This roasted chicken recipe is incredibly easy to throw together and needs less than an hour in the oven (depending on the size of your chicken). I prefer to spatchcock the chicken to speed up the cooking time but also to guarantee even cooking. This way, the breast meat and thighs cook at the same time giving you evenly crisp and golden skin with no dry meat in sight.
Ingredients Needed
Whole chicken. I prefer using a 3lb/1.5kg free-range/organic chicken. This will mean something different, depending on where you are in the world. Try to get the very best chicken you can, preferably one that was treated well during its life. The difference in taste and texture can’t be compared. Extra-virgin olive oil. Fresh lemon juice. Seasonings: I used garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, fresh thyme, salt and black pepper. I prefer using garlic powder over fresh garlic in the rub as fresh garlic burns quickly when cooked at this heat. Chicken is a great blank canvas for flavor so play around with your favorite seasonings. Herbs like sage, rosemary, parsley and marjoram are all delicious with chicken. Spices like coriander, cumin, garam masala, etc. will all be delicious. Potatoes, lemons, onions and whole garlic. This is optional but makes a fantastic bed to roast the chicken on and there is NOTHING better than potatoes roasted in chicken fat.
How long to roast a whole chicken
Depending on the size of your chicken, you’ll need to bake it for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350°F/180°C. I always crank up the heat to 430°F/220°C for the last 15 minutes to get the skin crisp and golden.
How to make oven roasted whole chicken
Can I make this ahead?
Whole roasted chicken is a fantastic recipe to make ahead and keep in the fridge. I definitely love it most served straight after cooking but it makes delicious leftovers that are great to have in the fridge. We use it often for chicken salad and soup and I always make stock from the chicken carcass.
Roast Chicken Recipes
