Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe
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This whole roasted chicken is both delicious and budget-friendly. You can use one chicken to make multiple meals, or even pull it apart and freeze some for future recipes.
Roasting a whole chicken is an essential skill unless you are plant-based. Knowing how to cook a chicken to perfection and make several meals from it not only saves time, but money too.
Roasting a chicken gives it incredible flavor, and you can always mix up different spices to create different flavors, preventing you from getting bored with the same ol’ chicken.
Tips For Perfectly Roasted Chicken
- Rub butter or oil under and over the skin – This will help keep the chicken from drying out in the oven.
- Use a Meat Thermometer – Cooking your chicken to the correct temperature is the best way to avoid food poisoning or overcooking. Always make sure your chicken reaches 165F at its deepest parts. (Not inside the cavity. Check it in a few places to be sure the whole bird is fully cooked)
- Start at a high temperature, then lower it – Preheat your oven to 425 and roast the chicken at this temperature for about 20 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375F. and finish cooking. This will give you crispy skin with perfectly cooked meat.
- Baste your bird – This will give your chicken extra moisture. Just a few times during roasting is all you need.
- Rest the chicken before carving – After you pull the chicken out of the oven, let it rest on the stovetop for about 10-15 minutes. This does two things. First, it lets it cool down enough for you to handle the chicken without burning yourself. Second, it allows the moisture in the chicken to distribute properly, leaving you with nice, moist, meat.
- Use a rack – Using a roasting rack inside a roasting pan allows the hot air to circulate around the chicken as it cooks, making sure that it cooks more efficiently and evenly.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Roast A Whole Chicken?
A 4-5 lb chicken – About 1.5 hours at 375°F (190°C). Cooking time depends on the size of the chicken, so use a meat thermometer to make sure everything gets fully cooked.
What Temperature Should I Roast The Chicken At?
Most chickens will roast nicely somewhere between 375F and 425F. But you will need to adjust cooking time to accommodate whichever temperature you roast at. The recipe below uses a combination of temperatures in order to give you crispy skin and tender meat.
How Do I Know When The Chicken Is Done?
Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. In this spot, your chicken should reach a minimum of 165F in order to be fully cooked. You can test both sides of the chicken as well as a few other spots to be sure.
Make sure when you cut into the chicken that any juices that come from the chicken are clear. Not pink.
Should I Cover The Chicken While It’s Roasting?
No, it’s not usually necessary unless the skin of the chicken starts to get too brown for your liking. In this case, place a loose piece of foil over the chicken to keep the skin from burning.
Why Is My Roasted Chicken Dry?
If your chicken is dry, you probably overcooked it. Make sure you use oil or butter under and over the skin to help avoid this and keep an eye on your chicken with a meat thermometer.
What’s The Best Way To Get Crispy Skin?
Use a clean paper towel to pat the chicken dry before you add any seasoning. Also, make sure to rub a little oil or melted butter over and under the skin. Roast the chicken at a higher temperature, like 425°F, which will also help give you a crispy skin.
Can I Add Vegetables To The Roasting Pan?
You can. But choose vegetables that will hold up well to roasting. Veggies such as potatoes, carrots, and onions are sturdier veggies that hold up well during the roasting process. They will pick up lots of flavor from the drippings in the pan, so there is no need to season them heavily, if at all.
Do I Have To Baste The Chicken While It’s Roasting?
No, you don’t have to baste a roasting chicken, but it sure does help with flavor and moisture. If you choose to baste your bird, do so about every 30 minutes using a baster and the juices from the roasting pan under your bird. The reason you don’t really want to do it more often than that is because the oven temperature will lower too much from the frequent opening of the door to properly cook the chicken.
Do I Have To Truss The Chicken?
I will start by saying I have never done this. However, if the presentation is important to you and you want to ensure the chicken cooks evenly, consider trusting. It helps.
Can I Roast A Frozen Chicken?
It’s best to thaw chicken completely before roasting for even cooking. If you must cook it from frozen, add extra cooking time and check the temperature carefully.
Should I Add Seasoning Under The Skin?
Absolutely. When you first prepare the chicken, run your hand between the skin and the breast meat, making sure to get down into all the little corners. Try not to rip the skin. Then, get your seasonings distributed under the skin for the best flavor ever.
What Can I Do With The Leftover Carcass?
