Simple Roasted Chicken
My fool proof Simple Roasted Chicken comes out juicy with the perfect crispy skin every time! This chicken is super flavorful and only requires a few pantry ingredients.
This is my favorite go-to roasted chicken that I make weekly. It’s so easy and only has a few simple ingredients. This chicken is perfect with roasted potatoes and a big green salad, or shred the meat for easy meals during the weekday. It has so much flavor and my family absolutely loves it!
Cooking a whole chicken can be super intimidating. I always worried it was going to come out dry, or not be cooked enough. This method for Simple Roasted Chicken could not be any easier to throw together, and I promise it will come out perfectly cooked and juicy.
What I love most about this chicken aside from the great flavor and ease, is how simple the ingredients are. A little salt and pepper, onion powder, olive oil, and a few celery or carrot sticks and that’s it! The chicken is so flavorful, you’ll be impressed what a difference a few pantry staples can make.
Enhance The Flavor With Herbs, Seasonings & Veggies.
If I’m feeling inspired to jazz up the chicken, adding fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and parsley infuse great flavor. You can also add your favorite seasonings, veggies, and even citrus fruits really boost the flavor. See recipe notes for additional info!
Meal Prep With Roasted Chicken.
Roasting a whole chicken is also a great way to cut corners for recipes during the week. I like to roast a chicken on Sunday and shred the meat for soups, casseroles, and salads. It’s so nice having flavorful chicken like this on hand.
How To Truss & Tuck The Chicken Wings.
This is an important step when roasting a whole chicken. When you leave the legs and wings untucked and tied they will overcook and could burn. Securing them to the body of the chicken will ensure even cooking. It’s super easy to do. Here’s a quick step-by-step video.
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Simple Roasted Chicken
Equipment
- 1 roasting pan 9×13 pan
Ingredients
- 1 (4 1/2 Pound) whole chicken, thawed with giblets removed
- 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- onion powder to taste
- 2 celery sticks cut in half carrot sticks work as well
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°
- Place whole chicken in roasting pan and drizzle all sides and inside cavity with olive oil or butter. Season the outside and inside cavity generously with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Place celery or carrot sticks in cavity.
- Make sure the chicken is breast side up. Tuck wings under the breast and tie legs together using kitchen string. This not only looks cleaner when it comes out of the oven, but it also helps cook the meat evenly. See post for step-by-step video on how to truss and tuck the wings.
- Roast chicken (breast side up) uncovered in preheated oven on center rack for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 185° and juices are running clear not pink. Time will vary depending on the size of chicken. See chart below for cooking methods.
- Remove chicken from oven and cover tightly with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- See recipe notes for additional flavor enhancers.
Notes
1. Regular-heat method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Roast whole (thawed) chicken with giblets removed for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.
2. High-heat method (this creates a crispy, darker skin):
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and cook whole (thawed) chicken for 10-15 minutes.
- Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and roast for 20 minutes per pound. (Do not add the extra 15 minutes to the cooking time as with the regular method.)
Additional flavor enhancers: Use any combination of fresh herbs, veggies, seasonings, and citrus fruit. Fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, parsley, oregano (place in cavity) Veggies: onions, garlic, fennel, carrots and celery (place in cavity) Seasonings: lemon pepper, garlic powder, season salt, paprika (add to the outside and inside along with other spices. Citrus fruits: lemon and orange slices (add to cavity) Nutritional facts vary depending on serving size. A serving is about 3 ounces of dark and white meat. Calories do not include the skin. Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
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My Kitchen Favorites For This Recipe:
This was dinner tonight along with the cauliflower casserole (check it out if you haven’t) I drizzled the entire chicken with olive oil then I seasoned the inside and out really well with salt and pepper. I stuffed the chicken with garlic cloves, half a small onion, half a lemon, a bunch of fresh thyme, and a bunch of fresh rosemary. Very moist and flavorful.
Yay! ❤