Nothing says cooler weather than a roasted chicken. Since we’re on a keto diet, we get to wrap this guy in bacon, too! It’s slightly zesty and full of citrus flavor which gives a fantastic balance to the rich and hearty gravy we make with the pan drippings. If you need a way to get some extra fats in on the side, I’d highly recommend the Keto Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin that I posted yesterday. They’re great and would pair well with this dish.
You normally see bacon wrapped around birds because their skin just doesn’t do the best job at keeping the moisture inside. If you’re a fan of juicy, plump, and well-seasoned chicken, then this is the recipe for you! It’s a great way to get that taste of chicken and bacon with every single bite.
On top of that? While it’s roasting, that fantastic aroma of roasted chicken with bacon fat permeates through the entire kitchen. Okay, maybe the smell alone won’t convince you, but what will – there’s plenty of leftovers with this! You can put yourself together a delicious chicken, bacon, and ranch salad. Or, make some quick bread and toast them with cheese to make a bacon, chicken, and cheese panini.
What’s your favorite way to roast a chicken? Let us know in the comments below!
Yields 8 Servings of Bacon Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy
The Preparation
- 48 ounces whole chicken, gutted
- 1 medium lemon, halved
- 1 medium lime, halved
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 10 ounces bacon
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
The Execution
1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Rinse the chicken off and stuff with 1 lemon cut in half, 1 lime cut in half, and 4 sprigs of thyme. Rub salt and pepper over the chicken lightly.
2. Arrange strips of bacon, slightly overlapping, on the chicken. Be excessive with the bacon if needed and use more if you need it. You want to whole bird covered. Season again lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a roasting rack – you can do a makeshift roasting rack using a cooling rack and a cookie sheet covered in foil.
3. Place chicken in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350F and cook for an additional 40-50 minutes or until the juices run clear.
4. Remove chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
5. Place foil over the chicken and transfer the broth into a saucepan over the stove on high heat. Let the sauce come to a boil and then add the grain mustard. Mix together well and let sauce reduce slightly. Add seasonings if needed.
6. Using an immersion blender, blend together all of the sauce so that it is consistent and thickened. Add extra lemon and lime juice if needed from the leftovers in the chicken cavity.
7. Serve chicken up with a side of the pan gravy, carve how you wish, and enjoy!
This makes a total of 8 servings of Bacon-Wrapped Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy. Each serving comes out to be 610 calories, 41.7g fats, 1.7g net carbs, and 57.9g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 48 ounce whole chicken | 3252 | 190.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 367.4 |
| 1 medium lemon | 24 | 0.3 | 7.8 | 2.4 | 5.5 | 0.9 |
| 1 medium lime | 20 | 0.1 | 7.1 | 1.9 | 5.2 | 0.5 |
| 2 teaspoon fresh thyme | 2 | 0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| — salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 ounce bacon | 1511 | 132.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75.6 |
| 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard | 9 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Totals | 4819 | 323.8 | 16.2 | 5.1 | 11.1 | 445.1 |
| Per Serving (/8) | 602 | 40.5 | 2 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 55.6 |
Bacon-Wrapped Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy
Ingredients
- 48 ounce whole chicken gutted
- 1 medium lemon halved
- 1 medium lime halved
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 ounce bacon
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500F. Rinse the chicken and stuff with the lemon halves, lime halves, and sprigs of thyme. Rub salt and pepper over the chicken lightly.
- Arrange the strips of bacon over the chicken, slightly overlapping. Go overboard if needed — the whole bird should be covered. Lightly season again with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a roasting rack (a cooling rack over a foil-lined cookie sheet can also be used for this).
- Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350F and cook for an additional 40–50 minutes or until the juices run clear.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Cover the chicken with foil and transfer the broth to a saucepan over high heat. Allow the sauce to come to a boil and then add the grain mustard. Mix together well and let the sauce reduce slightly. Season as needed.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to a thick, even consistency. Add extra lemon and lime juice if needed, using the leftovers in the chicken cavity.
- Serve the chicken with the pan gravy on the side, carve as desired, and enjoy!
