OH HI IT’S ME making you a delicious, crispy, easy whole roasted chicken dinner
I know this recipe might seem slightly intimidating if you’ve never roasted a chicken before, but it’s fairly easy and simple to do. I’ve lovingly deemed it our “Sunday night chicken dinner” because it’s our family favorite meal to prep for the week ahead. All you’ll need is a whole chicken, some of your fav veggies for roasting, a few simple marinade ingredients, and fresh garnishes to top it all off.
It’s cheap, great for feeding a whole family, and it’s DAMN GOOD. We either eat it as is with a savory feta sauce, shred it to put in soups, salads, and more, or my husband will eat it on his daily lunch sandwiches. Let’s get to it!
Everything you need to make this easy roasted chicken dinner
The best part about making a whole roasted chicken is that it requires minimal, super simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make my recipe:
- Chicken: I typically opt for a 4-pound organic young chicken without the giblets.
- Olive oil: you’ll need some olive oil to marinate both the chicken and veggies.
- Lemon juice: every good marinade needs an acid, and we’re using fresh lemon juice.
- Garlic: don’t forget the fresh garlic in your marinade.
- Spices: we’re adding flavor to the meal with plenty of salt and pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and oregano.
- Mustard: a little dijon mustard gives the marinade an extra punch of flavor.
- Vegetables: I also like to bake the chicken with fingerling or baby yukon gold potatoes, carrots, and onions for extra flavor and an easy veggie side.
- To garnish: the chicken and veggies are wonderful just as they are, but I love to garnish the platter with fresh dill and parsley, crumbled feta, and lemon zest.
Prep your chicken for cooking
There are a few key steps you need to take before roasting your chicken:
- Let it come to room temp. Before adding anything to the chicken, let it come to room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes. This is to ensure proper, even cooking and make it easier to coat the chicken in your butter mixture.
- Remove the insides & pat dry. If your chicken still has the bag of giblets inside the cavity, be sure to remove it. Next, pat the chicken dry with paper towels so that the marinade sticks well and you get that perfect golden, crispy skin.
- Spatchcock the chicken. This is my BEST strategy for ensuring evenly cooked chicken! A couple of summers ago I taught you all how to spatchcock a chicken for grilling, and we’ll use the same method for this roasted chicken recipe. Learn exactly how to spatchcock a chicken here!
- Add the marinade everywhere. You’ll want to make sure you add your marinade mixture both on top of the chicken and underneath the skin. Carefully lift the skin above the chicken breast and massage in some of the marinade. This will ensure that the whole chicken is juicy and flavorful.
How long does it take to cook a whole chicken?
My typical rule for roasting a whole chicken or turkey is for every pound of chicken, you’ll roast it for about 15-20 minutes. Because we’re spatchcocking this chicken, it will likely require a little bit less time!
I ended up roasting my 4-pound chicken for about 45 minutes. Once the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, it’s ready to be pulled out of the oven and will continue to cook a bit as it cools.
Simple tips for the best roasted chicken dinner
- Stir the veggies halfway through. When the chicken dinner is about halfway through the cook time, I recommend carefully stirring the veggies underneath to help them cook evenly.
- Check for doneness. As I mentioned, your chicken will be done when a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. If your chicken looks like it’s getting too brown on the outside but is not yet done, simply cover it with foil so that the inside continues to cook.
- Let the chicken rest. Once your chicken is done and you’ve pulled it from the oven, let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting into it so that the juices stay in the meat.
Our favorite way to serve this whole roasted chicken
The roasted veggies and garnishes definitely make a full meal, but I also like to jazz up the dinner by:
- Arranging the veggies on a platter with some fresh arugula for a boost of greens
- Adding the quartered chicken pieces on top
- Drizzling with my famous Whipped Feta Yogurt Dip (or serving it on the side for dipping!)
How many people does this roasted chicken serve?
With a 4-pound chicken, you’ll likely serve about 4-6 people. It should yield about 5 cups of shredded chicken (if you decide to shred it).
Alternatively, feel free to carve the chicken breast and thighs, and then cut them into slices!
Meal prep tip: shred it for later
After roasting the chicken, we love to shred the whole thing to use in tons of different recipes later in the week. To do so:
- Let the chicken completely cool, which will take about an hour.
