Whole Roast Chicken flavored with garlic, butter, and herbs, then oven roasted to a golden, crispy, and juicy perfection! EASY, simple to make, and flavorful, this is the BEST roast chicken, and it’s perfect for weekend or weeknight dinners.
Whole Roast Chicken
A succulent roast chicken recipe smothered with butter, garlic, and herbs is for anyone who wants to know how to roast a whole chicken with just a handful of ingredients. Roast Chicken is a complete meal that requires minimal prep work with fantastic textures and flavors.
Prepare your side dish of choice, and you get yourself a complete DINNER. You can also shred the chicken and use it throughout the week for salads, soups, and sandwiches.
How To Cook a Whole Chicken
Oven Baked Chicken Breasts are great for an everyday meal, but a whole baked chicken is a nourishing and comfort-food classic that you just can’t ignore. 😍
- First, grab a 3 to 4 pound bird and remove the giblets inside the chicken’s cavity. Then, get some paper towels and dry off the skin. Dry skin results in crispier baked skin.
- Next, place chicken, breast side UP, on a rack set over a shallow roasting pan or jelly roll pan. Most of the time, I use this jelly roll pan and rack.
- Brush the chicken with melted butter and rub garlic all over the chicken.
- In a small bowl mix together salt, lemon pepper, dried basil, and dried thyme. Take this seasoning mix and rub it onto the chicken.
- Add salt inside the cavity, too, and put some garlic cloves in there, as well as half of a lemon and fresh rosemary sprigs, or any other fresh herbs that you have on hand. Don’t crowd the cavity with too many things because that can result in uneven cooking.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken. Then, roast, uncovered.
How Long To Roast a Chicken
- It will take anywhere from one hour to one hour-and-a-half for the chicken to cook. Chicken is done when its skin is golden, juices run clear, and when internal temperature reaches 165˚F. To check for doneness, use an Instant Read Thermometer.
- When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven, baste the chicken with the juices, and let rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.
Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken
- Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
- Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Lemon Butter Green Beans
- Garlic Butter Cauliflower Rice
How To Store Leftovers
- Carve out all the meat and let completely cool.
- Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 4 days.
More Roasted Chicken Recipes
ENJOY!
Roast Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pound whole broiler-fryer chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, or you can also use fresh ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- Remove giblets from inside of the chicken’s cavity.
- Thoroughly dry the chicken with paper towels.
- Place chicken, breast side UP, on a rack set over a shallow roasting pan or jelly roll pan.
- Brush the chicken with the melted butter.
- Sprinkle or rub minced garlic all over the chicken.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, basil, thyme, and lemon pepper; rub onto the chicken.
- Add some salt to the inside of the cavity and fill the cavity with lemon slices, rosemary, and garlic cloves.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken.
- Roast, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F and continue to cook until done, about 1 more hour and 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚F.
- Remove from oven and baste the chicken with the juices.
- Let rest for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Cooking Temperature: You can roast a chicken at any temperature; however, in my opinion, it’s best to preheat the oven to 450˚F, roast the chicken for ten minutes at that temperature, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F. In all my testing, I found this was the best method for crispy skin but tender and juicy meat.
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer: To avoid dry chicken, use this critical tool. Chicken is done cooking when the internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
