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A whole roasted chicken is one of my favorite family meals, and my go to recipe results in the most perfect, crispy oven roasted chicken every single time. Seasoned with garlic and herbs, it’s full of flavor, wonderfully juicy and easier to make than you’d think!
How to make roasted whole chicken
- Pat the chicken dry, remove the giblets and tie the legs together. I used a young chicken here.
- Rub the softened herb butter all over the chicken using your hands, making sure to get underneath the skin too.
- Place the garlic, onion and thyme in the cavity.
- Roast until golden brown.
- Spoon the juices over the chicken and let rest before carving.
Tips for roasting chicken
- Make sure to use kitchen twine to truss the chicken. This helps the chicken to cook more evenly all over and the meat stays nice and juicy. Place the chicken breast side up and criss cross the twine around the legs. Pull tight an tie. You can find step by step photos on how to twine on that article.
- Pat the skin of the chicken dry with paper towel. This helps it crisp up the during cooking as the chicken is less likely to steam. If you like your skin to be extra crispy, once the chicken is cooked, you can place it under the broiler for a few minutes.
- Be mindful of how much herbs you add to the outside of the chicken. The herbs will likely brown faster than the skin, so keep it minimal for best presentation so it doesn’t look like a burnt bird! I like to tuck them under the skin to add flavor without risking the burnt look.
- Let the chicken rest before carving it. This helps the juices to redistribute so you won’t have dry breast meat. Take the chicken out of the oven, cover it loosely with foil and let it sit for 15 minutes to half an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can easily get ahead of things by prepping the chicken the night before. In fact, this can actually result in crispier skin as the salt will help to draw out any extra moisture. Rub the butter all over, stuff the cavity and let it sit in the fridge, uncovered for up to 12 hours.
A good rule of thumb, is to allow a pound of whole chicken per person, so a 4lb chicken is perfect for four. I always like to roast a chicken larger than I need so that I can enjoy the leftovers later in the week.
Leftovers, in my opinion, are the best thing about cooking an oven roasted whole chicken! Remove the meat from the bones and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s great for sandwiches and salads and add it in to weeknight meals like white chicken chili and tacos.
Be sure not to throw the carcass away, as you can use that to make your own chicken stock!
A perfect whole roasted chicken is so much easier to make than you think! It’s pretty effortless! It makes for a great centerpiece for any family meal and is great to serve if you are a having a smaller Christmas. Just a few simple ingredients and you will have one tasty bird on your hands!
More chicken recipes to try:
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders
- Rosemary Roasted Whole Chicken
- Honey and Browned Butter Chicken
- Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken
- Oven Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Casserole
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Roasted Chicken with Garlic & Herbs recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Roasted Chicken with Garlic & Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 whole young chicken about 3 ½ pounds
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bunch thyme + 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 head garlic sliced in half horizontally
- ½ onion
- Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towel, remove the giblets, tuck the chicken wings underneath the breast and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, salt, pepper and thyme. Use your hands to rub the butter mixture all over the chicken, making sure to get underneath the skin as well.
- Stuff the garlic, onion and thyme sprigs inside the chicken cavity.
- Place the chicken on a large baking dish and roast in the oven breast side up until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the chicken reads 165°F, about 60-75 minutes.
- Spoon the juices from the bottom of the baking dish over the chicken and allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Hi Yumna, I’ve made this recipe before and it turned out perfect! This may be a silly question but I have people coming over next week and I was wondering if I can use an “adult” chicken, instead of a young chicken with this recipe?
Hi Leila, it’s a great question, and I am flattered you want to make it for your guests! You can most certainly use a larger-sized chicken for this recipe. The recipe, as is, is for a 3 to 3 1/2-pound chicken. For the cooking time, it’s 15 minutes per pound at 400°F. Regarding the seasonings, double (6-7lbs) or triple (9-10lbs) based on weight. Happy cooking!
This turned out excellent! And I didn’t have all the ingredients as listed (no lemon, no fresh thyme). With a bird thawed out and no idea how to cook, I found this; followed the instructions with what I did have on hand and it turned out wonderful! Even my texture sensitive six year old snarfed it all down! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you were able to make it work and that you all enjoyed.
Absolutely amazing! I usually prefer rosemary over thyme for my baked chicken but WOW! This recipe is a game changer! Thank you!
Thank you so much! That is amazing!!
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much!
I’d like to make this for a client. May I leave the bird whole for presentation’s sake and deliver for them to eat a couple of hours later?
That should be fine!
Was a killer… so delish, definately a re-maker. Thanks
So glad you’re loving this recipe! Thank you!!
Instead of lemon can I use an orange?
Yes! Or you can try limes. Or you can omit it!
This is an insane recipe! Works so so well – the chicken comes out crackling from the oven. And when you cut it, it’s so soft falling off the bone. Thank you feelgoodfoodie!!! You saved Christmas. I’ll be using this recipe for many many years!!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas!!
Tried this evening and it turned out great. Easy to prepare and was a real hit. Thank you
That’s incredible! Yay!! You’re so welcome.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING!!! The flavor reminds me of the herb and crusted chicken that’s really popular at the Cheesecake Factory. This is just a better version 🙂 I also love that I have left overs for a few days. Yumna , there’s always a spot for you at my dinner table!! thank you 🙂
Yay!! That’s so great to hear. Thank YOU!