If you need easy weekday meal ideas or just love chicken, here is a Simple Whole Roasted Chicken recipe that is done in less than 2 hours. You can plan out 3-4 easy meals for the week that will keep everyone full and satisfied.
Jump to:
- Why I love this Simple Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe
- What's the difference between roasting and baking a chicken?
- Is it better to roast a chicken covered or uncovered?
- What temperature is best for roasting a chicken?
- Should you add water when roasting a chicken?
- What can I put inside a chicken cavity?
- Is it safe to Cook Chicken and Vegetables in the same pan?
- What to do with the Rest of the Chicken after your meal
- Recipes for Leftover Roasted Chicken
- Tips for Roasting a Whole Chicken
- Whole Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
- Did you Make This whole Roasted Chicken Recipe?
Why I love this Simple Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe
I love this Simple Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe because not only do I get a delicious and healthy meal for my family, but the leftover chicken helps me meal plan for the rest of the week! A 5-6 pound chicken should yield enough chicken for at least 3-4 meals for the week.
What's the difference between roasting and baking a chicken?
Roasting is when you have a high oven temperature at 400°F or higher. Baking is when you cook at a lower temperature of 375°F and below.
Now that you know, you can use that little nugget of knowledge at a party. Otherwise, whether you call this recipe roasted or baked, the chicken will taste amazing!
Is it better to roast a chicken covered or uncovered?
This is more of a personal preference, but most people are looking for crispy skin when roasting a whole chicken. That being said, if your chicken is getting too dark before reaching the proper internal temperature, you can create a foil tent to keep the skin from burning while it finished cooking.
What temperature is best for roasting a chicken?
The good news is, you can roast a chicken anywhere between 325°-450°F. This recipe cooks the chicken at 425°F for a shorter cook time and crispy skin.
No matter what temperature you choose, always cook the chicken until the internal temperature is 165°F at the thickest part of the bird, and check a few other spots since many ovens don't heat evenly
Should you add water when roasting a chicken?
You can add water to the pan while roasting a chicken. This recipe uses fresh vegetables and olive oil at the bottom of the pan to create moisture and also serves as a side dish to the chicken.
If you want to skip the vegetables, you can fill the bottom of the roasting pan with about 2-3 inches of water and use a foil cover to create a steamy environment while the chicken is roasting. When there are about 30 minutes left in the roasting time, remove the foil so the skin can crisp and brown.
What can I put inside a chicken cavity?
Placing ingredients inside the chicken help keep it moist and creates even more flavor while roasting. This recipe uses lemon slices and garlic inside the cavity of the chicken. Other ingredients you can use are herbs like fresh thyme or rosemary or sliced onions.
Is it safe to Cook Chicken and Vegetables in the same pan?
Roasting a chicken over vegetables will result in some of the most flavorful roasted vegetables you have ever had! As long as you use safe handling practices when preparing the ingredients, the vegetables will be perfectly safe to eat.
Ensure you use a separate knife and cutting board for the chicken and the vegetables. Once the chicken reaches the proper 165°F internal temp, the juices that were released onto the vegetables will also be safe.
What to do with the Rest of the Chicken after your meal
After you enjoy the delicious roasted chicken and vegetables, cut off all remaining meat from the chicken carcass. Store any leftover chicken in a sealable container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for later.
If you are feeling extra productive, you can use that carcass to make delicious homemade chicken broth.
Recipes for Leftover Roasted Chicken
The leftover chicken from this recipe is perfect for my Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup, Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake, or my Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls.
Tips for Roasting a Whole Chicken
- If you don't have a roasting rack, you can place the chicken right on top of your vegetables and they will levitate the chicken enough to cook all around. Potatoes work really well for this!
- You can also experiment with other fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, sage, etc.
- Don't have a lemon? Orange works great with chicken too!
- When cleaning the carcass to store any leftover chicken, your hands make a great tool! Just make sure the chicken has cooled enough to be safe to touch and use clean hands.
Whole Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Equipment
- roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken (5-6 pounds)
- 1 lemon
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary
- 4-5 large garlic cloves
- 2 carrots
- 1 large onion
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 turnip or parsnip
- 3-4 small potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F degrees. Rinse and cut veggies to be about the same size so they cook evenly and place them in the bottom of the roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a roasting rack on top.
- Remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken; you can roast the heart and liver in the bottom of the pan if you like or just throw them away. Give the chicken a quick rinse and pat dry with paper towels, the dryer the better! Remember to wash your hands any time you handle raw chicken.
- Cut the lemon in half, place one half inside the chicken and save the other for juice. Peel and smash garlic cloves and place inside the chicken. Add 1-2 sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity and 2-3 spring on with the vegetables in bottom of the pan.
- Place chicken on the rack, tuck in legs and wings (or tie them if you are really feeling fancy). Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Take the second half of lemon and squeeze juice over top of chicken (no seeds please).
- Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The chicken is done when the internal temp is 165°F and the juices run clear between the thigh and leg. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and cover the chicken with foil for 10-15 minutes to rest before cutting and serving.
Notes
- If you don't have a roasting rack, you can place the chicken right on top of your vegetables and they will levitate the chicken enough to cook all around. Potatoes work really well for this!
- You can also experiment with other fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, sage, etc.
- Don't have a lemon? Orange works great with chicken too!
- When cleaning the carcass to store any leftover chicken, your hands make a great tool! Just make sure the chicken has cooled enough to be safe to touch and use clean hands.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did you Make This whole Roasted Chicken Recipe?
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