There is something so cozy and comforting about a Whole Roasted Chicken and this is our favorite way to cook it! So easy to make, full of flavor – once you cook one you are going to be hooked. Family-friendly and perfect for meal prep!
The Best Ever Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe
This whole roasted chicken recipe has been in permanent rotation for as long as I can remember! And we cannot wait for all of you try it. A tried-and-true recipe that we love to so much – it is pure comfort food and perfect for any time of the year. Serve with homemade chicken gravy (made from the pan drippings), creamy mashed potatoes or ultimate yukon gold potatoes and some roasted broccolini.
Looking for Ways to Use the Leftovers?
It is one of the best perks of this recipe and you can easily use leftover chicken to make Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad!
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- Cozy: Is there anything more cozy than having a whole roasted chicken cooking away in the oven?!
- Sunday Supper: Roasting a whole chicken on Sunday evening for dinner is a favorite of mine! Just always seems so special (and the house smells amazing).
- Family-Friendly: My kids LOVE this recipe! It truly is a family favorite.
- Gravy + Broth: Use the drippings to make homemade chicken gravy and the leftover bones to make homemade chicken broth!
What You Will Need
- whole roasting chicken: we recommend a 2-4 pound roasting chicken from your local grocery store – ensure it is fully thawed and the cavity is empty.
- kosher salt and ground black pepper: a basic seasoning blend that’s a must!
- ghee or butter + fresh garlic: we combine these to make a garlic butter rub.
- celery: used as a little roasting rack on the bottom of the pot.
- fresh orange + fresh rosemary + fresh thyme + sweet yellow onion: fresh herbs and aromatics that make the stuffing inside the chicken.
- head garlic: this is used as an aromatic.
How To Roast A Whole Chicken
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to place celery stalks in the bottom of the pan. They will act as a “roasting rack”.
Place the whole chicken on top of celery and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Stuff with onion, orange, and fresh herbs. Rub all over with softened butter (or ghee) and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Baste approximately every 30 minutes while roasting at 375 degrees F with more melted butter (or ghee) and the drippings from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
Let the chicken rest and make a simple chicken gravy, if desired!
Use Pan Drippings To Make Chicken Gravy
After removing the fully cooked chicken, you will have a good amount of drippings left in the bottom of the large pot. Simply keep those off to the side and follow our simple tutorial on how to make chicken gravy! We also have a Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free Gravy, if you prefer!
How To Carve Roasted Chicken
It is a surprisingly simple process, but if you are in need of a few tips just follow this tutorial on how to carve roasted chicken!
Meal Prep Friendly
There are two ways you could integrate meal-prep into this recipe:
- Meal Prep Chicken – simply use this recipe card to cook enough chicken for the week to use in salads, wraps, sandwiches, etc.
- Prep Recipe – you could also prep the chicken (rub with butter/ghee, sprinkle with salt & pepper and stuffing) then cover and leave in the dutch oven. Place it in the fridge overnight. Then, when it is time to get dinner ready, just pop it in the oven and dinner is on its way to being done (without any of the prep). The cooking time might increase a little, since the dutch oven and chicken are starting out cold, but it should only be a little bit (5-10 minutes).
Best Ways To Serve Whole Roasted Chicken
This traditional roasted chicken can be enjoyed in so many different ways! Personally, our favorite side dish recipes to enjoy with this chicken recipe are Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Broccolini, Whole Roasted Carrots, Grilled Vegetables, and/or Garlic Green Beans. We also highly recommend making that homemade chicken gravy to drizzle over the chicken and potatoes!
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
The BEST Whole Roasted Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
A classic, tried-and-true recipe for the BEST Whole Roasted Chicken. Perfect for meal-prep, Sunday Supper or a weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 1–2 celery stalks, cut into 2–3 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup ghee or butter, softened, divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- (1) 2-4lb whole roasting chicken (fresh or fully thawed and innards removed)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion, cut into chunks
- 1/4 fresh orange, cut into small chunks
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 garlic head, cut off top
- optional: 1/2 lemon, cut into chunks
Instructions
- Prep: oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the celery on the bottom of a large dutch oven, so it creates a “roasting rack”.
- Make Garlic Butter: Place 1/4 cup of softened butter (or ghee) in a small bowl and mix it with the minced garlic. Set aside.
- Prep Chicken: Place chicken in the dutch oven on top of the celery. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Rub the whole chicken with the garlic butter mixture, getting in every nook and cranny, and under the skin as best you can. Now season the outside and inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Then stuff the cavity with sweet yellow onion, orange chunks, fresh rosemary, thyme, and lemon chunks (if using). Place the head of garlic (with one end cut off) inside the dutch oven next to the chicken.
- Bake: Place the entire pot in the preheated oven on the middle rack, uncovered for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes – 1 hour and 30 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the thigh (use an instant read thermometer). While it cooks, take the remaining butter (or ghee) and melt. Use a basting brush to baste the chicken every 30 minutes with this melted butter, as well as the drippings that will gather in the bottom of the pan.
- Rest: Remove from the oven once fully cooked, baste one more time, and then let rest for 10-20 minutes (rest in the dutch oven, as juices will continue to gather that you can use to make gravy).
- Carve + Serve: Carve up the chicken and serve with your favorite side dishes!
- Optional Gravy: Reserve pan drippings and follow our tutorial on how to make chicken gravy, if desired.
Notes
- Whole Chicken: ensure the cavity is empty (remove any giblets or gravy pack, if any) and that it is fully thawed.
- Cooking Time: cooking time is approximate, so start checking the internal temp after an hour so you can see where it is at and gauge how much longer it will take to reach 165 degrees F. If after 1 hour and 15 minutes the chicken isn’t fully cooked, continue cooking for 5-10 minute increments until it is done. Remember the chicken will continue cooking (and then temp will continue to rise) while it is resting.
- Whole30/Paleo: if you are eating Whole30/Paleo then use ghee instead of butter.
- Dairy-Free: option to use olive oil to rub on the outside of the chicken and then baste with a mixture of white wine, chicken broth and a little vegan butter. Note: the chicken might not brown up as nicely with this method.
- Gravy: we also have a gluten-free gravy recipe that is Whole30/Paleo.
- Homemade Chicken Broth: Don’t forget to save the carcass so you can make homemade chicken broth the next day!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 228
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 808.5 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 58.2 mg
Originally published December 6, 2020.
Sara says
Came out better than I imagined it would. Very aromatic and flavorful. I was really impressed that all the aromatics from the cavity would penetrate the meat so well. I also made the gravy and it was really good as well.
courtney says
Thank you for the recipe. It was amazing!!!