Easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients, this whole roasted chicken recipe is a family favorite. You probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen! Tender, juicy, golden, and so aromatic, you’ll never want to pick up another store-made rotisserie chicken. It’s the perfect meal that goes with any side dish. Try serving it with my smashed potatoes recipe, corn salad recipe, or garlic bread recipe for the perfect weeknight dinner recipe.
You only need a few minutes of hands-on time to prepare the chicken, and then the oven does the rest! It’s such an easy recipe that anyone can make it. A whole roasted chicken is shockingly so much easier to make than you think! Follow the step-by-step guide below, and you’ll have perfect, crispy roasted chicken every single time.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Chicken — make sure you fully thaw the chicken before you start preparing it. If you have purchased a frozen chicken, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
Salt and pepper — it’s important you season with enough salt and pepper to ensure the chicken doesn’t taste bland.
Lemon — skip the bottled lemon juice and use a fresh lemon, as you’ll need the rind to go inside the chicken. This way, the lemon imparts more flavor to the chicken as it roasts.
Garlic — again, you’ll need fresh garlic, not dried garlic powder. When stuffed into the cavity, the garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon add fantastic flavor to the chicken.
How to Make Roasted Chicken
1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it in a large roasting pan.
2. In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Gently loosen the skin on the chicken breast and thighs and rub the butter mixture under the skin and all over the outside of the chicken. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken.
4. Place the lemon rinds in the cavity along with the halved garlic and 3 thyme sprigs.
5. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Place the onion slices and the remaining 3 sprigs of thyme around the chicken in the bottom of the pan.
6. Place the chicken into a 450°F oven and reduce the temperature to 425°F. Bake until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, basting with juices every 30 minutes. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted onion and pan drippings.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Make sure to remove as much moisture from the chicken as possible before you start seasoning it. The more dry your chicken, the crispier the skin will be.
- Rubbing the butter mixture underneath the skin ensures that flavor will soak into the meat itself instead of just sitting on top of the skin.
- Don’t skip resting the chicken before serving. Resting the chicken after roasting allows the juices to soak back into the meat, so the chicken is more moist and tender. If you cut into the chicken too soon, the juices will run out onto the cutting board.
- Make sure to use kitchen twine to truss the chicken, as it’s oven-safe. You shouldn’t skip tying the legs together as it creates a uniform shape that helps the chicken cook evenly. It also prevents the chicken breasts from drying out due to an exposed cavity.
- There is no need to rinse raw chicken. Simply pat the chicken dry of any moisture with a paper towel.
- When you baste the chicken, work quickly. You lose heat every time you open the oven door to baste, so avoid leaving the oven door open for long periods.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m using a 3 to 4 pound chicken, but any size chicken will work. You will have to increase the amount of ingredients and cooking time, as well as making sure you have a large enough vessel to roast the chicken in. Bake the chicken for an additional 20 minutes per pound. A good rule of thumb is around 1 pound of chicken per serving, so keep that in mind as you pick a chicken to roast.
To tell if the chicken is done, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh and see if the internal temperature reads 165°F. The juices should also run clear when you cut into the chicken thigh.
You should store leftover chicken in the fridge in an airtight container. You can shred the leftover meat off the bones to make it easier to repurpose the leftovers. Cooked chicken lasts up to 4 days if properly stored.
You can freeze leftover chicken meat. You can also freeze the carcass to make broth with it. Freeze the meat and bones separately in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
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If you’ve tried this Roasted Chicken recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Roasted Chicken
Equipment
- Roasting pan or large baking dish
- Cooking twine
Ingredients
- 1 (3- to 4-pound/1.4- to 1.8kg) whole chicken giblets removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lemon halved
- 1 head garlic cut in half crosswise
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme divided
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place in a large roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, oil, salt, and pepper. Gently loosen the skin on the chicken breast and thighs and rub the butter mixture under the skin and all over the outside of the chicken.
- Squeeze the lemon over the chicken, and place the rinds in the cavity along with the halved garlic and 3 thyme sprigs. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Place the onion slices and the remaining 3 sprigs of thyme around the chicken in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the roasting pan in preheated oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425°F. Bake until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, basting with juices every 30 minutes. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted onion and pan drippings.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to remove as much moisture from the chicken as possible before you start seasoning it. The more dry your chicken, the crispier the skin will be.
- Rubbing the butter mixture underneath the skin ensures that flavor will soak into the meat itself instead of just sitting on top of the skin.
- Don’t skip resting the chicken before serving. Resting the chicken after roasting allows the juices to soak back into the meat, so the chicken is more moist and tender. If you cut into the chicken too soon, the juices will run out onto the cutting board.
- Make sure to use kitchen twine to truss the chicken, as it’s oven-safe. You shouldn’t skip tying the legs together as it creates a uniform shape that helps the chicken cook evenly. It also prevents the chicken breasts from drying out due to an exposed cavity.
- There is no need to rinse raw chicken. Simply pat the chicken dry of any moisture with a paper towel.
- When you baste the chicken, work quickly. You lose heat every time you open the oven door to baste, so avoid leaving the oven door open for long periods.
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