Packed with flavour, crispy skin and moist meat, this oven Roasted Whole Chicken comes out perfectly every time! Make this juicy roast chicken for your next family get together and get praised for being the best hostess!
If you’d like more chicken recipes, try my Easy Roasted Turkey Breast, Chopped Chicken Salad and Chicken Meal Prep Bowls.
Nothing beats a juicy chicken and this perfectly tender and juicy roasted whole chicken is definitely the best of the best. Coated in butter and fresh herbs, this foolproof chicken dinner is surprisingly easy to make. You don’t even have to baste it! Once it goes into the oven, this garlic herb butter roast chicken is a hands-off recipe.
While a lot of people like to make a traditional turkey for holiday dinners, I feel that chicken is a great alternative. Roasted chicken is a classic and the garlic herb butter just kicks it up a notch. Plus it takes way less time to prep in comparison and since we’re having smaller family dinners now, a chicken is much more favoured due to its size.
Even better, this oven roasted whole chicken is low carb, keto friendly, and is naturally gluten-free! It’s a meal that pretty much accommodates almost all diets without having to buy any specialized ingredients for. Plus, it’s kid friendly! Who doesn’t love a juicy piece of meat with crispy skin on it? Also, as it’s baked in the oven, you can also make this Easy Roasted Vegetables Recipe at the same time!
Not a fan of baking a whole chicken? Try my Baked Chicken Breast Recipe or Spicy Chicken Meal-Prep Bowls or my Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast instead.
Ingredients for Roasted Chicken
- Whole chicken — make sure the cavity is emptied out before working with it.
- Butter — make sure it is unsalted. I recommend adding salt to taste instead of using salted butter as the amount of salt in different brands of salted butter varies. You can use a little bit of olive oil on top of the chicken if you prefer.
- Salt and black pepper — season to taste. I like to season more generously with this roast chicken.
- Lemon juice — always use fresh lemon juice for the best tasting results.
- Garlic cloves — you’ll love the flavor you get from fresh garlic cloves.
- Fresh herbs: thyme, parsley, and rosemary sprig.
- Lemon wedges
- Vegetables: carrots and celery stalks to prop up the chicken so it doesn’t cook in liquid, making the chicken soggy. You can also add some quartered onions aside with the carrots and celery.
- Dry white wine — or low sodium chicken broth.
How to Make this roasted whole chicken
Instructions
Bring your Chicken to Room Temperature and Prep the Oven
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- Remove the chicken from the fridge and leave it out for about 30 minutes before cooking. Then, unwrap the chicken from its packaging, remove the chicken giblets and pat dry chicken off well with paper towels.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and preheat oven to 450°F.
Prepare the Chicken
- In a small bowl, add melted butter, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, parsley and rosemary. Mix all together.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan and use a spoon to loosen skin from chicken.
- Put the chicken upright and drizzle half of the butter mixture under skin and then place the chicken horizontally and drizzle the remaining butter mixture all over the surface of the chicken.
- Stuff used lemon wedges and rosemary inside chicken and then tie the drumstick ends with string and then sprinkle some more salt and pepper over the chicken.
Cook the Roasted Whole Chicken and Serve
- Make a bed of veggies: Place carrot, garlic and celery in the pan and then place chicken on top. Tuck the wings and pour wine or broth around the pan before transferring it into the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
- Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Roast chicken for more 1h and 10 minutes.
- When the chicken is done the internal temperature should be 165F. Don’t forget to spoon some juice over the chicken skin every 30 minutes.
- Let the chicken rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Tips On Making This Roasted Whole Chicken
- Make sure you pat dry your chicken first. The moisture on the skin from thawing it or taking it out of the fridge will make it difficult for your skin to crisp up. Also, keep in mind that you do not have to wash your chicken first according to the USDA. Just simply pat it dry.
- Avoid using bottled lemon juice. As you’re already using lemon wedges to stuff the chicken, take the extra second and juice fresh lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice tastes brighter and less bitter than store-bought bottled lemon juice.
- It is important to allow your chicken to rest before you cut into it. When it is resting, the juices inside the chicken are redistributing back throughout the meat. If you cut it too early, you end up losing the moistness and your chicken will be dry.
- If you are worried about your wing tips burning in the oven, you can tuck them underneath the breasts before roasting.
- Do not cover the chicken as you allow it to rest. If you cover the chicken, it’ll trap the steam and you lose the crispiness of the skin.
- I do not baste the chicken as keeping the oven closed will keep the temperature even. If you constantly open the oven to baste the chicken, you lose a lot of the hot air and it will take longer for the chicken to cook. The chicken cooks for a short period on high heat to help lock in moisture so there’s no need to worry that not basting will dry out the chicken.
- You can also make this whole roasted chicken recipe in a cast iron skillet.
- Pour the delicious pan drippings on top of the chicken before serving to add more flavor. You can also reserve them to make a homemade chicken gravy.
Recipe FAQs
You can definitely use different fresh herbs if you are unable to find this combination at the store. Other herbs you can try include sage and oregano. While fresh herbs are best for this roasted whole chicken recipe, you can use dried herbs if you are in a pinch. Make sure you adjust the recipe according as the general rule of thumb is that 1 tbsp of fresh herbs = 1 tsp of dried herbs.
No you cannot bake this chicken from frozen. Please make sure you thaw your chicken ahead of time if you plan on making this recipe. Baking from frozen will take much longer and the outer sections will be dry by the time the insides are cooked.
