Few dishes evoke the comforting aroma and satisfaction as a classic roasted chicken. Whether you’re a novice cook or a seasoned pro, mastering the art of a perfect roast chicken is a culinary skill worth having in your repertoire! This recipe is super easy and will give you a fantastic roast chicken with crispy skin that’s juicy on the inside every single time.
Why Master the Art of Roast Chicken?
1. Effortless Excellence: Roast chicken offers gourmet flavors without the gourmet fuss. It’s a simple recipe that delivers mouthwatering results.
2. Versatility Galore: From fresh-out-of-the-oven goodness to leftovers you’ll love, roast chicken is a versatile superstar in the kitchen.
3. Comfort Food Love: It’s the kind of comfort food that wraps you in a warm, delicious hug.
4. Impressive Entertaining: Hosting guests? Roast chicken is your secret weapon for an impressive yet easy-to-make meal.
5. Healthy and Tasty: It’s not just delicious; roast chicken can be a healthy choice packed with protein and flavor.
The Ingredients
- Whole chicken
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Thyme, rosemary or fresh herb of choice
- Lemon
- Garlic
How to Make a Perfect Roast Chicken
- Prep the chicken: Wash the chicken and pat dry, removing as much excess liquid as possible. Rub chicken all over with olive oil, season inside and out with salt.
- Add aromatics: Place chicken in a 9-inch skillet with an oven-proof handle, cast iron skillet or sheet tray lined with foil. Heat oven to 450°F. Stuff chicken with herbs, lemon and garlic and tie legs together.
- Bake at high heat: Place chicken in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Finish at lower temperature: Lower temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 45-50 minutes or until internal temp reads 160°F.
- Serve: Remove from oven and allow chicken to cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Pro Tips for Roast Chicken Success
- Pick the Perfect Bird: Start your chicken adventure with a fresh, quality chicken. Organic is great if you can swing it, and aim for a bird around 3-4 pounds for even cooking.
- Season Like a Pro: Don’t be shy with the seasoning! Give your chicken a good rub-down with a mixture of salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices. Toss some garlic and lemon inside the cavity for a flavor explosion.
- To Truss or Not to Truss: Trussing (tying the legs together) can help your bird cook evenly, but it’s not a must. It’s your call whether you go for that rustic, untrussed look.
- Crispy Skin Magic: Crispy skin is the holy grail of roast chicken. Begin by roasting at a high temperature (around 425°F), then lower the heat to finish cooking.
- Meet the Meat Thermometer: Invest in a meat thermometer – it’s your roast chicken’s best friend. Wait until the thickest part of the thigh hits 160°F for poultry perfection. The bird will continue to cook after removing from the oven.
Recipes for Leftover Roast Chicken
My favorite thing to do with roast chicken is to make double for meal prep and have the leftovers to use throughout the week in other recipes! Here are some great ones for leftover roast chicken:
So, if you’re looking for a meal that’s equal parts delicious and delightful and makes great leftovers, roast chicken is your answer! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments and tag me on social media if you make one!
Images by Ivan Solis
Perfect Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 4 pound whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3-4 sprigs thyme, rosemary or fresh herb of choice
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (or one head of garlic cut in half)
Instructions
- Wash the chicken and pat dry, removing as much excess liquid as possible.
- Rub chicken all over with olive oil, season inside and out with salt.
- Place chicken in a 9-inch skillet with an oven-proof handle or cast iron skillet or sheet tray lined with foil.
- Heat oven to 450°F.
- Stuff chicken with herbs, lemon and garlic and tie legs together.
- Place chicken in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 45-50 minutes or until internal temp reads 160°F.
- Remove from oven and allow chicken to cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Great roast chicken! The salt was the key, brining it to give it moisture. I will definitely make this again and use the flavorful pan jus to make gravy!
Great roast chicken! The salt was the key. I loved the crisp skin – yum! No smoke in my kitchen either. Will make again and will use the pan jus for gravy!
I also had a problem with the chicken smoking up my entire house. It tasted great, but I don’t think my family can handle the mass quantities of smoke and watering eyes that it caused! Did anyone ever figure out a solution to this problem, as it sounds like a few others have had it, too? Do you think it would it help to vent the oven like I do when I use the broiler?
