Learn how to roast a chicken in this easy tutorial. A simple meal with veggies and meat can be as easy to throw together as a frozen pizza.
Nothing says mealtime simplicity like a juicy chicken, alongside garden fresh veggies and a steaming bowl of garlic mashed potatoes. The prep work is practically nil, and who could argue with the deliciousness?
Serve it with some homemade sauerkraut and sourdough cheddar biscuits to really bring the meal over the top. This is the perfect recipe for a quick family friendly dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Super easy – In my opinion, throwing a whole chicken in the oven with a couple of sweet potatoes is just as easy as baking a store-bought frozen pizza. In both scenarios, you unwrap something, put it in the oven and then clean up the dirty dishes.
Use it for other recipes – After we’ve enjoyed our whole roasted chicken the first time, I pick the bones clean and store the leftover chicken to use in different ways. The leftovers are great with peppers and onions over quinoa, in a creamy chicken and gnocchi soup, or whipped up in a southwest chicken salad. I use the chicken carcass and pan drippings to make homemade bone broth. No part is wasted.
Make it to your own tastes and preferences – Our favorite way to flavor this simple roast chicken recipe is with a few basic seasonings, but feel free to get creative with a dry rub of your own creation! You can also top it with fresh herbs like rosemary sprigs or even a delicious garlic herb butter. There are so many variations you could try with this whole chicken recipe.
Ingredients
Whole chicken – When using a whole chicken, many include giblets in a package inside the cavity of the chicken. Make sure to take them out and discard them, or reserve them for later to use in a homemade chicken stock.
Oil – I like to use coconut oil in this recipe, but feel free to use another oil such as avocado oil, olive oil or another neutral oil.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Roast a Chicken
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the chicken in cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to remove giblets from the chicken cavity before rinsing if they are included.
Step 2: Drizzle the chicken with two tablespoons of coconut oil.
Step 3: Sprinkle on the garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, Italian seasoning blend, and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 4: Place the chicken in a large cast iron skillet, baking dish, or baking sheet. Bake for one hour in the hot oven until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. There should be crisp skin on the outside and the juicy meat on the inside. All the juices inside the chicken should be clear, not pink, whenever you cut into it. If it is not all the way done, just bake it a little longer.
Step 5: Allow the chicken a little bit of resting time (15-20 minutes) before picking the tender meat off of the finished product.
Tips
- Another way to cook a whole chicken is in the Instant Pot. This way does not produce that gorgeous crispy skin. Although I definitely prefer to roast chicken, because it has great flavor, I do sometimes use the pressure cooker when I am in a pinch. Here is a blog post on how to make a whole chicken in the instant pot.
- Be sure to thoroughly pat your chicken dry after rinsing. This extra step, along with the higher temperatures of the oven, helps to achieve the beautiful golden skin on your delicious roasted chicken
- Let the chicken rest 15-20 minutes after removing from the oven. This will help to lock in the flavors and juices of the meat and keep it really tender.
How to Roast a Chicken FAQs
Roasting uncovered will allow that nice crust to form resulting in more flavor. Covered will result in a moist and tender chicken but will lack the flavorful crispiness . Both are fine, it’s really up to personal preference.
Let the leftovers cool to room temperature before placing them in an airtight container. Keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Freeze the chicken up to three months in an airtight container like a Ziplock bag. Be sure to pick it off the bone first!
Roasting at a higher temperature will give you a crisp outside while roasting it at a lower temperature will create a more fall off the bone result. I like to roast at a higher temperature because the crisp flavorful skin is hard to beat!
More Dinner Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Easy Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
- The Best Homemade Meatloaf Recipe
- Tomato Soup From Fresh Tomatoes
- Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe From Scratch
- Creamy Chicken And Mushroom Soup
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
How To Cook a Perfect Roast Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 1 medium whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Rinse the chicken in cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to remove giblets from the chicken cavity before rinsing if they are included.
- Drizzle the chicken with two tablespoons of neutral oil.
- Sprinkle on the garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, Italian seasoning blend, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place the chicken in a large baking dish or baking sheet. Bake for one hour in the hot oven until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. There should be crisp skin on the outside and the juicy meat on the inside. All the juices inside the chicken should be clear, not pink, whenever you cut into it. If it is not all the way done, just bake it a little longer.
