This roast chicken is the best chicken I’ve ever made! It’s so flavorful, moist and easy to make.
This Roast Chicken is a family favorite for Sunday dinner
If you’ve ever been intimidated by cooking a whole chicken, this recipe is for you. This roasted chicken recipe is so simple, even beginner cooks can master it! You don’t need a roasting pan, just a few everyday ingredients. Preparing the chicken for the oven is quick and easy, and your house will smell incredible as it cooks.
My secrets for making the best juicy whole roasted chicken:
- I use butter plus a few dry seasonings to season the chicken – it’s super simple yet brings so much flavor. You just can’t beat the rich flavor that butter brings, plus it helps the skin to get nice and golden brown.
- I rub some of the seasoning on the breasts under the skin so that it flavors the meat.
- I cook it at high temperature (425° F) to get the skin nice and crispy while keeping the chicken juicy inside.
- I use an instant read thermometer to tell when it’s done. This is the most accurate way to know when the chicken is fully cooked without overcooking it, which can dry out the meat.
A juicy, flavorful roast chicken is one of my favorite Sunday dinners. I love to serve it with roasted potatoes and carrots and homemade biscuits. I prefer to cook roasted veggies separately from the chicken so that they don’t get soggy from the chicken juices, plus they take much less time to cook than the chicken. If oven space is an issue, you can put a tray of vegetables in the oven to cook while the roasted chicken rests/while you carve it.
Roast Chicken Recipe Ingredients
How to Roast a Chicken in the Oven
I cook this roast chicken in a cast iron skillet or a large rectangular baking dish (like a 9×13-inch Pyrex).
Let the chicken come to room temperature for 20 minutes. This helps it to cook more evenly.
Make the herb butter: Stir together the softened butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Prep the pan and the chicken: Put roughly chopped carrot and sliced onion in the bottom of your pan. Remove the chicken from its packaging. If there is a packet of giblets in the cavity of the chicken, remove it and discard. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then place it on top of the carrots and onions, breast side up. Tuck the wings under the chicken. Place half a lemon and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme in the cavity.
Season the chicken: Use a small spoon to gently loosen the skin from the breasts. Put a spoonful of the butter mixture on each of the chicken breasts, under the skin. Rub your fingers over the skin of the breasts to spread the butter around. Then rub the rest of the seasoned butter over the top of skin on the breasts, thighs and legs.
Finish and bake: Tie the legs of the chicken together with a small piece of kitchen twine (If you don’t have kitchen twine, you can skip this step. The chicken may bake 10-15 minutes faster without trussing the legs.) Pour ¾ cup of water (or chicken broth or white wine) in the bottom of the pan. Bake chicken in a 425°F oven for 65-90 minutes, or until it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F.
How Long to Roast a Chicken
At 425°F, a whole chicken will take about 65-90 minutes to cook. An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and breast not touching bone should register at least 165°F. A 3.5 pound chicken will take about 65 minutes, a 4 pound chicken will take about 70 minutes, a 4.5 pound chicken will take about 80 minutes, and a 5 pound chicken will take about 90 minutes.
Should you wash the chicken?
No, do not wash or rinse the chicken before cooking. Doing so would only contaminate your sink. Any bacteria on the chicken will be killed as it roasts in the oven.
To Make Gravy
If you want to make gravy, use chicken broth for the 3/4 cup cooking liquid in the pan since this will make a more flavorful gravy. Strain the juices after cooking to remove the solids and use my turkey gravy recipe – it makes great chicken gravy too! You will have to add some chicken broth to make enough liquid for the gravy, as directed in the recipe.
What to Serve with Roasted Chicken
Here are my favorite side dishes for roast chicken:
- We love it with roasted veggies – Roasted Carrots, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Green Beans.
- You can’t go wrong with Mashed Potatoes.
- A fresh salad, like my Massaged Kale Salad pairs wonderfully with roast chicken.
- My family loves bread with this meal. Try Garlic Knots, Honey Yeast Rolls or slice up a loaf of sourdough.
The leftovers may be the best part
The leftovers from this roast chicken are so good! I have a few go-to recipes that I like to make with the leftovers:
Did you make this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Easy, No Fuss Roast Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 3.5-5 pound whole chicken
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Pan:
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1-2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup water, chicken broth or white wine
For the Cavity:
- ½ lemon, cut into 2 pieces
- a few sprigs fresh herbs, rosemary and/or thyme
Instructions
- Let chicken come to room temperature for 20 minutes.3.5-5 pound whole chicken
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425° F with a rack in the lower center position of the oven.
- In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. (If the butter is not soft enough to mix well with the other ingredients, you can soften it for a few seconds in the microwave. Just be careful not to melt it.)4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Arrange the onion and carrot in an even layer in the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish, cast iron skillet or roasting pan.1 yellow onion, 1-2 medium carrots
- Remove chicken from packaging. If there is a packet of giblets in the cavity of the chicken, remove it and discard. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on top of the carrots & onions, breast side up. Tuck the wings under the chicken. Place lemon and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme in the cavity.½ lemon, a few sprigs fresh herbs
- Use a small spoon to loosen the skin from the breasts. Put a spoonful of the butter mixture on each of the chicken breasts, under the skin. Rub your fingers over the skin of the breasts to spread the butter around. Then rub the rest of the seasoned butter over the top of skin on the breasts, thighs and legs.
- Use kitchen twine to tie the legs of the chicken together, close to the body of the chicken. (If you don't have kitchen twine, you can skip this step. The chicken may bake 10-15 minutes faster without trussing the legs.)
- Pour ¾ cup of water (or chicken broth or white wine) in the bottom of the pan.¾ cup water, chicken broth or white wine
- Bake chicken at 425° F for 65-90 minutes, or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F. (An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and breast not touching bone should register at least 165°F. A 3.5 pound chicken will take about 65 minutes, a 4 pound chicken will take about 70 minutes, a 4.5 pound chicken will take about 80 minutes, and a 5 pound chicken will take about 90 minutes. Always confirm doneness with an instant read thermometer.) If the chicken is browning too much as it cooks, you can cover it loosely with foil. Uncovering it during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking will help to make the skin crispy.
- Let chicken rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
