How to cook a whole young chicken

Roast Chicken Recipe – Simple Roast Chicken flavored with garlic, butter and herbs, then oven roasted to a golden, crispy, and juicy perfection! EASY, simple to make and flavorful, this is the BEST roast chicken, and it’s perfect for weekend or weeknight dinners.

Table of Contents Show

HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE CHICKEN
HOW LONG TO ROAST A CHICKEN
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER WHOLE CHICKEN
MORE ROASTED CHICKEN RECIPES
Categories:
Is it better to bake a whole chicken at 350 or 400?
What temp should a whole young chicken be?
How long does an average whole chicken take to cook?
When roasting a chicken should it be covered or uncovered?

Succulent roast chicken recipe smothered with butter, garlic, and herbs is for anyone who wants to know how to roast a whole chicken with just a handful of ingredients. Roast Chicken is a complete meal that requires minimal prep work with fantastic textures and flavors.

Prepare your side dish of choice and you got yourself DINNER. You can also shred the chicken and use it throughout the week for salads, soups, and sandwiches.

HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE CHICKEN

Oven Baked Chicken Breasts are great for an everyday meal, but a whole baked chicken is a nourishing and comfort-food classic that you just can’t ignore. 😍

FIRST, grab yourself a 3 to 3.5 pound bird and remove the giblets inside the chicken’s cavity. Then, grab some paper towels and dry off the skin. Dry skin results in crispier baked skin.
Next, place chicken, breast side UP, on a rack set over a shallow roasting pan or jelly roll pan. Most of the time, I use this ➡️ jelly roll pan and rack.
Brush the chicken with melted butter and rub garlic all over the chicken.
In a small bowl mix together salt, lemon pepper, dried basil, and dried thyme. Take this seasoning mix and rub it onto the chicken.
Add salt inside the cavity, too, and put some garlic cloves in there, as well as half of a lemon and fresh rosemary sprigs, or any other fresh herbs that you have on hand. Don’t crowd the cavity with too many things because that can result in uneven cooking.
Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken. Then, roast, uncovered.

HOW LONG TO ROAST A CHICKEN

It will take anywhere from one hour to one-hour-and-a-half for the chicken to cook. Chicken is done when its skin is golden, juices run clear, and when internal temperature reaches 165˚F. To check for doneness, please use an Instant Read Thermometer.
When chicken is done, remove from oven, baste the chicken with the juices, and let rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Oven Roasted Asparagus
Lemon Butter Green Beans
Garlic Butter Cauliflower Rice

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER WHOLE CHICKEN

Carve out all the meat and let completely cool.
Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 4 days.

MORE ROASTED CHICKEN RECIPES

Bundt Pan Roasted Chicken Recipe
One Pan Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Roasted Cajun Chicken Thighs

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins

Resting Time 20 mins

Total Time 1 hr 40 mins

▢ 3 to 3-1/2 pound whole broiler-fryer chicken
▢ 3 tablespoons butter, melted
▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
▢ 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, or you can also use fresh ground black pepper
▢ 1 lemon, quartered
▢ 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
▢ 4 cloves garlic, peeled

Preheat oven to 450˚F.
Remove giblets from inside of the chicken's cavity.
Thoroughly dry the chicken with paper towels.
Place chicken, breast side UP, on a rack set over a shallow roasting pan or jelly roll pan.
Brush chicken with melted butter.
Sprinkle or rub minced garlic all over chicken.
In a small bowl combine salt, basil, thyme, and lemon pepper; rub onto the chicken.
Add some salt to the inside of the cavity and fill the cavity with lemon slices, rosemary, and garlic cloves.
Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken.
Roast, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F and continue to cook until done; about 1 more hour and 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165˚F.
Remove from oven and baste the chicken with the juices.
Let rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.

WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 12

REDUCE points down to 5 by consuming chicken breast meat, only.

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Take a pic and let us know how it was!

Is it better to bake a whole chicken at 350 or 400?

When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

What temp should a whole young chicken be?

Whole bird: According to the USDA, you want take the temperature of a whole bird by inserting the thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and wing, and the thickest part of the breast. Avoid bones. If the temperature reads 165°F, then the chicken is ready.

How long does an average whole chicken take to cook?

The short answer here is: set your oven to 350 degrees F. Put your whole, unstuffed chicken in the oven, and it's going to take 20 to 25 minutes for every pound that chicken weighs.

When roasting a chicken should it be covered or uncovered?

Bake the bird, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for at least two hours (it may take up to two hours and 45 minutes if you have a larger bird). As it cooks, baste the chicken occasionally with the drippings that collect at the bottom of the pan.