Easy, simple, flavorful Perfect Roast Chicken. This is the best roast chicken recipe ever and is perfect for your Sunday roast.
GOLDEN BROWN SKIN AND TENDER, FLAVORFUL MEAT
There's nothing better than a good roast chicken on a Sunday evening. The delicious Sunday roast. This roasted chicken is one of my favorite meals to make. I can always count on it to turn out perfectly and the leftovers make for an amazing CHICKEN SALAD.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN:
- It's all about the butter! Butter can cause a bit of smoke but it will give your chicken a golden color and make the skin crispy! This chicken is so juicy and the meat comes out so flavorful. The skin comes out crispy every time and is seasoned just right.
- You can use ghee to help with the smoking but I've tried it and I don't feel you get the same flavor.
- It's also all about seasoning the inside of the whole chicken so that the flavor penetrates the meat. Sometimes people like to put butter under the skin on the chicken. I find that method messy and often it tears the skin. Crispy skin is my favorite part. So, I go inside the bird! Season the whole inside with salt, pepper and then stuff it with fresh garlic and lemon. This produces juicy chicken with lots of flavor!
WHAT DO I SERVE WITH ROASTED CHICKEN?
This would be delicious served with my CREAMY HERBED FINGERLING POTATOES! Or perhaps something more classic like my CROCK POT MILLION DOLLAR MASHED POTATOES, RANCH SMASHED POTATOES or a more fall-inspired dish, maybe some HONEY GLAZED SWEET POTATOES! Craving something other than potatoes? How about ITALIAN GREEN BEANS or my BACON GARLIC GREEN BEANS. You can't go wrong!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- roasting chicken
- salt & ground black pepper
- lemon
- garlic
- good quality salted butter (I like Kerrygold butter)
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN:
Preheat the oven to 425f degrees. Remove the chicken from plastic wrap and remove any giblets that are in the cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any leftover pinfeathers that may still be hanging on and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cut lemon and garlic head in half.
Stuff the cavity with lemon and garlic halves. Squeeze a bit of the lemon juice into the chicken cavity before placing lemon halves inside.
Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Use all the butter, this is what is going to help make the skin crispy and give it a golden color.
Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken (this step is optional). Roast the chicken, uncovered, for about an hour and half or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Temperature of the thickest part of the chicken (without touching the bone) should be 165F degrees when done.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
The Best Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 5-6 found roasting chicken
- kosher salt & ground black pepper
- 1 lemon
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425f degrees. Remove the chicken from plastic wrap and remove any giblets that are in the cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat it dry.
- Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.
- Cut lemon and garlic head in half. Stuff the cavity with lemon and garlic halves. Squeeze a bit of the lemon juice into the chicken cavity before placing lemon halves inside.
- Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Use all the butter, this is what is going to help make the skin crispy and give it a golden color.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken (this step is optional).
- Roast the chicken, uncovered, for about an hour and half or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken (without touching a bone) and it should be 165F degrees.
Video
Notes
- The melted butter you slather on the chicken may smoke some in your oven. Butter has a low burning point and because you are cooking this at a higher temperature, you may see a bit of smoking. Do not worry. This is normal. Just make sure your oven fan is in good working condition. It is all worth it for the flavor it brings to this chicken!
- You can use ghee to help with the smoking but I've tried it and I don't feel you get the same flavor.
Nutrition
Originally published: November 2011
Updated & republished: September 2020
Kellie matthews
I love your recipes. They're easy and delicious
Susan
Made this earlier this month. So good and very easy to make. Its going into my recipe rotation
Susan
I made this Sunday (7th). Very easy. Good Will make again.
Jeff Moody
This is a very simple recipe, which is a good thing. The chicken turned out as pretty as the picture but in my opinion, flavor was lacking. Also, you would be wise to put it in a deep roasting pan because, as I learned, the juices will splatter all over your oven and the smoke will set off every smoke detector in your house. Ha!
Kelly
Oh my blessed goodness. I’ve made a roast chicken two or three times before from different recipes and am not really a chicken fan. UNTIL NOW! This chicken was perfectly moist and tender with a beautiful golden crispy skin. I was worried it would be burnt when the kitchen started filling with smoke from scorched butter, but I kept my cool and just turned on a fan and opened all the windows like she said to do. My only changes were to use an orange (as I didn’t have a lemon), place some garlic slices under the skin, and put several celery ribs in with the orange. The beautifully caramelized pan drippings made a perfect base for the next day’s chicken pho. I will absolutely be using this recipe for the rest if my life.
