Are you ready for the BEST, easy 10 ingredient roast chicken recipe? This whole roast chicken with crispy skin is juicy and tastes amazing!
Jump to RecipeEasy to Make & Even Easier to Clean Up!
What season do you believe is perfect for roasted chicken? I consider it to be a perfect year round dish! Not to mention it being a great source of protein to add into any dish or on its own. This white meat is a highly versatile protein for many different reasons. One being the way you cook/bake it, the way you season it, and the way you include it.
There's a lot of reasons to love this roasted chicken. First being that it's so easy to make. Second, whole chickens are a great way to meal prep with few ingredients that yield countless recipe options. Third, mastering a delicious and juicy roasted chicken is one of the easiest signature dishes you can learn to make! While you can enjoy this chicken on it's own or with veggies, you can also throw the cooked meat into soups, chilis or pasta dishes. Finally, this is a one pot recipe! Which means an easy clean up for you.
Most importantly, my favorite aspect about this whole roasted chicken is the crispy skin and juicy meat. This recipe will provide just that and more! I'll also teach you how to make your own home made bone broth along with how to pair your chicken. In a couple of hours, you can have a perfectly cooked chicken that will serve the whole family!
Prepping the Chicken
When cooking any kind of poultry, it's important to follow a set of rules to prep the meat. First, wash both the skin and inside cavity. Remove the neck, giblets, and anything else hiding in the cavity. Then, pat the meat dry with paper towels and allow it to come to room temperature. I would recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Make sure to preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit at this time and grease a roasting pan with a rack on it. I recommend using this one! Once the chicken has reached room temperature, season the outside with salt and inside of the cavity with pepper before stuffing it. When it comes to stuffing poultry, you can use anything from veggies to a bread stuffing recipe. For this whole chicken, we're going to add the herbs, lemon, garlic, and one onion. Once the cavity is stuffed, it's time to tie the feet! Use cooking twine to tie the ends of the drumsticks together.
Now to tackle the skin. To make the most perfect chicken with tender, juicy meat you need to ensure the skin is nice and crispy. Start by combining two tablespoons of softened butter and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Massage the butter mixture over the entire chicken. Be sure to rub the butter under the skin of the breast and drumsticks as well. Transfer your chicken to a roasting pan, breast side up, and tuck the wings under the body. Add the other chopped onion to the bottom of the roasting pan along with your vegetable broth and wine. This will add more flavor into the chicken as it steams while baking.
Time to Cook this Bird
Place the chicken in the oven, uncovered. Cook your chicken for 15 minutes on the center rack, then melt the remaining butter and combine with lemon juice. Brush this combination over the chicken and reduce the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This will give the chicken that incredible textured exterior while we continue to fully roast it.
Now, fully roast for 45 minutes and baste with the pan juices. Basting will ensure a perfectly moist and flavor rich chicken! Rotate the chicken and roast for 90 more minutes. This will make for an even bake. Make sure to baste every 30 minutes. Again, promising a perfect seal of flavor. Cover with foil if any part of the chicken begins to burn! Covering will also help lock in moisture. Just remember NOT to broil the chicken. This will cause the thin parts of the chicken to start to burn or overcook.
To check if the chicken is fully cooked, make sure the internal temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend using this thermometer. Once your thermometer reads a perfect internal temperature, pull the chicken out of the oven. Allow it to rest on a carving board for at least 15 minutes. This will help all of the flavors and seasonings further seep into the chicken. Once fully rested, remove the twine and discard the ingredients inside the cavity. Carefully carve the chicken and serve!
What to Serve Alongside the Roasted Chicken
Personally, I don't like to cook my chicken with vegetables in the dish with it. I find that the vegetables get overcooked and take on the flavor of the chicken. Instead, I like to roast my chicken alone in the baking dish and have a separate pan for the vegetables.
If you want to serve your roast chicken with vegetables that will compliment it, use carrots, onions, and potatoes. Start by slicing the carrots and wash the baby potatoes. Then, season with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables on a baking dish at 425F for 20 minutes, then add a sliced white onion for the last 10 minutes. Garnish the potatoes and carrots with a bit of pesto or serve fresh arugula alongside the meal.
Speaking of fresh arugula, I've got just the perfect salad to make with this chicken. If you are looking to step it up just a tad instead of plating with a side of plain arugula, I highly suggest my Roasted Beet and Citrus Arugula Salad. It is a great alternative while still contributing a burst of flavor and keeping it light. Beets have an earthy flavor profile, and citrus has a vibrant, zesty taste. When combined, the flavors play off one another and yield an unbeatable result, making a great compliment to the savory chicken.
Another mouth watering side to complement your chicken would be my savory mashed sweet potato recipe. Although savory, the sweet potatoes themselves will offer a balance of sweet and savory. Especially if you are looking for a bit more of a substantial side to the chicken, I would highly suggest a mashed sweet potato. My recipe includes fresh ingredients like thyme, leeks, and shallots for a decadent and full of flavor potato.
