Roasting
intro
Juicy tender whole roast chicken with shatteringly crisp golden skin, herb butter, and caramelized root vegetables: a cozy, satisfying one-pan family meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep herb butter rub
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). In a small bowl, combine 60g softened unsalted butter, 2 tbsp chopped rosemary, 1 tbsp chopped thyme, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, mixing until smooth. Pat the 1.8kg whole chicken completely dry with paper towels, then gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs with your fingertips; rub ⅔ of the herb butter under the skin, and the remaining ⅓ evenly over the entire outer skin surface.
Season and stuff cavity
Pat the inside of the chicken cavity dry with paper towels, then season with ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon and 3 halved garlic cloves. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken’s body to prevent burning, and tie the drumsticks together with cotton kitchen twine to hold a compact shape for even roasting.
Prep roasting vegetables
In a large mixing bowl, toss 300g carrot chunks, 500g potato wedges, and 200g onion wedges with 2 tbsp olive oil, the remaining ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper until every piece is evenly coated. Spread the vegetables in a single, flat layer across the bottom of a heavy-gauge roasting pan to create a natural rack for the chicken.
High-heat initial roast
Set the prepared chicken breast-side up directly on top of the vegetable bed in the roasting pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated 220°C (425°F) oven, and roast uncovered for 25 minutes to crisp the skin and render surface fat without opening the oven door.
Roast to safe temperature
After 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) without opening the door to avoid heat loss. Continue roasting for 50 more minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (away from bone) reads 75°C (165°F), and the chicken skin is a deep, crispy golden brown.
Rest and serve
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board, and tent loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes to allow juices to redistribute through the meat, then carve and serve alongside the roasted vegetables, spooning reserved pan drippings over top for extra flavor.
Tips
2.Never skip the 15-minute rest period after roasting; slicing into the chicken immediately will cause all the flavorful juices to leak out, resulting in dry, bland meat.
3.If the chicken skin darkens too quickly during the final roasting stage, loosely tent a small piece of aluminum foil over the breast to prevent burning while the meat finishes cooking through.
OMG this roast chicken was a total game changer for our Sunday family dinner! The herb crust was so fragrant, and the skin got perfectly crispy without any weird tricks. My 7 and 9 year old went back for seconds, which never happens with chicken. I paired it with roasted carrots and potatoes like the tip suggested, chef’s kiss.
This is my new go-to meal prep staple! It’s so easy to throw together on Sunday, the cook time is totally hands off, and I get enough tender chicken for salads, wraps, and grain bowls all week. No more dry, boring meal prep chicken for me. SO good.
Made this for a small potluck with our neighbors last weekend and everyone was asking for the recipe! I was worried roasting a whole chicken would be fussy since I mostly grill, but the easy steps and clear cook time made it totally stress free. Skin was crispy, meat was juicy, 10/10.
Tasted great, but I think I overcooked mine a tiny bit? The breast meat was a little drier than I hoped, even though I followed the temp guide. Maybe my oven runs hot? Still had great herb flavor though, just wish it was juicier.
Made this last night for my partner after a long day of hiking and it hit so hard. The herb blend is perfect, not too overpowering, and the whole house smelled amazing while it cooked. We ate half the chicken standing up at the kitchen counter because we couldn’t wait for it to rest, oops.
Super easy recipe even for a total cooking noob like me! I’ve never roasted a whole chicken before, I always just bought precooked rotisserie ones from the grocery store, but this tasted way better and was cheaper too. My teenagers said it’s better than the store version, which is the highest possible praise.
I added a little extra rosemary from my backyard garden to the herb rub and it was chef’s kiss. Served it with mashed cauliflower and roasted brussels sprouts for a cozy rainy weeknight dinner, zero leftovers. Will absolutely be adding this to our regular monthly rotation.
Wait, has anyone tried making this with dried herbs instead of fresh? I want to make this for my book club potluck tomorrow but I don’t have time to run to the store for fresh thyme and rosemary, will it still turn out okay?
This recipe is so easy I made it hungover on a Saturday and it still turned out perfect. No fancy ingredients, no complicated steps, just juicy, herby, crispy chicken that made me feel like a actual professional chef. 10/10, no notes.
I rubbed a little smoked paprika into the herb butter for a tiny smoky kick and it was incredible. My husband who only eats BBQ’d meat said this roast chicken was good enough to make even on weekends when we usually fire up the smoker. Win for me!
Great base recipe! I’ve made it three times now, once with lemon and garlic in the cavity, once with apple and onion, once with orange and sage, and every single version turned out amazing. It’s so customizable depending on what you have in the fridge.
Quick question—what size chicken did y’all use for this? I grabbed a 6lb bird from the grocery store, do I need to adjust the cook time at all? I don’t want to undercook it or dry it out!
My kids are super picky and they devoured this! I was worried the herbs would be too “fancy” for them (their words, not mine) but they said the crispy skin tastes like “the best chicken nugget ever” and asked when we can have it again. Total weeknight win.
Made this in my tiny dorm oven with a $5 grocery store chicken and dried herbs I had in my dorm snack bin, and it still slapped. Way better than the dining hall chicken, and it made enough for me and my two roommates to have a full dinner for like $2 each. Easy, cheap, delicious, can’t beat it.