Easy Roast Chicken
- PREP 15min
- COOK 1hrs 30min
- TOTAL 1hrs 45min
We’ve been making this roasted chicken in my family for years, so I’ve spent a lot of time tweaking the method to make it foolproof. We use a preheated 425°F oven for crispy, golden-brown skin and firm, juicy meat. If you prefer chicken with softer, fall-off-the-bone meat, bake at 325°F for a bit longer.
The bed of onions soften and make an excellent base for gravy. Here’s the gravy recipe I recommend to use all those lovely pan juices.
You Will Need
1 whole chicken, 5 to 6 pounds
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 onion, sliced
½ cup (120ml) water or chicken broth
1 lemon, quartered, optional
1 whole head garlic, halved crosswise, optional
Small bunch fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and sage, optional
Directions
1Season the chicken: Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Generously season the chicken inside the cavity and all over the skin with salt and pepper. For crispier skin, you can season the chicken a day in advance and store it uncovered on a plate in the refrigerator.
2Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) for crispy skin, or 325°F (165°C) for softer, fall-off-the-bone meat. Scatter the sliced onions over the bottom of a large baking dish or oven-safe skillet. Pour a little water or chicken broth into the pan.
3Prepare the chicken: Place the chicken, breast-side up, on top of the onions. If using them, stuff the cavity with lemon wedges, halved garlic, and herbs. For a tidier presentation, you can use kitchen twine to tie the legs together, but this is optional. If you don’t have twine, leave the legs as they are.
4Roast: Roast for about 1 hour. Then, continue roasting for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done. During this time, open the oven occasionally to spoon some of the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan over the chicken. Basting with the fat, not the broth, is the key to getting that gorgeous golden-brown skin. (Note: If roasting at the lower temperature, the chicken will take longer, typically 1 ½ to 2 hours.)
5Your chicken is done when an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C). You’ll also know it’s ready when the juices run clear if you cut between a leg and a thigh.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing roasted chicken: Leftover roasted chicken lasts in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the chicken, chopped or carved into pieces (breast, legs). Freeze them in freezer-friendly containers for up to 3 months.
- Make gravy: The pan juices left in the bottom of the dish after roasting are delicious when used to make gravy. Here’s our easy gravy recipe to walk you through it.
- Roasted chicken with crispy skin: Before roasting in the oven, refrigerate the seasoned chicken, uncovered, overnight in the fridge. The night in the fridge dries out the skin and helps it to crisp in the oven the next day.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.