. You can substitute the mead with dry vermouth or white wine, which is how I made the pan gravy in our Lemon Chamomile Chicken with Spring Vegetables. To make this recipe non-alcoholic, substitute with an equal amount of chicken broth. For this recipe, I used a local mead from Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery.
How to Make Honey Lavender Chicken
Salt the chicken
This might sound like an unnecessary step, but I encourage you to try it. In what amounts to basically a dry brine, overnight salting will render an extremely juicy, tender, and downright flavourful chicken. Pat the chicken dry and remove any strings. Liberally sprinkle kosher salt all over the surface of the chicken, even on the back. Place the chicken on a plate and cover. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove the chicken from the fridge two hours before you intend to roast it. Remove any covering and pat the chicken dry. Allow to come up to room temperature uncovered to allow the skin to dry off.
Prepare the compound butter
While the chicken is air drying you can prepare the compound butter. In a small bowl combine the softened butter, dried lavender, fresh thyme, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix well. Remove 2 tablespoons of the butter and set aside for later.
Prep the roasting pan
Cut a thick slice from the onion and set aside to stuff the chicken; cut the remaining onion into slices. Drizzle a large roasting pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter in the sliced onion, garlic cloves, and 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme. Place a rack on top of the aromatics.
Roast the chicken
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the chicken to the roasting pan. Cut the lemon in half and reserve one half to use in the glaze later. Stuff the cavity with the reserved piece of onion and half a lemon along with 2-3 thyme sprigs.
Use your fingers to separate the skin from the breast. Rub some of the butter under the skin over each breast. Use twine to tie the legs together tightly and tuck the wing tips under the chicken. Rub the remaining butter evenly over the whole chicken.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes depending on the size. Baste the chicken regularly with the pan drippings as it roasts.
Glaze the chicken
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the glaze. Melt the reserved compound butter in a small saucepan. Add the honey, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and the juice from the remaining half lemon. Whisk to combine.
Begin glazing the chicken when it reaches an internal temperature around 155°F. Brush the chicken generously with the glaze and continue roasting. Repeat once or twice to use all the glaze. If the chicken turns too dark before it’s done, cover with a piece of foil.
Finish roasting
The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Another way to tell the chicken is done is to tip the pan and check that the juices running from the cavity are no longer pink. Remove the chicken to a platter and let rest before carving.
Make the pan gravy
Remove the rack and any large pieces of vegetables or herbs from the roasting pan. Leave 1/4 cup of the drippings in the pan. Place the roasting pan over medium high heat.
Add the flour to the roasting pan and whisk into the fat to make a roux. Let the roux cook for a minute and then deglaze with the mead. Add the chicken broth, half a cup at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the gravy to a boil and cook until thickened. Add more broth if desired to thin out the gravy. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Strain the gravy through a fine mesh strainer.
Serve the Honey Lavender Roast Chicken
To serve, carve the chicken into pieces. Cut the legs off each side of the chicken and then split the drumstick from the thigh. Cut the wings off. Slice each breast off the breastbone. Slice each breast into 3 or 4 slices. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and serve with the pan gravy. Enjoy!