Fill up a large pot of water, and toss in the leftover carcass with some spices. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for as long as needed to get a good-tasting chicken broth. If you save vegetable scraps in your freezer for stock, this is a good thing to add here as well.
Side Dishes To Serve With A Whole Roasted Chicken
If you’ll be serving your chicken as a main course, you’ll want a few sides to go with that. Here are some ideas:
- Roasted veggies
- Mashed potatoes
- salad
- Rice and veggies
- Roasted potatoes
- Polenta
- Dill carrots
- Green beans
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Sautéed Spinach with Garlic
- Wild Rice Salad
- Rice Pilaf
- Salad
- Asparagus
- Buttered Corn on the Cob
- Ratatouille
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Couscous
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Mushroom Risotto
About The Ingredients
A whole chicken – While you can use any size chicken, for the purposes of this recipe, choose one that is somewhere around 6 pounds.
Yellow onion – Cut into chunks.
Baby carrots – Used whole.
Celery – Cut into larger chunks.
Dried tarragon
Lemon zest
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ground black pepper
Olive oil
How To Make A Whole Roasted Chicken
Preheat oven to 425℉.
Place your bird on a stable work surface.
Reach in through the larger of the two cavities and pull out the stuff wrapped in paper.
Prepare your veggies to your liking. They will cook down considerably, so don’t worry too much about slicing them properly. Just chop them up roughly into big chunks if you are using them. Place them into the roasting pan around the perimeter of the roasting rack or across the bottom of the pan under the rack. Whatever works best for you.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the tarragon, lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and olive oil.
Separate the skin from the meat by moving your fingers around under the skin. You’re not removing the skin, just separating it from the meat so you can get the spices under there.
With your hand, rub the majority of your spice mix under the skin, covering as much of the bird as possible. Rub the remaining spice mix all over the outside of the bird.
Place your bird on top of the roasting rack (or on top of your veggies if you don’t have a rack) and put the whole pan into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 375℉ and continue roasting until your chicken reaches at least 165F. See notes above on where to take the temperature. Cover loosely with foil if the skin starts to brown too much.
Allow the chicken to sit for 10-15 minutes before you cut into it. Cut and serve.
Storage
Store leftovers, wrapped well, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.
Freezing
It’s best to disassemble the chicken first, then wrap the meat carefully and freeze for up to 4 months.
Reheating
Reheating can be done in any number of ways and will depend on how you use the chicken.
More Chicken Recipes
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Whole Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 lb. chicken (the size can vary a bit)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 lb. baby carrots
- 1 medium bunch celery
- 2 tbsp. dried tarragon
- 2 tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Place your birdie on a stable work surface.
- Reach in through the larger of the two cavities and pull out the stuff wrapped in paper.
- Prepare your veggies to your liking. They will cook down considerably, so don't worry too much about slicing them properly. Just chop them up roughly into big chunks if you are using them. Place them into the roasting pan around the perimeter of the roasting rack or across the bottom of the pan under the rack. Whatever works best for you.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the tarragon, lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and olive oil.
- Separate the skin from the meat by moving your fingers around under the skin. You’re not removing the skin, just separating it from the meat so you can get the spices under there.
- With your hand, rub the majority of your spice mix under the skin, covering as much of the bird as possible. Rub the remaining spice mix all over the rest of the outside of the bird.
- Place your bird on top of the roasting rack (or on top of your veggies if you don't have a rack) and put the whole pan into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 375℉ and continue roasting until your chicken reaches at least 165F. See notes above on where to take the temperature. Cover loosely with foil if the skin starts to brown too much.
- Allow the chicken to sit for 10-15 minutes before you cut into it. Cut and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 6/6/2010.
I just read your other recipe, coconut cauliflower chicken. I guess I’ll get some more garlic and onion powders.
With summer here, my favorite way of cooking a whole chicken is using the beer-can holder on the grill. Have you heard of that method before? You can’t go wrong, the bird never turns outs dry. You should try it this summer.
Aaron –
No, never heard of it. What is it?
There’s a holder, which a 12 ounce can fits in. The holder has three feet which keeps it stable on the grill. You can use a 3/4 full beer can, or any beverage can that fits, with liquid and seasoning in the can. You fit the whole seasoned chicken, bottom cavity first, down over the can and holder and place a wedge of potato, onion or apple over the top cavity and the can heats up on the grill producing steam, which helps cook the chicken internally, while keeping it moist and juicy. The wedge of onion keeps the steam from escaping out of the top.
