The Best Whole Roasted Chicken

This Whole Roasted Chicken recipe is simple, comforting, and so delicious. All you need are a few ingredients and a little time to make perfectly juicy, tender, and flavorful herb roasted chicken every single time.

I am so excited to bring you another post in our All the Healthy Things “Just the Basics” series. These posts are focused on helping you master basics in the kitchen and, hopefully, inspiring you with a few new ideas along the way.

If you are new to cooking, or just need a refresher on the basics, these posts are designed to help you feel more confident in the kitchen. Once you have a handle on a few basic concepts and techniques, you can easily build upon them to create new and exciting recipes dishes without a second thought.

Watch How to Make This Recipe

If you have ever wondered how some people just seem to know how to cook without a recipe or can quickly throw together a meal in a moment’s notice, it’s likely because they have a good grasp of the basics. I want that for you! It’s my hope that every just the basics post helps you feel more comfortable so that you can enjoy your time spent in the kitchen even more!

If you haven’t already be sure to check out the other how-to guides in the series.

Here are a few of our most popular posts:

How to Roast Butternut Squash

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

How to Bake Sweet Sweet Potatoes

How to Make Oat Flour

How to Brown Butter

The Best Whole Roasted Chicken

A whole roasted chicken is one of my very favorite things. There’s something so cozy and comforting about roasting a whole chicken and, when it’s done right, it produces some of the most juicy and flavorful meat.

This simple whole roasted chicken recipe is my go-to method and it really could not be any easier. All you need are a few simple ingredients and a little time to make a delicious roasted chicken, with perfect crispy skin, every single time.

All the Ingredients You’ll Need for the the Best Roasted Chicken

Whole Chicken: for this recipe we’ll be using a two to four pound whole chicken. Don’t forget to remove the giblets from inside the cavity before you get started.

Veggies: large chunks of carrot and celery are laid down as a base for the chicken and yellow onion is stuffed inside the cavity of the bird to give it some extra flavor while roasting. The carrots and celery also soak up some of the delicious roasting juices and are perfect served right alongside the bird.

Aromatics and Herbs: For this simple recipe you’ll use a combination of fresh garlic and fresh thyme.

Butter: any good roasted chicken includes a little bit of butter. It helps to add delicious flavor and for this recipe we’ll combine butter with other aromatics to create a juicy bird. I recommend using a high quality unsalted butter for the best results.

Olive Oil: to ensure the chicken browns without burning, we’ll use a little olive oil on the skin of the chicken.

Lemon: chicken and lemon go together like a match made in heaven and for this recipe we’ll use a combination of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.

Ingredient Swaps and Additions

Butter – if you need to keep this recipe dairy free you can swap the butter for olive oil or if you tolerate it you can use ghee instead.

Veggies – feel free to use only carrots or celery as a base for the bird if you only have one of these veggies on hand. You can also add a few more root veggies to the skillet if you like. Parsnips or potatoes are always great options.

Lemon – fresh lemon juice and zest is the way to go in this recipe for the best flavor.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Large Cast Iron Skillet

Sharp Knife

Kitchen Twine

Baster or Large Spoon

Instant Read Thermometer

How to Make a Whole Roasted Chicken in the Oven

Step One: Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

Step Two: Next, make the herb butter mixture. Add the melted butter, garlic, lemon zest, fresh thyme, a generous pinch of salt, and freshly cracked pepper to a small mixing bowl. Stir everything together until well combined.

Step Three: Next, add the celery and carrots to a large cast iron skillet. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry on both the inside and outside and then place the chicken on top of the veggies, breast side up.

Step Four: Use your hands to rub the melted butter mixture under the skin of the chicken as well as inside the cavity, being sure to use all of the butter and cover every nook and cranny.

Step Five: Next, stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic, yellow onion, lemon, and fresh thyme. If you like, you can use a bit of kitchen twine to tie the drumsticks together and keep everything inside.

Step Six: Drizzle the olive oil over the skin of the chicken and then use a basting brush to ensure that the skin is well coated with oil. Then, liberally season the chicken with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Step Seven: Place the chicken in the oven, on the middle rack, and roast for an hour, at the thickest part, reaches 165 degrees. Use a large spoon or baster to baste the chicken with the drippings every 30 minutes.

Step Eight: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for ten to fifteen minutes in the skillet before carving. Serve the chicken with the pan drippings or reserve them to make a homemade chicken gravy.

How Long to Roast a Chicken?

The amount of time it takes to fully roast your chicken will depend on the size and your oven! I typically roast a four pound bird and find that it takes me anywhere between an hour and fifteen minute to an hour and a half. For smaller birds it may take only an hour.

I like to start to check the doneness of my chicken at around 45 minutes. The most accurate way to check for doneness is to use a thermometer, inserted at the thickest part of the chicken but not hitting the bone. When the chicken is fully cooked, the temperature will read 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices will run clear and not pink.

Should You Roast a Chicken Covered or Uncovered?

For that golden brown crispy skin, you’ll need to roast your chicken uncovered instead of covered. If you roast a much larger chicken, that needs more oven time, you may find that the skin on the chicken starts to become too brown. If that happens, you can lightly tent a piece of foil overtop of the chicken to prevent it from burning.

How to Store

You can store your roasted chicken in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to three to four days.

Serving Suggestions

One of my favorite things about roasted chicken is that it can be paired with so many different things! Whether you go with creamy mashed potatoes or a hearty salad, it all works. Here are a few of my favorite things to pair with a roasted chicken:

• Homemade Gravy
• Creamy Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with Cranberries and Bacons
• Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad
• Broccoli Salad
• Crispy Homemade French Fries

Tips and Tricks for the Best Roasted Chicken

• To ensure the chicken cooks evenly, I like to take it out of the fridge around 10-15 minutes before I begin to prep it.
• For ultimate crispy skin, every time, be sure to thoroughly pat both the outside and inside of the chicken dry with a paper towel.
• Chicken needs salt to really be flavorful so don’t skimp on it when you’re roasting a chicken. There’s no need to be heavy handed but feel free to liberally season both the inside and the outside of the bird.
• Let chicken rest before carving! This step makes all the difference between perfectly juicy chicken and dry sad chicken. Letting the chicken rest before carving allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat for the most tender and flavorful chicken every time.

What to Do With Leftover Chicken

Leftover roasted chicken is one of my very favorite things. In fact, I’ll often roast a whole chicken just so I can have plenty of leftovers to use in other recipes.

Here are a few reader favorite ways to use leftover chicken:

Chopped Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad

Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

More Thanksgiving Recipes to Serve

Serving this for Thanksgiving dinner? Here are few more of our reader favorite Thanksgiving recipes to add your menu this holiday season:

• Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Brussels Sprouts Au Grain
• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
• Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels sprouts
• Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
• Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
• Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Rosemary White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
• Healthy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Brown Butter Honey Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

I hope you give this Roasted Whole Chicken a try! It’s so simple to make and absolutely delicious.

If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.

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Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: THE MINDFUL HAPA