Maple Butter Whole Roasted Chicken
Oct 14, 2020, Updated Aug 11, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Looking to impress your family, guests, or even just yourself? This easy Maple Butter Roast Chicken is the answer! A whole roasted chicken coated in a sweet, buttery glaze, baked alongside a medley of hearty winter veggies and tangy tomatoes. It’s pure deliciousness in every bite!
Easy Whole Roasted Chicken Dinner
I love cooking with chicken, don’t you? It’s so versatile! From bone-in thighs with crispy skin, to the perfect air fried chicken tenders, chicken has a lot to offer.
But if you’ve tried my easy roast chicken recipe, then you know that one of my all-time, absolute favorite ways to prepare chicken is simply to roast one whole bird with a blend of amazing flavors.
This Maple Roasted Chicken is a delicious twist on the classic roast chicken. The star of the show is the maple butter glaze, which adds a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors. It gives the chicken a rich, caramel-like sweetness and helps create that beautifully crispy skin we all love.
This chicken recipe will have everyone coming back for seconds, so it’s perfect for special occasions, family dinners, or just an indulgent weekend treat. In the Fall especially, whole roasted chicken is just so homey and amazing to bring to the table – and this one with maple syrup, butter, and roast veggies is so seasonally on point!
Recipe Ingredients
To make this flavorful whole roast chicken, you’ll need a few simple ingredients including a whole chicken and maple syrup, fresh herbs, and a variety of hearty vegetables.
For the Chicken:
- A Whole Chicken: You’ll need a 3 to 3.5 pound whole broiler-fryer chicken.
- Butter: 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened.
- Pure Maple Syrup: You can substitute sugar-free or keto maple syrup.
- Fresh Garlic: Mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press.
- Fresh Thyme and Oregano Leaves: Remove any stems and chop the leaves lightly.
- Salt and Black Pepper: To season the chicken and enhance all the flavors.
- Lemon: Cut the lemon into 4 wedges
- Fresh Thyme and Oregano Sprigs: No need to stem or chop, just rinse and pat dry.
For the Vegetables:
- Tomatoes: I like cherry tomatoes, but you can substitute whatever tomatoes are freshest and cut them into bite-sized pieces, if needed.
- Potatoes: Any waxy potato in bite-sized pieces will work, but I prefer baby potatoes.
- Onion: You can use any type of onion, cut into wedges.
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets: If you don’t have one or the other, you can use all broccoli, or all cauliflower.
- Olive Oil: For cooking the veggies.
How To Clean A Whole Chicken
It’s actually very easy to clean and prep a whole chicken. First, if your chicken includes a package of giblets inside, remove that. You can toss them or save them for another use. Then, place the chicken in your prepared baking dish, season it, and tie the legs together. It’s also a good idea to tuck the wings underneath the back of the bird to prevent scorching.
Some folks wash their chicken with water before cooking, but I generally don’t recommend this. It’s not really necessary and it increases your risk of food poisoning because the water can splash on your counter, arms, clothing, etc.
How To Roast a Whole Chicken
This roasted maple chicken recipe couldn’t be easier to make. With just a bit of prep, you can pop it into the oven and let it cook while your house fills with the amazing aroma of roasting chicken.
- Prep the Oven, Pan, and Chicken. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Remove any giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the breast-side up on a rack set over a jelly roll pan, or inside a roasting pan.
- Make the Seasoning Mixture: In a mixing bowl combine softened butter, maple syrup, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Dress the Chicken: Using your fingers, or the handle of a wooden spoon, carefully loosen the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs. Rub half of the butter mixture under the skin, spreading it all around and to the thighs. Rub the rest of the butter mixture on top of the skin. Add a bit of salt and cracked black pepper inside the cavity; then fill the cavity with lemon wedges, thyme sprigs, and oregano sprigs.
- Truss and Roast the Chicken: Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken. Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Prep and Add the Veggies: In the meantime, combine all the veggies in a mixing bowl and add olive oil; toss to coat. Remove the chicken from the oven and add the vegetables to the pan.
- Finish Roasting: Lower the oven temperature to 350˚F. Continue to roast the chicken for 1 more hour, or until internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Stir veggies halfway through cooking. Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 minutes.
How To Roast Vegetables
It really doesn’t get much simpler than roasting veggies! Just choose your veggies, cut them up, and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then roast until they’re tender and browned — so simple! I’ve already written a whole post on how to roast vegetables if you’d like more specifics! They really are an easy, super-delicious side dish, so go all out!
Serving Suggestions
I love to start off a meal like this with something a bit luxurious as an appetizer. These scrumptious caprese stuffed mushrooms are absolutely perfect!
