The Best Whole Roasted Chicken

A whole roasted chicken is one of my favourite things. There’s a comforting and exciting feeling that comes with the knowledge that one is roasting a full chicken and, when it’s done right, it produces some of the juiciest and most flavoured meat

All the Ingredients Needed to Roast Chicken

Whole Chicken: for this recipe we will use a two-four pound whole chicken. Don’t forget to remove the giblets inside the cavity before you get started.

Veggies: large chunks of carrot and celery are laid down as a base for the chicken, and yellow onion is stuffed inside the cavity of the bird to give it some extra flavour while roasting. The carrots and celery also soak up some of the delicious roasting juices and are perfectly served right alongside the bird.

Aromatics and Herbs: For this simple recipe you’ll use a combination of fresh garlic and fresh thyme.

Butter: any good roasted chicken includes a little bit of butter. It helps to add delicious flavour. For this recipe we’ll combine butter with other aromatics to create a juicy bird. I recommend using high–quality unsalted butter for the best results.

Olive Oil: to ensure the chicken browns without burning, we’ll use a little olive oil on the skin of the chicken.

Lemon: chicken and lemon go together like a match made in heaven and for this recipe we’ll use a combination of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.

How to roast a Whole Chicken in the Oven

Step One: Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

Step Two: Make the herb butter mixture. Add the melted butter, garlic, lemon zest, fresh thyme, a generous pinch of salt, and freshly cracked pepper to a small mixing bowl. Stir everything together until well combined.

Step Three: Add the celery and carrots to a large cast iron skillet. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry both the inside and outside. Then place the chicken on top of the veggies, breast side up.

Step Four: Use your hands to rub the melted butter mixture under every nook and cranny of the chicken, as well as inside the cavity.

Step Five: Stuff the chicken cavity with garlic, yellow onion, lemon, and fresh thyme. If you like, you can use a bit of kitchen twine to tie the drumsticks together to keep everything inside.

Step Six: Drizzle the olive oil over the skin of the chicken and then use a basting brush to ensure that the skin is well coated with oil. Then, liberally season the chicken with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Step Seven: Place the chicken in the oven, on the middle rack, and roast for an hour. At the thickest part, reaches 165 degrees. Use a large spoon or baster to baste the chicken with the drippings every 30 minutes.

Step Eight: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for ten to fifteen minutes in the skillet before carving. Serve the chicken with the pan drippings or reserve them to make homemade chicken gravy.

How Long to Roast a Chicken?

The amount of time it takes to fully roast a chicken will depend on the size of the chicken and the state of your oven. I typically roast a four pounds bird and find it takes me between an hour and fifteen minutes. For smaller birds, it may take only an hour.

I like to start to check the doneness of my chicken at around 45 minutes. The most accurate way to check for doneness is to use a thermometer, inserted at the thickest part of the chicken but not hitting the bone. When the chicken is fully cooked, the temperature will read 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices will run clear and not pink.