John Green
I've not tried the recipe yet but have my chickens waiting.
I see that you are recommending potatoes and green beans as sides for the chicken Thank you for thinking of the rest of the meal. So often the decision of what to have for dinner is concentrated on the meat and the sides are an afterthought.
I am going with roasted acorn squash and blanched spinach with my chicken today and then will be open to ideas for ideas using the remaining meat. Ten pounds of chicken for two people should yield plenty.
Laura Wilson
The recipe says to put in a head of garlic in the chicken cavity. you have to cut that in half. how do you get all of the paper/skin off of the garlic?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
You don't need to. Just stuff it in there without removing all of that. 🙂
Tracy Carlton
BEST chicken EVER!!!! Thank you!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thanks so very much Tracy
Leonie Anders
Delicious!!! Try spraying the outside with butter flavor non stick spray(or spray butter)...it's easier and just as yummy.
Alice
I have 2 smaller chickens maybe around 3 - 31/2 lbs can I still cook them with this recipe at the same temperature as the bigger one or do I have to cook them at a least temperature and you were saying that it smokes because of the butter how long does it last for right through the cooking process I so want to try this recipe it looks so delicious
Jessica Ryan
Hi Brandie-Do you think I could lower the temp and cook on convect roast to get the same crispy skin without having the smoke issue? I wish I understood convect better!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Jessica! Convection just helps circulate the air flow. Kind of like an air fryer does. You could certainly try! I haven't personally tried it myself but it might work. Just keep an eye on the temperature of the chicken. We don't want any kind of food poisoning to happen because of undercooked chicken 🙂
Beth Marohn
I made this today and it's a huge hit! Love the simplicity of it while impressing the entire family. It's on the roster for future meals!
Lou
I like sage, and I suppose you could use other herbs if you wish. But sometimes, basic is best. If you use Ghee (clarified butter) you shouldn't have the smoking problem of regular butter.
Aarthi
yummy yummy..Delicious..Thanks for the recipe dear
Amanda
This was probably the best chicken I ever made! I never eat the skin... And this was delicious! I threw in 3 sprigs of Rosemary into the cavity and put veggies under the rack. Pro tip: keep the veggies away from the chicken and your skin will crisp, if the veggies touch, skin stays soft. But it was really great!!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Great tips! Thanks so much Amanda!! So happy you enjoyed it!!
Joe
I don’t mix meat and dairy together for kosher reasons, what can I use to substitute the butter?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Joe - what do you normally use? I would use that. Perhaps margarine?
Maureen Blanchard
hi Joe, I always use a good grade of olive oil, and it comes out delious and very crispy
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thank you for chiming in Maureen!
Sunny
I have never roasted a chicken with garlic and lemon before but this was absolutely wonderful!!!
K toler
Do you cook it the same amount of time with two chickens ???????????
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi K! I haven't tried it but I would imagine you would need to cook it a bit longer with two chickens. I'm just not sure how much longer since I haven't tested it out. Let me know if you try it!
Julia
Just made this wonderful and was chicken. Thanks for the recipe!
Alecia
This recipie looks delicious! My chicken is in the oven right now and my fire alarm is going off every five seconds any suggestions ? I do have my oven fan on high ...help lol????
Janice Clary
This is a really great recipe for roast chicken! I make mine the same way with garlic and lemon stuffed inside the cavity, but I also mix up softened butter with a few tsps of thyme, parsley, salt and pepper and slather the butter mixture under the skin on top of the chicken breasts, it helps keep the breasts moist and juicy! So good!!
Stephanie Shott
How would you make this using chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken?
brit
has anyone tried using Ghee? would it be just as good without the butter? I imagine this would make the skin less crispy, which is fine with me. 🙂 love your recipes Brandie
Sandy
I made this last night. My son’s basketball game ran late and I was afraid the chicken would be dry when he got home. It was not. In fact it only made the outside a little more crispy and the inside was like butter. - perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda
We use the leftover bones and such to make soup. You can always get more chicken off of it once you boil it down.
