Whole Roasted Chicken Recipes

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
• Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees and the thigh 190 degrees.
• Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Liberally sprinkle salt all over the outside of the chicken. Cover the chicken loosely with parchment paper and refrigerate overnight (about 24 hours).
• Preheat oven to 500° F. Let the chicken sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting.
• In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste.
• Place potatoes in the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven. Add the lemon, garlic and onion. Drizzle with about 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Place thyme and rosemary on top.
• Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and herbs in the Dutch oven. Tie the legs of the chicken together and tuck the wings underneath. Brush with melted butter and season with pepper.
• Roast chicken at 500° F for 20 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350° F and continue roasting for 30-40 more minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165° F when inserted between the thigh and breast.
• Remove the chicken from the oven. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.

WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
• Arrange the pearl onions and carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan. Drizzle with the wine. Set a roasting rack in the center of the pan on top of the vegetables and brush with the oil so that the chicken doesn't stick.
• Place the chicken, breast-side up, on the rack. Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Put the pan in the center of the oven and roast until the juices run clear or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees F. (I calculate cooking about 15 minutes per pound of bird, so for a 4-pound bird I check the juices and temperature after 1 hour of cooking.)
• Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest in the pan for at least 10 minutes or up to 20.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, gently placing it breast-side down so the juices can flow through the breast meat as it rests for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place the roasting pan with the vegetables on a burner on the stove and add the chicken stock and mustard. Simmer gently, scraping any bits of chicken fat and skin from the bottom. Let the sauce simmer a little with the vegetables, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half the butter and cook, about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan to a plate. Add the lemon juice, half the tarragon and 1 more tablespoon butter. Allow the butter to melt, then remove the gravy to a serving bowl.
• Turn the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board and carve. (The cut side will need some seasoning.) Rub the remaining butter onto the carved chicken breast meat and season with salt. Sprinkle with the remaining tarragon. Serve the chicken with the sauce and vegetables on the side.

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Loosen skin on chicken breast; rub butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over; place lemon halves inside cavity. Set in a baking pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven, basting after 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest before carving, about 15 minutes.

JUICY ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

SIMPLE WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Cover chicken, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C), and continue roasting 15 minutes. Baste chicken with pan drippings, reduce heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C), and continue roasting 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

PERFECT ONE HOUR WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat dry using paper towels. Season the inside of the cavity with ½ teaspoon of salt. Place the lemon halves, garlic head, and herbs inside the cavity. Place the chicken breast-side up in a large cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe frying pan. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon of salt all over.
• BASTE: Melt the butter in the microwave and using a pastry brush, brush half the butter generously all over the chicken, save remaining butter do not discard. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves and lemon pepper seasoning.
• ROAST: the chicken for 20 minutes, remove from oven, brush on the remaining butter mixture. Place the chicken back into the oven and continue roasting for 25 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and check to make sure it registers at 165 degrees F. Continue to roast for an additional 10-15 minutes if necessary (see notes). Remove roasted chicken from the oven and allow for it to rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.

MOIST ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees before starting to prepare the chicken.
• Place the whole chicken into a medium sized baking pan.
• Rub the entire bird with the olive oil.
• In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and paprika, then sprinkle evenly over chicken.
• In the preheated oven bake the chicken for 20 minutes.
• Lower the oven to 400 degrees.
• Continue baking for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown and juices run clear.
• If your chicken looks like it is browning too quickly, Lay a sheet of tin foil over the top loosely and it will slow down the browning for you.
• Let the chicken rest in it's juices for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving. (This let's the bird reabsorb some of the juices and helps to make it even more moist.).

GARLIC HERB BUTTER ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 430°F | 220°C (400°F or 200°C fan forced). Line a baking tray with foil, or lightly grease a roasting pan.
• Discard neck from inside the cavity and remove any excess fat and leftover feathers. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Pour the olive oil, melted butter, wine (if using) and the juice of half a lemon over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity. Season chicken liberally on the outside and inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the parsley.
• Rub the minced garlic over the chicken, mixing all ingredients together over the chicken and under the skin.
• Stuff the garlic head into the chicken cavity along with the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halve. Tie legs together with kitchen string.
• Place breast-side up into baking tray or roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, basting half way through cooking time, until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer.
• Baste again, then broil for a further 2-3 minutes, until golden.
• Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve, drizzled with pan juices and remaining lemon half cut into wedges or slices.

WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prep chicken: Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before roasting. Remove giblets/neck, if applicable. Remove any excess fat and leftover feathers. Pat dry.
• Oven: Pre-heat oven to 450°F (225°C).
• Compound butter: Make compound butter by mashing softened butter, minced garlic, chopped herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
• Season chicken: Gently loosen chicken skin. Season chicken with salt/pepper all over (inside and out). Spread 2/3 of compound butter under skin. Spread remaining compound butter inside chicken cavity.
• Prep pan and finish prepping chicken: Place onions and head of garlic in a lightly oiled roasting pan. Sit chicken, breast side up, on top. Stuff chicken cavity with halved (or quartered) lemon and fresh rosemary/thyme sprigs. Tie legs with kitchen twine and tuck wings under. Brush chicken skin all over with olive oil.
• First part of roasting: Roast chicken at 450°F for 15 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven and baste chicken with pan juices. (If using potatoes and carrots, carefully lift chicken out of pan onto a plate, add vegetables to pan and toss with juices. Sit chicken back on top.)
• Main part of roasting: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Return chicken to oven and roast for 20-25 minutes per pound. Baste once or twice with pan juices during roasting time.
• Finish roasting: Once roasting time is up, remove pan from oven and spread chicken with butter all over. Increase oven temperature to 425°F and roast chicken for 5-15 minutes, until thickest part of meat at thigh and in breast registers an internal temperature of 165°F (if your chicken is already at temperature once roasting time is up, do not continue roasting at 425°F - instead, broil for 2-3 minutes).
• Rest chicken: Remove pan from oven and remove chicken to a warmed rimmed plate OR a wooden chopping board with rim. Rest for 15-20 minutes before serving. Drain pan juices to a gravy boat and keep warm. (If you added the potatoes and carrots and they aren't fully tender yet, return to the oven and roast at 425°F for 10-20 more minutes, until chicken is rested/carved and vegetables are fully tender).
• Serve: Carve rested chicken and serve with pan juices (and optionally potatoes and carrots).

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
• Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

WHOLE ROASTED GO-TO CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make garlic butter: In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Blend until a perfectly smooth paste forms.
• To make chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With clean hands, wash the chicken, remove the giblets, and pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Lightly grease the bottom of a sturdy roasting pan. Salt the inside of the chicken with 1 teaspoon sea salt and stuff with the lemon wheels, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Using butcher's twine, truss the chicken (breast side up), making sure to tuck in the wings and legs tightly. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and generously baste it with the garlic butter. Cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil and roast for approximately 2 hours. (Cook whole roasting chickens, fully thawed, 20 to 25 minutes per pound.) Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of roasting time. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, the juices run clear, and the flesh is firm to the touch.