Easy Juicy Roasted Chicken

Say hello to our go-to oven-roasted chicken recipe. This easy method for roasting a whole chicken guarantees perfectly roast chicken with golden brown skin and juicy, tender meat.

Watch the video

Easy Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe Video

I feel warm and fuzzy when I smell chicken roasting in the oven. It makes me think of home and my Mom. Our easy recipe for a roasted whole chicken results in the most delicious, tender meat.

I’m a big fan of roasting chicken. It’s a perfect chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy. You can also use the leftovers for other dishes later in the week. I love using the bones to make bone broth and almost always make this easy chicken salad with the leftover meat for lunches the next day.

Whole roasted chicken with golden brown skin

Key ingredients for roasted chicken

  • Whole chicken: I like roasting chickens that are around 5 pounds. No worries if your chicken is smaller — your roasting time will be a bit less. For roasting turkey, see our garlic herb roast turkey!
  • Salt & pepper: Be generous with your salt and pepper for the best roast chicken, and season outside of the chicken and inside the cavity.
  • Onion & water: For the juiciest meat, roast your chicken on a bed of sliced onion and water (or chicken broth). We can also turn the juices left at the bottom of the baking into a delicious gravy!
  • Optional aromatics: For even more flavor, stuff the cavity of your chicken with lemon wedges, a head of garlic cut in half, and fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary.

How to roast a whole chicken

Roasting a chicken is easy. Use any oven-safe pan when roasting chicken — a roasting pan with a rack, a large baking dish, a rimmed baking sheet, or an oven-safe skillet, like a cast iron pan, all work.

  1. Pat chicken dry and generously season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with aromatics (optional).
  2. Place the chicken, breast-side facing up, on a bed of sliced onions and a splash of water.
  3. Roast in a 425° F (218° C) oven for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on size. The chicken is done when an internal thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh reads 165° F (74° C).
  4. Rest, slice, and serve.

⭐️ For more roasted chicken recipes, see our quick and easy pan roasted chicken breasts or this butterflied whole roast chicken.

Best oven temperature for roasting chicken

  • For tender, fall-off-the-bone meat and soft skin, roast whole chicken at 325° F (162° C) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the weight.
  • For firm, juicy meat and crisp, golden-brown skin, roast whole chicken 425° F (218° C) oven for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on size.

The best temperature for roasting chicken depends on what you are looking for. Higher oven temperatures help with more crispy, golden-brown skin, while lower oven temperatures result in softer, fall-off-the-bone meat. We roasted the chicken in our photos in a baking dish at 425° F and love the golden brown skin.

How to tell when roast chicken is done

Roast chicken is ready to come out of the oven when an internal thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh reads 165° F (74° C). As a visual check, slice between the leg and thigh. The chicken is done if the juices run clear.

How to get crispy skin

For roasted chicken with crispy skin, before roasting in the oven, refrigerate the seasoned chicken, uncovered, overnight in the fridge. The night in the fridge dries out the skin and helps it to crisp in the oven the next day.

How to serve roasted chicken

With vegetables: For a classic roast chicken dinner serve with mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes and gravy. For extra veggies, I love sautéed cabbage, quick sautéed green beans, garlicky roasted Brussels sprouts, and these honey roasted carrots.

Turn it into a salad: Shred it and serve it with your favorite salads. I love this homemade Caesar salad or Greek salad. You can also turn it into a salad, like this creamy chicken salad.

Stir it into soup: Cube or shred it and stir it into our chicken noodle soup, chicken and vegetable soup, or this simple vegetable soup.

Make a quick lunch: One of my favorite ways to eat roasted chicken is with a slice of crusty bread, homemade hummus, crisp cucumbers, and a drizzle of tahini sauce.

Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

Easy Juicy Roasted Chicken

  • PREP
  • COOK
  • TOTAL

Roasted chicken is the ultimate chicken dinner. Our method for roasting a whole chicken is easy and adaptable to what you love. We use a high temperature when roasting a chicken. The higher temperature (425° F) guarantees crispy, golden-brown skin and firm, juicy meat. If you prefer roasted chicken with much softer, fall-off-the-bone meat, roast at 325° F.

Makes approximately 4 servings

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

1 whole chicken, 5 to 6 pounds, patted dry

Salt and fresh ground pepper

1 onion, sliced

1/2 cup (120ml) water or chicken broth

1 lemon, quartered, optional

1 whole head garlic, halved crosswise, optional

Small bunch fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and sage, optional

Directions

    1Generously season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. For the crispiest chicken skin, refrigerate the chicken uncovered for at least an hour and up to overnight (optional).

    2Heat oven to 425 °F (218 °C). Scatter the sliced onions over the bottom of a baking dish or oven-safe skillet. Pour in water or broth.

    3Place the chicken, breast-side up, on top of the onions.