I also find that whole roast chickens often create a lovely pan sauce all their own, so it’s nice to serve up a homemade quick bread to soak up that yumminess. Try my soda bread or cornbread for the perfect rustic touch. An easy flatbread would also be amazing on the side.
A nice dessert is always appropriate, right? Try this wonderful chocolate pumpkin bread. It’s such an easy and rewarding bake for cold weather!
How To Store and Reheat Leftovers
- To refrigerate, simply remove the chicken from the bones and transfer the meat to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
- To freeze, remove the chicken meat from the bones and discard the bones, or save them for broth. Store the meat in freezer bags and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Freeze the vegetables separately, in airtight containers or freezer bags, for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, first thaw the chicken and/or veggies separately in the refrigerator (if frozen). Reheat in the oven, covered, at 350˚F until just heated through. Do not overcook.
More Whole Chicken Recipes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Maple Butter Roast Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 whole broiler-fryer chicken, 3 to 3.5 pounds
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 small lemon, cut into 4 wedges
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 fresh oregano sprigs
For the Vegetables:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 pound baby potatoes, quartered
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges
- ½ pound broccoli florets
- ½ pound cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and fresh ground pepper,, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- Remove giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken. Thoroughly pat dry chicken with paper towels.
- Place the chicken breast-side UP on a rack set over a jelly roll pan or inside a roasting pan. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl combine softened butter, maple syrup, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Using your fingers, or the handle of a wooden spoon, carefully loosen the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs.
- Rub HALF of the butter mixture under the skin, spreading it all around and to the thighs.
- Rub the rest of the butter mixture on top of the skin.
- Add a bit of salt and cracked black pepper inside the cavity; fill the cavity with lemon wedges, 4 thyme sprigs, and 4 oregano sprigs.
- Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together.
- Tuck the wings under the body of the chicken.
- Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, combine all the veggies in a mixing bowl and add olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
- Remove chicken from oven and add the vegetables to the pan.
- Lower oven temperature to 350˚F.
- Continue to roast the chicken for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚F. Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Start checking at the 55-minute mark.Stir veggies halfway through cooking.
- Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 to 12 minutes before cutting.
- Cut and serve.
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.
The smallest chicken I could find at the store was 7 lbs. Should I wait until halfway through the cooking time to add the veggies, so they don’t overcook and get burnt/mushy?
This was SO juicy and tender. I made this for Christmas Eve dinner, I roasted garlic in the pan with the chicken and put cut up pieces of lemon inside. I modified the butter mixture a bit, adding curry powder. The maple syrup in this is A BRILLIANT idea, it adds a sweetness and the pan drippings made the most delicious cider gravy. I cooked it for about 2 hours, starting from 450, dropping to 375 and then 350 gradually. I served this with mashed potatoes and it was amazing. We’re gonna do this for New Years Eve too. This recipe is our new go to.
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
I made this chicken tonite to serve tomorrow night. Once its done cooking, do I refrigerate itimmediately or get it to room temp. Also, how long do I reheat it for and at what temp.? Can’t wait to eat this yummy looking chicken!!
Hi!
Yes, you will want to get it to room temperature and then put away in the fridge until ready to use. Reheat it in the oven at 400หF for about 15 minutes, or until heated through. Keep in mind that it’s only safe to reheat chicken one time. You can not reheat it again. Any leftovers should be discarded.
This looks delicious. I’ve been wanting to make this for the past week but cannot seem to find kitchen twine anywhere (such an odd thing for stores to be sold out of!) is it TOTALLY necessary to tie the legs together? I’m assuming the goodies on the inside will eventually fall out if not tied together?
Also, would it work if I covered the chicken in the maple syrup and butter the night before and cook it the next afternoon? My boyfriend works from home and does NOT like to cook haha. This way I can prep the chicken the night before and he can just plop it in the oven for me before I get home.
Thank you! ๐
Hi!
Tying the legs helps keep the wings and breasts from drying out when cooking. Is it totally necessary? No, you can do without it.
Yep! You can definitely prep the chicken the night before. ๐
Do you cook it with the lid on or off when you turn the oven temp down?
Hi!
Cook it uncovered the entire time.
Hi! Excited to make this recipe. I was wondering if using a dutch oven would work?
Hi! ๐
Sure, as long as it’s big enough. I think a 6.5-qt, or 7-qt should be OK.
I made this Saturday night, exactly as written except I used brussel sprouts and carrots instead of tomatoes and cauliflower (it’s what I had). It was fantastic, I would not change a thing. Thank you!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
From Tanzania,i have been following up your recipes and what i can say is that they are really amazing so great, can’t wait to try this one out