- Use one of these methods to easily shred the chicken after getting most of the meat off the bones.
How to store & freeze roasted chicken
- To store: store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave, and try some of our great recipes using leftover chicken!
- To freeze: if you have lots of leftover chicken, go ahead and freeze it for later! Make sure the chicken has cooled completely, then add it to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. For many soups and stews, you can add the frozen chicken directly and just add some cooking time, but for other recipes, you’ll likely want to thaw it in the refrigerator before using it.
Side dishes to pair with the roasted chicken
- Asiago Arugula Pear Salad
- Easy Stove-Top Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Garlic and Herb Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes (so creamy!)
- Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan & Chili Crisp
- Sesame Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas with Garlic Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- Dad’s Creamy & Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
Get all of my side dish recipes here!
Tools you’ll need
- Basting brush
- Roasting pan (no need to use the inside rack!)
- Cutting board
- Kitchen shears
- Meat thermometer
- Spatula
- Platter
Get all of my kitchen essentials here!
Ways to use leftover roasted chicken
- Butternut Squash Green Chile Chicken Soup
- The Best Chicken Soup You’ll Ever Eat
- Pesto Mushroom Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
- Tahini Jalapeño Green Goddess Chicken Salad Wraps
- Lightened Up Chicken Pot Pie
- Spicy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce
- Roasted Butternut Squash Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Couscous
Get all of our best recipes using leftover chicken here!
I hope you love this easy whole roasted chicken recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Good Mood Comfort Food
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Easy Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or sub melted butter or avocado oil)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes or baby gold yukon gold potatoes, halved
- 4 to 5 medium to large carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 3-inch segments
- 1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
- For serving:
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Crumbled feta
- Lemon zest
- Whipped Feta Yogurt Sauce, optional
- Arugula, optional for extra greens!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Marinate the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, garlic powder, paprika, oregano and dijon until well combined. Set aside. Generously brush half of the mixture over all sides of the chicken and rub it under the skin.
- Assemble the sheet pan: Add the potatoes and vegetables to a large roasting pan, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil mixture, tossing well to coat, then arrange the vegetables on the edges of the pan so there is room for the chicken in the middle. The chicken can cover some of the vegetables as needed.
- Prep the chicken: Place the chicken breast-side down on a sturdy cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Using sharp, strong kitchen shears, cut closely along one side of the backbone, then repeat with the other side of the backbone. Be sure to cut as close to the spine as possible so you do not remove excess meat. Remove the backbone and discard, or save it to make homemade stock.
- Spatchcock the chicken: Flip the chicken breast-side up and firmly press down on the breast to flatten it until you hear the small crack of the breastbone breaking, which will allow the chicken to lie flat. Alternatively, with the legs facing away from you, you can make two 1-inch incisions on either side of the breastbone along the neck to help flatten the chicken.
- Transfer the chicken to the roasting pan and generously brush the remaining marinade mixture all over the chicken and rub it under the skin.
- Roast: Roast in the oven, stirring the vegetables halfway through, and cooking until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 160°F, 45 to 50 minutes. (The chicken will continue to cook once you remove it from the oven.)
- Rest the chicken: Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board or large plate and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting it into quarters.
- Garnish & serve: Transfer vegetables to a large platter, then arrange the chicken in the middle or on top of the vegetables. Garnish with fresh herbs, feta and lemon zest. Serve on plates with some whipped feta sauce spread on for enjoying with the chicken and vegetables. This is also absolutely delicious served over a little arugula. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
I loved this! What a beautiful Sunday dinner. I’m out of carrots and dill, but otherwise made it per recipe. I was also low on energy so I didn’t make the optional sauce, but I bet it’d add a nice salty smokiness to the flavors of the chicken! Next time!
This one’s great for customizing with what you have on hand! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
We loved this. The chicken was so moist and juicy, even the breast. The feta sauce with the hot pepper honey (we made the night before for turkey meatballs) is a great complement but not essential because the chicken by itself is so good.
So glad this was a hit! Hot pepper honey also sounds delicious!
Made this last night with the whipped feta and served with some fresh peaches. SO GOOD. This will become a weekly staple for us!
The best!!
