The Best Roast Chicken (+Video)
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 roasted chicken salad.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
The skin becomes a gorgeous brown because of the butter but it does smoke a little bit. Just make sure to keep your ventilation fan going while this cooks. You could also replace the butter with ghee but I don’t feel like you get the same flavors.
I find that method often tears the skin if you don’t do it just right. You can certainly do that but when you put the butter on top of the skin, you get a beautiful, golden brown and crispy skin. We put the garlic, lemon and seasonings inside the chicken cavity to flavor the meat from the inside out.
This would be delicious served with my creamy herbed potatoes! Or perhaps something more classic like 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!
A meat thermometer is going to give you the most accurate reading on when chicken is done. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken (not touching the bone) and the temperature should read 165F degrees when done. Another way is to cut between the leg bone and the breast. If the liquid runs clear, it’s a good indicator the chicken is done.
There are a lot of theories on what is the best way to roast a chicken. Some say breast side down so the juices run down into the breast meat and some say breast side up so that the skin gets cooked and golden brown. Personally, I am in the breast side up camp. With this recipe, the breast meat is still incredibly tender and flavorful and you still get that gorgeous brown and crispy skin.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- roasting chicken
- salt and ground black pepper
- lemon
- garlic
- good quality salted butter (I like Kerrygold butter)
HOW TO ROAST CHICKEN IN THE OVEN:
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.
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Originally published: November 2011
Updated photos & republished: September 2020
Recipe credit: Ina Garten
The Best Roast Chicken (+Video)
Ingredients
- 5-6 pounds roasting chicken
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1-2 teaspoons 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
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Oh my gosh – this was perfection! It really is absolutely perfect! Everyone was so impressed and it was SO easy! Thanks! Anne
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!!! 😀
This turned out so flavorful and looked just like your picture. I can’t believe I made it!
Hi Shanda! You could use a 9×13 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! 🙂
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!!!
This was fantastic….my new go-to for roasted chicken!
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.
This is a picture perfect roast chicken. Thanks for sharing.
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!
I made this chicken recipe today and it was quite perfect!
Looks delicious!!
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!
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.
Jill, if anyone could do it – you could!!
Janet, oh yes me too..LOL
That chicken looks perfect! I have a chicken in my freezer. I might have to try this. Great job and thanks for sharing.
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!
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.
What a pretty chicken!!
This chicken looks amazing! Yum! I love how crispy and perfect the skin came out. 🙂
Oh yeah!
This does look the "best" and "perfect"!!!!
Looks so delicious. Roast chicken is my favorite comfort meal. Crave worthy. Yummy!
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!
This chicken is absolutely perfect!!
There's nothing like a roast chicken – and yours looks perfect – really beautiful
Mary x
That is one pretty chicken Brandie.