Theresa
I couldn't find a roasting chicken at the store. I bought a whole chicken 5.56 lbs. Is that the same thing? I have never cooked a whole chicken before.
Liz
Is it supposed to smoke a lot? It has me nervous. Fingers crossed.
Carolsue
You mentioned the butter may make it smoke in the oven. What about using ghee in place of butter? Would that work the same only eliminate the smoke?
Karen
You can use ghee or mix the butter with some olive oil and it won’t smoke.
Sabrina
This was definitely the best chicken I've made. I did a season with Sazon complete inside and out. Thank you for the recipe
Annie
Made it. Loved it. Beautiful and juicy! I wouldn't change a thing!
Anne M
Oh my gosh - this was perfection! It really is absolutely perfect! Everyone was so impressed and it was SO easy! Thanks! Anne
Dina
This was so delicious!! It was very easy to make and the flavor and tenderness of the chicken was amazing. Thank you Brandie for sharing this awesome recipe. This is a keeper!!! 😀
Trish
This turned out so flavorful and looked just like your picture. I can't believe I made it!
The Country Cook
Hi Shanda! You could use a 9x13 baking dish for this. That roasting pan just helps ensure that the bird has air circulating around it. It is not absolutely necessary though. I do not cover the chicken. I won't lie, it gets a bit smoky because you are cooking it with butter but not covering it really helps the skin to get brown and crispy (if you enjoy the skin). Hope that helps! 🙂
shanda
i'm thinking of making this, but do not have a roasting pan. Is it required and do you have to have a lid? Thank you so much for existing, my family thanks you too!!!
Aleah Maulden
This was fantastic....my new go-to for roasted chicken!
Melissa
I made this chicken for dinner last night. It was so tender and juicy and delicious! The garlic and the lemon gave it such a good flavor! This is hands down the best chicken recipe I have ever tried (and I've tried a bunch). Thank you so much for sharing! This is the first of your recipes I've tried and it most certainly will not be the last.
Susan
This is a picture perfect roast chicken. Thanks for sharing.
Fran Jefferson
This is the perfect roast chicken recipe and I have tried many. Crispy skin with a great flavor. Meat is incredibly moist. Best part is it’s very easy and full-proof. I make it at least once a week. Everything is better with butter!
Sheena
I made this chicken recipe today and it was quite perfect!
Steph
Looks delicious!!
Jill @ MadAboutMacarons
Brandie, this certainly does look perfection on a plate: moist inside and crispy outside. In fact, the description could be for a macaron. Haven't had a roast chicken in ages - hm. You've inspired me - perhaps I should make a roast chicken macaron? Just kidding. Love your juicy photos!
Veronica Gantley
Oh my! That skin looks so crispy, you could lite a match with it. I will be it tasted fantastic and made you house smell so good! Thanks for sharing.
The Country Cook
Jill, if anyone could do it - you could!!
Janet, oh yes me too..LOL
Just for Cooking
That chicken looks perfect! I have a chicken in my freezer. I might have to try this. Great job and thanks for sharing.
janet@cupcakestocaviar
That is truly a work of art Roast Chicken, Brandi! I wanted nothing more than to dive into that photo when I saw it. I LOVE the pretty color of the skin; that can be hard to do and I've been cooking for 30 some years. Ahem, I started in the cradle, ok?
Sooooo buzzed!
The Better Baker
Looks and sounds (& smells!=) like a perfect recipe to me. I love simple and easy and this takes the cake...er, uh...the chicken. Lovely post! Enjoy your weekend Girlie.
RavieNomNoms
What a pretty chicken!!
Lacy
This chicken looks amazing! Yum! I love how crispy and perfect the skin came out. 🙂
Sandra
Oh yeah!
Eliotseats
This does look the "best" and "perfect"!!!!
Pretend Chef
Looks so delicious. Roast chicken is my favorite comfort meal. Crave worthy. Yummy!
Annie Oakley's Kitchen
Ooooh I love roast chicken and that picture is making my mouth water! My husband is usually in charge of making stuff like this but I may just have to take over next time!
Rosemary
This chicken is absolutely perfect!!
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
There's nothing like a roast chicken - and yours looks perfect - really beautiful
Mary x
Rhondi
That is one pretty chicken Brandie.