This was SO good and well-received. Could show the cutting out of the spine a bit more for us, also maybe don’t even suggest minced garlic because it does burn and my last suggestion/request: where’s the best place to slice into the skin to get marinade underneath? I forgot the ONION! 🤦🏼♂️ But this was still very good. Thanks!
Check out the full video with lots of tips and tricks!!
This was my first time making roast chicken and it turned out fantastic. The recipe was easy to follow and incredibly flavorful even though I was feeling too lazy to make the feta sauce. My husband was very impressed and we love that the produce and meat for this entire meal only cost about $12!
Love that! And YES it’s a great, inexpensive weeknight meal to have on hand.
I’ve made this recipe about 4 times now and it turns out great each time. Sometimes I skip the spatchcock step but it does achieve a better all over browning and it’s worth it to do. Sweet potatoes make a great sub. This is now my go-to recipe. Thanks!
Amazing! So glad you love this one!
Delicious! Even my picky 18 month old devoured this chicken. Will definitely be making it again!
Ok this recipe should be brought back front and center. Just made this today, so simple and freaking delicious. Crispy, flavorful, and easy. Also the part on the video *next were going to season the S*** out of this chicken*, I laughed out loud, I did indeed do that and it was a total hit! Thank you Monique! (Seriously this video should be brought back as a TBT)
Amazing!! Haha this was a fun one to film 😉 glad you loved this (and I’ll have to bring it back soon!)
Made this recipe twice in the last month and it came out perfect each time – so simple, easy and delicious. Only change was I added some white wine to the veggies and they came out extra caramelized.
Amazing! Great idea to add white wine!
Hi Monique!
I am doing the Whole30 this month (I know horrible timing with the holidays 😅) and am wondering if I could use ghee instead of butter? Will the skin still be as crispy and delicious? Thank you!
That should work but I don’t think the skin will get as crispy with the ghee, but it’ll still be delicious!
was that a convecyion oven that you were useing because i heard the fan
This recipe will work in any oven 🙂
This is THE best easiest most delicious incredible chicken! Love it! I’ve made it at least 1/2 dozen times!
Fantastic recipe! I made a slight tweak and stuffed the chicken with lemon and onion along with some rosemary and thyme springs. So so so good! Already can’t wait to make it again. Next time I will add more onions and carrots, because they were extra good.
Sounds AMAZING, happy you loved it!
This is such a perfect chicken recipe! Easy, super delicious, everyone will eat it! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Awesome, I’m so happy you love it!
one thing i noticed was the temprature. is too high to roast a chicken> i was thinking like 400 degress and not higher.
Hi, there! I’ve found that 450º works really well and it helps the skin brown nicely so I’d recommend sticking with that temp!
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I add potatoes and have a full meal in less than 90 minutes. Definitely will be making this weekly!
Seriously the easiest roast chicken, and it doesn’t skimp on flavor at all. So tasty. Cook exactly as directions state, and don’t for get to baste with those yummy juices!!!
Glad you loved it! One of our favs for weeknight dinners 🙂
Made this tonight and added a little lemon juice, thyme and ground sage to the butter mixture and holy YUM, so good!
Thanks!
Paula
http://www.dimplesonmywhat.com
Love it!!
I am planning to make this roasted turkey for a group of 8. I’m thinking I will need a larger chicken (probably 8-10 lbs). How much longer do you think I would need to cook? Any rule of thumb you go off of?
I have an oven safe food thermometer I will leave in while it cooks but if you have a rec it might make the guessing a little easier!
….and by turkey, I do mean chicken. Roasted chicken for 8 people 🙂
Absolutely! Check out my roasted turkey post with lots of tips 🙂
My 9 yr old sons favorite meal! He calls it the “turkey chicken” because it looks like a thanksgiving turkey to him. He requests this at least once a week. We use half for dinner and the other half for a yummy soup or wrap the next day. So so good!
Haha love that! Such a great way to use leftovers, too 🙂
What happened to the carrots and onions ????????
Just add them to around the chicken, similar to what the video says 🙂
I made this chicken for Thanksgiving, and it was SO GOOD. This was my first time cooking a whole chicken and this recipe could not have been easier to follow. The chicken came out so juicy and amazingly tasty! Will definitely make this again!