I first heard about it on the radio. I’ve seen the “Beer can chicken” holders all over the place, grocery stores, drug stores, I think even Home Depot and Lowes have them.
But it does make a big difference in how moist the bird turns out.
Is beer clean?
Leigh – No. Beer is not clean.
“Beer Can Chicken” is just the common name. You can use any standard 12 0z beverage can, as long as it fits in the holder, and any fluid inside of the can. You do not have to use beer.
What is your soup recipe for the leftover veggies
Ruth – I usually add them to veggie broth and add whatever I have on hand. It’s always tasty!
OOOOOHHHHHH This sounds so good. Whole chicken is going to have to go on my list.
Paulissa – I think you’ll enjoy it, and it’s a money saver too!
Tiff, this is awesome!!!
I usually buy the smaller Harvestland chickens and boil them into soup but I am going to throw this together tonight after the gym and score some protein… Thank you for what is quite possibly the BEST clean eating recipe site on the net!!
You ROCK!! : )
T
T-man – Wow! What a compliment! Thank you so very much! Enjoy the bird!
I just saw this recipe and wanted to share my favorite way to roast chicken.
I take my oval slow cooker. Roll up some tinfoil balls (usually 6) and put them on the bottom of the crock. “clean” your chicken (remove innards). Season with whatever (I’ve stuffed stuff under the skin, I’ve also just rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with garlic and thyme. Whatever you like). Set on top of the foil balls. Cover. Cook on high 4 hours (3 1/2 lb chicken). The fat drips below the foil, so the chicken does not cook in it. It is always falling off the bone tender when it’s done.
Roast the veggies in the oven with olive oil.
This is the only way I ever make whole chicken!
Amanda – Fabulous! Thank you for sharing that!
Thanks so much for this great recipe! I have always done turkey but not chicken whole roasted. I made this and then used your stock recipe with the leftovers (first time doing that as well). I used cheesecloth to strain it and had enough for your fabulous chicken and dumpling recipe with 8 cups of broth to freeze! So excited to have the extra and everything turned out so fabulously. This set of 3 recipes was a first for all of them for me and I do not recall ever using marjoram before. So a first for many things! I appreciate that your recipes are tried and true. Haven’t had one not turn out yet 🙂
Sarah – That is so awesome!!! I’m so happy you were able to use all of those recipes! I love those chicken and dumplings. Soooo yummy!
This was wonderful! I made soup with it afterwards and skimmed the fat like you said 🙂 Don’t know which I liked better!
Ashley – That’s great!! And it’s so much more economical to use the whole bird. Good for you! Thanks for trying my recipe!
It’s the best! Well, that and any chicken cooked in a slow cooker…. Love that too!
Clemencia – There is a way to do it, but I don’t know how. Sorry.
Kelly – I never eat the skin, but thanks for the tip!
I do this in my crockpot…I set the chicken right in the crockpot on top of veggies…let it cook all day until cooked thru. The skin will be perfectly browned just like this!
Haha!! Ya, I have to agree with you there…
Thanks!
This was great! I was looking for a different way to spice up our bird and this did the trick! My husband loved it! LOVED your tip on what to do with the veggies! The left over chicken & bones are in the pot simmering for a Sunday chicken soup. Love your site! Plus I love that your readers try your recipes can comment on their results and share tips. So many food blogs only get “ooohhh that looks so good, I want to try it” but you never see anyone who has actually tried it! New fan!
Rosemary – Fantastic! I always welcome constructive feedback. So glad you enjoyed the chicken! 🙂
Hi, thanks for the wonderful recipe 🙂 I have a quick question though, when you tent the bird and continue to cook you mention to cook for 50-60min total. Is that including the initial 25? Or in addition to? Thanks
Lindsey – It includes that first 25 minutes. You want to cook for a total of 50-60 minutes. Hope you enjoy it!
why is the ‘save receipe’ link not working? I want to add all these great recipes to my Recipe Box and its not working. 🙁
Kathy – Are you signed in at Ziplist?
Hi Tiffany,
Can you suggest another spice besides terragon? I have this crazy aversion to it…always have hated it. I know that’s almost sac-religious in the cooking world!
Thanks so much!!
Page – You can put almost any herbs on a chicken. Rosemary is always a safe bet!