How To Make Bone Broth
If you are new to making a homemade bone broth, you might be a little intimidated. It sounds complex, but I can assure you it really is not! Making an at home bone broth has many benefits. Drinking it on its own is incredibly good for your body. Bone broth includes collagen which is great for hair, skin, nails and joint health. Not to mention it is another great source of protein while supporting gut health.
One of the more obvious ways of utilizing your bone broth is to use it in soups. It's great to have on hand nonetheless, you never know when you might want to make a soup. Down below in the "Recipes That Utilize Leftover Chicken" section, I have linked a few other recipes that include the same bone broth. With just a few ingredients and some time on your hands, this broth is a no brainer.
To start with our homemade bone broth, you are going to take 8-10 chicken bones and add them to a crockpot. Then add five large pieces of ginger. Pour in two cups of vegetable broth and one cup water. Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of turmeric and a pinch of black pepper. Then, cover and cook for at least 12 hours (ideally 16-18 hours). Strain twice when done and enjoy! This should make about six to eight servings.
Recipes That Utilize Leftover Chicken
If you have some leftover chicken and want to make better use of it (although enjoying it on its own is great too), then I've got just the thing for you! Here are a few different and easy ways to throw this chicken into other delicious dishes. Let's mix things up!
- Chicken Tortilla Soup: I can guarantee you that my chicken tortilla soup recipe is one you'll want to save for those weeknights when you're busy, tired, or don't know what to make for dinner. It's easy, quick, and nourishing. This gluten-free soup uses pantry staples to create a delicious, hearty meal in less than an hour.
- Lemon Orzo Soup: This Gluten-Free Lemon Orzo soup is the perfect one-pot recipe that the whole family will love! With shredded rotisserie chicken, soft carrots, and flavorful orzo, this soup has it all. This recipe only takes 45 minutes to make and yields six servings of rich soup.
If You Love This Recipe, Then Try...
Here are just a few of my other favorite chicken recipes on the blog. I've got three amazing dishes that you will absolutely love. They are easy and yield delicious outcomes!
- Chicken Wings: Say hello to the best no mess, no fuss chicken wing recipe! No fryer or grill required for this chicken recipes. The easy baking process makes these cilantro and lime chicken wings perfect to make year round. The unique flavor is the real reason that this chicken recipe always hits the spot though!
- Butter Chicken: Indian Butter Chicken was one of the first recipes I tried and on the first bite I fell in love. This dish is also known as murgh makhani, and is a traditional Indian curry dish. The chicken is cooked in a combination of tomato sauce, spices, cream, and butter- hence the name. The result is a flavorful marinated chicken that melts on your tongue and is absolutely delicious.
- Apricot Chicken: It doesn't get much better than juicy, tender chicken thighs and this recipe yields the most delicious chicken! With homemade Sweet & Spicy Apricot Glaze, this delicious chicken recipe comes together in under two hours and is so easy to make. I love this recipe because the apricot glaze is the perfect balance of just sweet enough without being overpowering.
The BEST Roast Chicken
Course: RecipesDifficulty: Easy9
servings20
minutes2
hours30
minutesThis easy roast chicken is the perfect weeknight recipe to feed the whole family!
Ingredients
One 5-6 pound roasting chicken
Salt
Pepper
1 large bunch of roasting herb blend (rosemary, thyme, sage/parsley)
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half
2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
- Remove the chicken giblets and rinse the inside of the chicken. Then pat the outside dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes before cooking).
- Set the chicken on a butchers block, breast side up. Then, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a roasting pan with a rack in it.
- Generously salt the inside and outside of the chicken. Then season the inside with pepper before stuffing it with the herbs, lemon, garlic, and one onion.
- Use cooking twine to tie the ends of the drumsticks together. Next, combine two tablespoons softened butter and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
- Massage the butter mixture over the entire chicken. Be sure to rub the butter under the skin of the breast and drumsticks as well.
- Transfer to a roasting pan, breast side up, and tuck the wings under the body.
- Add the other chopped onion to the bottom of the roasting pan with the vegetable broth and wine.
- cook for 15 minutes on the center rack, then melt the remaining butter and combine with the lemon juice. Brush over the chicken and reduce the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roast for 45 minutes, then baste with the pan juices. Rotate the chicken and roast for 90 minutes. Baste every thirty minutes. Cover with foil if any part of the chicken begins to burn.
- To check if the chicken is done, the internal temperature should register at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the chicken rest on a carving board for at least 15 minutes, then remove the twine and discard the ingredients inside the cavity.
- Carefully carve the chicken and serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Serve the whole roast chicken alongside potatoes, carrots, and onions
[…] Roast Chicken: My favorite aspect about this whole roasted chicken is the crispy skin and juicy meat. In just under an hour, you can have a perfectly cooked chicken to serve up with rice and/or veggies! This chicken is great accompanied by this coffee cake as dessert! […]