Amazing! So glad you loved it!
Monique has done it again! She has taken something that once seemed intimidating and taught us it’s actually quite simple. Absolutely delicious and will leave your home smelling amazing.
This was such a great recipe!! So easy to follow, minimum active time, but looks so fancy and tastes so yummy. I had a couple of girlfriends over and wanted to make something instead of order in but also wanted to be able to hang out and talk without being super busy in the kitchen and this was the answer! My guests loved it so much they asked for the recipe and also because they saw how low maintenance the prep work was! Cooking a whole chicken does not have to be intimidating thanks to Monique!!
I added a lemon and rosemary sprigs in the cavity which gave it a nice hint of lemon. I didn’t have a brush to spread the butter &garlic so I just used my fingers and it worked well! When it came to spreading the juices halfway through cooking I got creative with utensils.
Love having this recipe in my back pocket now. Highly recommend others try it out!
Absolutely! This one’s the perfect hands-off dinner once you throw it in the oven. Minimal dishes, too 🙂 Glad you loved it!
I love this recipe! It only let me give four stars but I want to give it 5🌟! Quick and easy. It turned out awesome and this is now my go to roast chicken recipe. Thank you!
So glad you loved it!
Would you recommend a cast iron skillet?
That will work well!
Made this chicken last night and it was SO delicious and juicy!!! My husband and I both absolutely loved it. Can’t wait for leftovers today 🙂 Thank you!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Simple DELICIOUS — and BEAUTIFUL !
Yes!! So happy you enjoyed!
What’s the size of the pan you’re using? Would a cast iron skillet work?
Yes! I used a 10″ cast iron skillet for this recipe – feel free to check out the photos & video for the example.
I am so making this for my kids tomorrow! I love roasted chicken and ypurs looked soo good.
The best dinner! Hope everyone loves it 🙂
This was the best chicken I have ever cooked. So tender and flavourful. I was a little leary about cooking a chicken at such a high temp. but it turned out perfect!
Amazing! I’m glad you tried this one – my go-to recipe 🙂
So delicious and easy to make! I baked mine at 400F and cooked for 1.5 hours. Only thing I did different was put half of an onion, a whole lemon and two sprigs of rosemary in the cavity of the chicken. Then tied the legs with foil since I didn’t have kitchen twine. Came out so moist and full of flavor. Will be making it for my husband when he comes back from his Temporary Duty Station. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Perfect! Great idea with onion + lemon, and such a good go-to. Hope your husband loves this, too!
This was so delicious! For the vegetables I used onion, broccolu, baby carrots, and red potatoes; wow, were they good! . My husband raved about it and wants this on the regular rotation. Thank you for the recipe!
Perfect! So happy to hear that. It’s a great go-to dinner!
Watching your video you say this is a 2 pound chicken but looking st it I’m thinking there’s no way that’s a 2 pound bird. Is that an error in the video? I’ve never roasted a chicken at 450 so that’s why I was wondering. It would be helpful if you said “roast x number of minutes per pound”. Looks yummy!
I typically use a 3-4 pound chicken (just misspoke!) so I reflected that in the ingredients + instructions 🙂
Yummmm!! Could you use olive oil instead of butter if you want it to be dairy free???
Yes that should work! The skin just might not get as crispy.
Can’t wait to try this over the weekend for meal prep!
Hope you love this!
thank you for this whole chicken recipe but really appreciate all of the side dishes that you’ve linked here, so thank you for both!
Absolutely! Enjoy.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I never would have thought to use a skillet! I’m going to try this using duck.
Perfect! Enjoy 🙂
Sounds easy! Do you cover the chicken in the oven?
Nope! The video shows the whole process, too, if you need to clarify any steps 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe, who knew roasting a chicken could be so siimple!! The amount of money that I can save to make my own roast chicken instead of buying them at the store!! I am definitely making this on the weekend!! Thank you again!!
You’re so welcome! Absolutely – you’ll get SO much chicken out of this and it’s much cheaper. Enjoy!
You made it really easy. Thanks…
You bet! Enjoy.
Absolutely! Enjoy.
I typically use a 3-4 pound chicken (just misspoke!) so I reflected that in the ingredients + instructions 🙂