Made this tonight, and after reading the reviews, I was totally prepared to have my kitchen smoked out – but lucky for me, it never did! I didn’t use thyme or lemon (not a favourite in our house) so I just melted butter and poured it over the top, salt and pepper and threw a few garlic cloves inside the chicken. Turned out great. I made a nice pan gravy with the juices and little bits that were leftover from roasting. Thanks for another great recipe!
Excellent – thanks so much!
This chicken was sooooo delicious! I remembered reading your recipe awhile back and how you tried it lots of different ways. I decided to cook a chicken last night so I looked back to find the recipe. I am so glad I did. It turned out perfect. Crispy skin, so juicy. I used a cast iron skillet – I thought mine wouldn’t be big enough but the chicken tucked in there just fine. My kids went crazy for it! It was definitely the best roast chicken I’ve ever done – BY FAR! Try it!!!
I’m doing this chicken now and yes same thing is happening. My brand new stove is in bad shape with all the oil and our house is so full of smoke, I turned the oven down to 400. It truly is very scary but the chicken looks AMAZING and I know it will taste really nice. I’m doing it along with the roasted yukon gold potatos.
I don’t want to THINK about the clean up afterward but as usual, weelicious recipes are always delicious.
N.
Try patting the chicken dry with a paper towel just before placing it in the pan. If your chicken has water, moisture, or condensation on it that could react with the fat in the pan and splatter all over. It should definitely sizzle, though, when you place it in the pan initially! That’s how you know the pan is nice and hot and won’t make the chicken skin stick to it! 🙂
Sorry, obviously I took the chicken out of the “fridge” (not the oven) about 1 hour before I started cooking it…
Same thing here. I used a pyrex dish too. I even switched dishes because I thought it was the butter that I used to prevent the chicken from sticking and same thing. Tons of splashing and tons of smoke.
You live and you learn 🙂
I’m cooking this in a brand new oven…in my brand new house. Eyes tearing as I type. It is SO smokey! Doors open/ceiling fan on. oven fan on. When I opened the oven to flip the bird (as it were) it’s frying like a chicken in there splattering on my hands. Does it thrash your oven? I’m going to have to clean mine from all the splattering. I used a pyrex oblong pan.
It looks like it may be fancycook
I too love the skillet in the picture, please share your source!
Isn’t it so pretty?! I got it from Green Cooking Pots, a small business in LA but I haven’t been able to find them in several months. 🙁 I’m still looking, though!
Were did you get the skillet that is pictured in the photo?
I love it!
Looks deeeeeeeelish.
I have never had a problem with the kitchen smoking up. That sounds awful! Maybe remove the bird from the bag for the final 30 minutes of cooking and you’ll get that crispy golden brown skin without the offending smoke!
Do you have any issues with it smoking up the kitchen? The last time I roasted without a bag, it did brown and look and taste great, but my kitchen got so smoky- I have no vent hood- so I resigned myself to using roasting bags, but the chicken does not get that wonderful golden brown color to it…
Yes, thank you and corrected!
*”Use the convection setting on your oven if you have one, reducing the cooking time in step 8 to 25 minutes.” Step 8 is only 20 minutes. Do you mean step 7?
#1 was definitely the chicken from the Farmer’s Market!
#2 was the Rosie’s Chicken from my local grocery 🙂
Which chicken was best?
You say you experimented with several store bough brands as well. Did you find the ones from the Farmer’s Market to be the best quality?
Oh my that sounds delicious!
Thanks for the great recipe! Sometimes I like to dress up a chicken by stuffing between the breast and skin a mixture of cream cheese, thyme, and lemon zest. The mixture creates an extra fragrant and juicy bird. Give it a try!
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It depends where you live. I love Rosie’s chickens sold in California. I would buy an organic chicken, free range, the best you can find and/or afford.
I don’t buy whole chicken. So wondering what “brand” you used
You could totally use a Le Creuset dutch oven. I would add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Would a round Le Creuset dutch oven be ok for this recipe? Would you recommend any changes to the recipe using a dutch oven?
Thanks!
In curious I why you refrigerate as well
Yes, a cast iron skillet would be great!
Would a cast iron skillet be a good pan for this?
I refrigerate the chicken because leaving it out for 3-24 hours is just too long to let chicken be at room temperature! I find the chicken sort of absorbs some of the salt and becomes more flavorful when I let it sit in the salt for a few hours prior to cooking. I flip it to get that beautiful golden brown color all over and to help it cook more evenly!
Hmmm, very similar to what I season mine with, but I use pepper too. Why do you refrigerate it? and flip it?
It seems so easy!
must try this tonight!