    4If using them, stuff the cavity with lemon wedges, halved garlic, and herbs. Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. (If you don’t have twine, leave the legs as they are.)

    5Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Then, roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, occasionally opening the oven to spoon rendered fat at the bottom of the pan over the chicken.

    6Roast chicken is done when an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165° F (74° C) or when the chicken juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Depending on the size of your chicken, the total roasting time may vary.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Make gravy: The pan juices left in the bottom of the dish after roasting are delicious when used to make gravy. Here’s our easy gravy recipe to walk you through it.
  • Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.
Nutrition Per Serving Calories 336 / Protein 46 g / Carbohydrate 5 g / Dietary Fiber 1 g / Total Sugars 1 g / Total Fat 14 g / Saturated Fat 4 g / Cholesterol 170 mg
AUTHOR:  Adam and Joanne Gallagher
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37 comments… Leave a Review
  • JimmyB January 21, 2024, 2:50 pm

    I am writing to compliment you on your suggested roasting technique. I have always used 400° to roast a chicken. This time I used 325° and it was wonderful. I cook my chickens upside down on a vertical roasting rack in a cast iron skillet. When done I just lift the chicken out and I have a pan for making the gravy. Your 325° method yielded a lot more chicken fat and juice than the hotter temperature. Another added benefit is that after we had our two pieces of chicken for dinner this was more “falling off the bone” which made it easier to strip the carcass for other chicken recipes. P.S. If the chicken has giblets I simmer them and use that as broth for the gravy. Thank you for posting!

    Reply
  • Mike T December 10, 2023, 7:23 pm

    I have started spatchcocking my chickens. Even did my turkey like that once. It’s a great method that causes the bird to cook faster. I don’t think it’s better than roasting though as there’s a of “hands on” with a cold chicken to get it cut in half and so on. So I’m pretty much sticking with YOUR method and better for me as your chicken came out simply wonderful. I cook suppers in our house and my wife loved this chicken. Thanks ! Mike

    Reply
  • JLPea November 24, 2023, 3:13 pm

    I made a chicken using this recipe, and against my better judgement I did not butter/oil the outside the bird. I followed the recipe exactly. I don’t know why or how, but this chicken was by far the best I’ve ever made in my 70 years. I’ll be using this recipe from now on. Thank you!

    Reply
  • Melissa odle October 6, 2023, 11:16 am

    Could you roast carrots and potatoes with chicken

    Reply
    • Joanne October 6, 2023, 12:11 pm

      Hi Melissa, You can!

      Reply
  • Earl Williams August 8, 2023, 5:47 pm

    I never leave comments but I just felt like I had to for this recipe. It was absolutely delicious.

    Reply
    • Joanne September 18, 2023, 3:46 pm

      That’s wonderful, Earl. Thank you very much for coming back.

      Reply
  • Deborah Shott May 1, 2022, 10:24 pm

    I have tried this recipe twice and it has turned out outstanding both times. For folks who have complained that their chicken was too raw or overcooked, get yourself a meat thermometer. Cooking any meat without a meat thermometer is like trying to navigate a canoe without a paddle.

    Reply
    • Joanne September 18, 2023, 3:46 pm

      We couldn’t agree more. We’ve roasted chicken more times that I can count and always use a thermometer.

      Reply
  • Denee Dow March 6, 2022, 9:05 pm

    Hello you two, my husband and I just finished eating our roast chicken using your recipe. It was delicious! Thank you so much! I roasted it in my Dutch oven which has a pretty high side. So basting was a challenge but doable. I promised myself that if this was a good recipe I would buy a shallow roasting pan big enough for a 5-6 pound chicken! Now I get to buy one! Thanks again!

    Reply
  • Alexandra Shand April 5, 2021, 8:00 pm

    I’ve never seen a roast chicken recipe that didn’t have you cover the bird with oil or butter, but as this recipe demonstrates, you really don’t need to! I did it with lemon, garlic, rosemary, oregano and parsley. It was moist, flavorful and perfect. I will always make this.

    Reply
    • Joanne September 18, 2023, 3:47 pm

      We are so happy we were able to help! You can always add some oil or butter (I’d do butter over oil for browning), but you are right, it isn’t required.

      Reply
  • Matt Matt January 28, 2021, 6:18 pm

    Okay I had never made a whole chicken before so I wanted easy instructions. Well I followed everything I could but I didn’t use onions or garlic and I used broth for the bottom of the pan. I cooked a 5lb chicken and in 1 hour and 20 minutes it was done. The meat came out tender and juicy not going to lie. The skin was very tasty and crispy, and the pan drippings tasted delicious. I just want to learn how to flavor the inside of the meat a bit more but aside from that the instructions worked and this chicken was a success.

    Reply
    • Joanne September 18, 2023, 3:48 pm

      So happy to hear it, Matt! Thanks for coming back!

      Reply

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