- Allow the chicken a little bit of resting time (15-20 minutes) before picking the tender meat off of the finished product.
Notes
- Another way to cook a whole chicken is in the Instant Pot. This way does not produce that gorgeous crispy skin. Although I definitely prefer to roast chicken, because it has great flavor, I do sometimes use the pressure cooker when I am in a pinch. Here is a blog post on how to make a whole chicken in the instant pot.
- Be sure to thoroughly pat your chicken dry after rinsing. This extra step, along with the higher temperatures of the oven, helps to achieve the beautiful golden skin on your delicious roasted chicken
- Let the chicken rest 15-20 minutes after removing from the oven. This will help to lock in the flavors and juices of the meat and keep it really tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Lisa, your roasted chicken is delicious. I am a retired teacher after 43 years and I now live alone, but I make food often for my son and daughter-in-law so we can eat together. I love adding veggies to the chicken to roast along with it. Absolutely nothing goes to waste in my kitchen. Leftovers are re-purposed for other meals. I am also inspired by your simple Christmas decorations. I did wreaths for my China cabinet (hand made by my father years ago). Thank you for all your tips.
I truly enjoy watching all of your videos, you are a very warm and welcoming person always a smile even with so many kids 😂. I am not a sourdough lover but I do make all kids of homemade breads and all my meals are homemade. My husband and I are stay at home people so it’s a good thing my passion is cooking and preserving my own veggies. I just watched a video of pork with apples and rice but I didn’t see the recipe so can you send it to me since we eat a lot of pork and chicken a very little beef. Hope to hear from you soon and keep smiling 😊
You are too kind Kristina and that made me chuckle. I’m so glad you enjoyed the videos. I actually don’t have a recipe for that. It was probably just a recipe I made up while cooking. Sorry about that.
Did I see in a recent video that you cooked a whole chicken from frozen? How much time would that add to the cooking time?
Honestly, I don’t remember haha. I’m sorry!
Love your cooking
Thank you!
Tried this tonight with a few changes and it was the best roasted chicken I have ever eaten! Reminded me of Bosten Market, but fresher! So tender and juicy!
I used the Pampered Chef Small Ridged Baker (I am not an affiliate) and poured about 1/2 cup of chicken stock in the bottom. I added 1 Tbsp of butter to the cavity, I used Jovial olive oil instead of coconut oil; I left out the italian seasoning and used a lot more garlic powder, onion powder and real salt.
I used to roast chicken in the dutch oven, but this was much tastier. Thank you for helping me get the roasted chicken meal right!
I made the recipe as directed and it was soooo good. I’m an experienced cook and mother of five, but this is by far the easiest and tastiest roast chicken I’ve made. I used an air chilled whole chicken – Katie’s Best, I think. Available at Meijer in the Midwest. Thanks for a fantastic go-to recipe! Blessings-
Mine cooked a little longer and did smoke but I used olive oil. I just covered it about half way through with foil and it was perfect!
Thanks for the recipe! What kind of chicken do you buy? The Never Any from ALDI? Something organic/free range? Also, what are your thoughts on Costco rotisserie chickens vs. roasting your own? Thanks!
Im with you. I just love roasting a whole chicken. Would you share how you make your chicken broth. I did make broth once but i didnt really like how it came out.
I recently found your blog and your tube channel and i love them. Thanks for sharing so much and God blesd you and your beautiful family.
Thank you so much Sharon! 🙂 I do have a tutorial for my bone broth here: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/farmhouse-on-boone/make-bone-broth-in-the-instant-pot/
I just have one question — how do you keep the coconut oil from smoking? I just cooked a chicken yesterday at 400 and tried coconut oil instead of butter and it smoked up the whole house! It turns out it has a smokepoint of 350. Do you use a special kind of coconut oil? Thanks for all your videos. I love your channel! You’ve helped me overcome my fear of meal planning!! LOL.
I just use regular coconut oil. Butter would work great also though! 🙂
I have the same smoking issue. I may just use butter the next time and keep on trucking. This is the first I’m just ever do a whole chicken. Thank you for the simple instructions. I would not have tried it without your video.
Butter has an even lower smoke point than coconut oil.