If you have a different sized chicken, roasting at 350 degrees, I recommend 20-25 minutes per pound for a 3 to 8 pound chicken. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness and always rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Use an instant read thermometer and stick it in the thickest part of the thigh, usually the thigh, making sure not to hit any bone. If you’re thermometer says 165°F (74°C) then your chicken is done.
I recommend shredding the chicken if you plan on freezing it. That way you can thaw it and add it to soups, salads, rice bowls, etc with ease. You can also freeze the bones on their own and use it to make chicken stock.
There’s no need to brine your chicken for this roasted whole chicken recipe.
It may feel intimidating to cut up a baked whole chicken, but it’s not that hard! Simply carve the chicken like you would a turkey. Remove cooking twine and carefully use a sharp boning knife to separate chicken legs. Next, remove both wings. Then, cut down the center of the chicken, along the keel bone (or breast bone) and remove both chicken breasts. Slice up the breast meat, serve and enjoy.
It’s easy to make oven roast chicken without drying it out. I recommend adding butter to the skin before baking for extra moisture. Also, it’s good to start at a high temperature, 450°F, for the first 15 minutes and then reduce down to 350°F. This will reduce overall roasting time, which helps lock in moisture. Most importantly, let the chicken rest before carving, or juices run out of the meat.
You can totally roast a chicken without burning the skin! Be sure and adjust your oven rack to the middle position to keep the bird away from the heat element. Start the roasting process at 450°F to crisp up the skin, but be sure to turn the temp down to 350°F after 15 minutes to avoid burning. There you have it! A perfectly baked whole chicken.
Best recipes for leftovers
You can shred the leftover meat and use the cooked chicken in casseroles (like my Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe or Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole Recipe), in enchiladas like this one Low-Carb Chicken Zucchini Enchilada, zucchini boats, soups (like Sweet Potato Chicken Soup Recipe or Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe) and in Chicken Salad.
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Want something lighter the next morning after a huge chicken dinner the night before? Try my Easy Nutritious Green Juice Recipe!
How to Store and Rehab Leftovers
- To Store: If you have any leftovers after serving your baked whole chicken, allow them to cool and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It’s best to store the chicken as whole as possible because it will retain more moisture this way.
- To Freeze: If you prefer to freeze leftovers, I recommend shredding extra chicken and placing it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Shredded chicken can be frozen for 3-4 months and it’s great for making soup or casserole!
- To Reheat: For crispy skin, I recommend reheating your chicken in the oven. If you’re not concerned about this, the microwave will do just fine.
Want More Chicken Recipes?
- Creamy Parmesan Chicken Skillet: Ready in just 30 minutes, this creamy parmesan chicken skillet is packed with flavour!
- Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast: This asparagus stuffed chicken breast is fast, easy, and so delicious!
- Mushroom Chicken Breast Recipe: Made in a few simple steps, this mushroom chicken breast recipe is done in 20 minutes.
- Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs: Made in one pan, this garlic butter chicken thighs is a household favourite that you need to make tonight!
- Grilled Chicken Cabbage Salad: For a quick and easy lunch, try this grilled chicken cabbage salad.
- Sheet Pan Chicken with Vegetables: Everything made in one sheet pan, dinner comes together quickly and easily with this sheet pan chicken and vegetables.
Side dishes to serve with this whole roasted chicken recipe:
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Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken patted dry
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
For stuffing
- 2 lemon wedges
- 1 rosemary spring
- 3 garlic clove peeled
Under Chook
- 1 carrot quartered
- 3 garlic clove
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- First, remove the chicken from the fridge and leave it out for about 30 minutes before cooking. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a small bowl, add melted butter, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, parsley and rosemary. Mix all together.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan and use a spoon to loosen skin from chicken.
- Put the chicken upright and drizzle half of the butter mixture under skin and then place the chicken horizontally and drizzle the remaining butter mixture all over the surface of the chicken.
- Stuff used lemon wedges and rosemary inside chicken.
- Tie drumstick ends with string. Sprinkle some more salt and pepper over the chicken.
- Place carrot, garlic and celery in the roasting pan.
- Place chicken on top. Pour wine around the pan. Place it in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
- Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Roast chicken for more 1h and 10 minutes. When the chicken is done the internal temperature should be 165F.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Tips
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- Allowing the chicken to rest gives the juices time to redistribute to yield a moist and juicy chicken.
- Make sure the vegetables are propping up the chicken to avoid the bottom of the chicken getting soggy.
- Pat the chicken dry before you start prepping it. The moisture makes it harder for the seasoning to stick.
- To store: Try to store the chicken as whole as possible so it stays moist when you reheat it. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
- To reheat: Reheat the chicken in the microwave. To keep the skin crispy, you can heat it up in the oven.
- To freeze: You can shred the chicken and then freeze it in a freezer-safe bag for another recipe for up to 3 to 4 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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John F Bramfeld says
Make up your mind, is it no baste or baste evey 30 minutes.
Olivia says
You can need to baste the chicken.
Yeva says
Excellent recipe! I added seasoned salt and chicken rub to the butter for extra flavor and included parsnips with the other veggies. Turned out crisp and delicious!
Olivia says
Happy you liked it!
Howie says
I love this chicken! We made it last night for dinner and it was so juicy and tender. We will be making it again without a doubt.
Olivia says
We love it too. So good!
Kathy Chilia this recipe was excellent I will be sharing this and I will be making this says
This recipe was excellent will share and make many more times thank you
Olivia says
So happy to hear that!