Slow Roasted Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Butter

If you want some delicious chicken, this recipe is totally worth the time it takes to make it.  It takes a little time for the basting, but we cleaned this chicken up.  It was great. 

From For The Love of Cooking

5 lb free range chicken
1-2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Zest of one lime
1 clove of garlic, minced + several more cloves for stuffing
1/2 a sweet yellow onion quartered
Handful of cilantro including stems for stuffing
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Clean chicken and pat dry. Mix the chopped cilantro, minced garlic, and lime zest with the butter, mix well. Place the chicken on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Spread a bit of the butter mixture over the back of the chicken. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half all over the back of the chicken. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper then flip the bird over breast side up. Carefully, lift the skin over the breasts and rub some of the butter mixture directly onto the breast meat. Then rub the remaining butter mixture over the skin of the bird. Squeeze juice from the other half of the lime over the skin. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place the lime halves inside the cavity along with the handful of cilantro, onion, and garlic cloves.
Place the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Roast uncovered for 3 1/2 - 4 hours until the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. I start basting my bird after 2 hours and repeat every 1/2 an hour after that. My chicken turns out sticky and slightly crispy. If you want crispy skin then don't baste for the last hour and turn the heat up to 350 degrees for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from oven and let the bird rest for AT LEAST 10 minutes before carving. Enjoy!