There’s nothing quite like making an oven roasted whole roasted chicken at home. This recipe is simple, packed with flavor, and with just a few pantry staples and minimal prep, you’ll end up with perfectly golden, crispy skin and meat that’s tender and juicy every time.
Why I Love This Recipe
Every time I make this, I just can’t believe how juicy and tender it is. There’s just nothing like it! Honestly, it’s better than any store-bought rotisserie chicken. The seasoning blend, paired with the lemon and herbs stuffed inside, makes every bite full of flavor. And that crispy skin? Absolute perfection! It’s a simple dish that brings so much comfort, perfect for any night of the week.
Equipment and Ingredients
This recipe uses a handful of simple ingredients that come together to create incredible flavor. You don’t need anything fancy—just the basics that you probably already have at home.
For the best results, a roasting pan with a rack is ideal to get that even cooking and let the juices drip away, giving you perfectly crispy skin.
- Whole Chicken: The star of the show. A 4-5lb. chicken is ideal.
- Seasoning Blend: A mix of kosher salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and a few other staples that bring out the best in the chicken.
- Butter and Olive Oil: These add that rich, golden finish and help keep the chicken moist.
- Aromatics: Lemon slices, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs go inside the chicken to infuse it with bright, savory flavors.
Preparation
Start by preheating your oven to 450°F for an initial blast of heat that helps crisp the skin.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels – this step is essential for achieving that perfect, crispy exterior. Mix the melted butter with olive oil and rub it all over the chicken, including under the skin.
Combine your seasonings in a small bowl and apply them liberally over the entire chicken, making sure to coat under the skin and inside the cavity. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs for an aromatic boost.
Why Season and Stuff the Cavity?
Seasoning the cavity and filling it with aromatics like lemon slices, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs brings out the best in a whole roasted chicken. This step ensures the meat is infused with flavor from the inside out. As the chicken roasts, the aromatics release their natural flavors and moisture, creating a gentle steam that adds depth and keeps the meat juicy. It’s an easy way to make your roast chicken more flavorful. And the aromas are incredible!
Tie Things Up
You often hear about trussing a chicken before roasting. Sometimes, this comes across as way more complicated than it needs to be.
Trussing helps the chicken cook evenly by keeping the wings and legs close to the body, preventing the smaller parts from drying out or overcooking. Use just two pieces of twine: one to tie the wings close to the body and another to pull the legs together at the tips and tie them securely.
Cooking
Place the seasoned chicken on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan or on a bed of vegetables to catch all the flavorful drippings. Start by roasting it at 450°F for 20-30 minutes to get that golden, crispy skin. Then, lower the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting for about 20 minutes per pound.
Check if it’s done using a meat thermometer—the thickest part of the thigh should read 165°F. Once it’s ready, take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes so the juices can settle, keeping the meat nice and juicy.
Serving
After you’ve let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes, you can start to carve and serve.
Naturally, we’ve got some excellent side-dish options too!
- Best Damn Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts – Seasoned with ranch seasoning and Parmesan cheese, then air fried to perfection. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and loaded with awesome flavor!
- Garlic Herb Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes – Baby red potatoes are seasoned with a simple mix of garlic and rosemary, then roasted to perfection in your air fryer in about 20 minutes.
- Jean’s Scalloped Potatoes – Classic scalloped potatoes cooked to tender perfection with a rich, decadent cream sauce.
If you want to take it up a notch, drizzle some of the pan drippings over the chicken or your sides for an extra boost of flavor. This is the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table and keeps them coming back for more.
Storage and Reheating
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To reheat, preheat your oven to 350°F, place the chicken in an oven-safe dish, and cover it with foil to keep it moist. Heat for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
And of course, you can microwave smaller portions on medium power for 1-2 minutes, checking and turning as needed. Add a splash of water or broth to help keep the chicken from drying out.
PrintRecipe
Best Damn Oven Roasted Whole Chicken
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
Mouthwatering whole chicken is perfectly seasoned inside and out and roasted to golden deliciousness in your oven. You’ll never have a chicken as juicy and delicious as this!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4–5 pounds)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp Italian blend seasoning
- 1.5 tsp ground mustard
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbs melted butter
- 1 tbs olive oil
- Aromatics for the cavity: lemon slices, garlic cloves, fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to ensure crispy skin. In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Italian blend seasoning.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and mix it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Rub this mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin, especially on the breasts.
- Rub the seasoning mix generously over the chicken, making sure to coat well, including inside the cavity and under the skin.
- Stuff the cavity with lemon slices, garlic cloves, and herbs.
- Truss the chicken legs and the wings.
- Place the chicken on a rack in roasting pan, or on a bed of vegetables like onions and carrots. Roast at 450°F for 20-30 minutes to crisp up the skin. Lower the oven to 350°F and continue roasting for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes (about 20 minutes per pound).
- The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
- Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 80 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
gail says
This is the place to get recipes. The oven roasted whole chicken is the best, good flavor, crisp skin and moist meat. I used a 6 pound roaster adjusted the seasonings.
Jenn says
The chicken (even the breast) comes out so juicy and flavorful, and the skin is perfectly crispy. This is now part of our regular meal rotation. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
hurricanecrab says
This was amazing. I have prepared roast chicken several times, but something was missing. Recently acquired fresh rosemary, thyme and I grow ginger. I did as directed, but added a lot of sliced ginger to the interior, and laid the trussed chicken on quartered onions and carrots. Absolutely the best roasted chicken I’ve ever made. I would post a photo if I knew how. Looked great, tasted great, very tender and juicy, even the breast meat. Thank you!!
just me! says
Doyou use sweet or smoked paprika?
RecipeTeacher says
I use regular sweet paprika, but smoked is great for this too.
Sandra says
I loved this recipe!