Tender and Juicy Oven Roasted Chicken

Tender and juicy oven roasted chicken made with a whole chicken, slathered and basted in savory herb and garlic infused butter, and roasted to a golden brown perfection!

This recipe pairs well with these Southern Collard Greens, or this Squash and tomato bake! Also, checkout these Herb Butter Cornish Hens for another dinner option. 

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love this Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe
• Is it hard to cook a whole chicken?
• What is the difference between oven roasted chicken and baked chicken?
• Oven Roasted Chicken Ingredients:
• Basting the chicken:
• Let's talk about preparing the Tender and Juicy Oven Roasted Chicken: 
• Pro tip: Brine the chicken overnight
• How to prepare the whole chicken:
• Basting the Oven Roasted Chicken is a MUST!
• Tips for the Best Roast Chicken
• Storing Leftovers:
• Can I freeze leftover cooked chicken?
• Ideas to use leftover Oven Roasted Chicken: 
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Roasted chicken is such an easy and bountiful entrée to prepare for dinner. A whole chicken can be purchased for well under $10, and can feed a large family!

Considering we have "said" large family, it's a no-brainer that I have perfected the process of making roast chicken!

Why You'll Love this Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe

• A Crowd Pleaser. No matter what chicken pieces you prefer, whether it's chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken legs, there's something here for everyone.
• Absolutely Delicious. No boring salt and black pepper over here! From the crispy skin to the juicy baked chicken, every part of this bird is slathered in garlic, butter, and fresh herbs so it's incredibly appetizing. And don't get me started on the pan juices!
• Easy to Prepare. Making a group meal has never been simpler. After cleaning and seasoning the chicken, the oven does all the work (aside from a couple of rounds of basting).
• Better Than Storebought. If you enjoy rotisserie chicken, you will love this roast chicken recipe. You may never go back!

Is it hard to cook a whole chicken?

With this recipe and the method I show you, it is basically foolproof. All you need is a little time, some good seasoning, and the key to the juiciness- BUTTER!

Roasting a whole chicken can be pretty intimidating, much like the turkey during Thanksgiving! Maybe it's the fear of overcooking it, the fear of undercooking it, or maybe it just not tasting good!

What is the difference between oven roasted chicken and baked chicken?

One of the main differences between roasting and baking is the temperature the oven is set at. Although both methods take place in a hot, dry, heated oven. Roasting requires a higher heat setting. The high temperature helps achieve a crisp golden brown exterior. 

Oven Roasted Chicken Ingredients:

• Whole Chicken: Use one that is about 2-3 pounds.
• Butter: No olive oil is necessary; butter is our fat of choice for this recipe. In order to control the sodium, I use unsalted butter.
• Baby carrots: These taste amazing with the pan drippings.
• Celery: Chopped into large pieces.
• Onion: Chopped into large pieces.
• Lemon: Cut in half and inserted into the chicken cavity. Want more citrus flavor? Add lemon zest or lemon juice to the seasoning.
• Seasoning: I use seasoning salt, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. (If you have time you can use fresh garlic or minced garlic instead of the garlic powder.)

Basting the chicken:

Basting is a method used to help lock in the moisture when roasting at a high heat. This is why you will see quite a bit of butter used in this and many other roasting recipes.

Once the butter is added to chicken, it melts and creates a pool of deliciousness around the chicken. A basting tool is essential for ensuring the outer skin stays moist.

Let's talk about preparing the Tender and Juicy Oven Roasted Chicken: 

First-thing-first, be ready to put on some gloves and get down n’ dirty! Seriously though, wear gloves when handling raw poultry. Then open up that chicken, and give em’ a good cleaning. 

Some, well almost all, whole chickens come with stuff on the inside. By stuff I mean hearts and gizzards, and well- guts! Sounds super nasty, but it’s not that bad I promise. A lot of chicken companies place the hearts and gizzards in little packages now and just stuff them inside the chicken. 

Pro tip: Brine the chicken overnight

This one step makes a HUGE difference! If you do not have time to brine it overnight, at least brine it for 2-3 hours. When you're ready to season, rinse the chicken very well to help get rid of the saltiness.

How to prepare the whole chicken:

If your oven has a roasting setting- put it on that at 375°; if not, just your oven to 375°, and the last 30 minutes you’ll turn it up to 400°. 

Once you dig in and clean out the chicken cavity REALLY well, it is time for the fun part. We shall make that chicken delicious now! Separate the skin as much as you can from the actual chicken. Do not remove it, just place your fingers under the skin to form sort of "pockets."

Now season away! Use your seasoning liberally, because depending on the size of the chicken, it can handle a lot of seasoning! Add seasoning under that skin that you just separated as well. Next, add the pads of butter (about ½ tablespoon each) under the skin of the chicken, in as many places as possible. 

After you seasoned away, including inside the cavity, add your lemon halves into it. Place your veggies into your pre-greased roasting pan or dutch oven. Veggies serve as a sort of "roasting tray" by lifting the chicken off of the dish a bit. Cover the chicken with foil, not closing it tightly- just a sort of tent. Place it in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Basting the Oven Roasted Chicken is a MUST!

Take the chicken out of the oven after the first 30 minutes and baste it with the juices surrounding it. Baste it really good, getting between each crevice and wing!

Put the chicken back in the oven for the additional 30 minutes. Once that 30 minutes passes, repeat the basting process. 

Now remove the foil from the chicken and place it back in the oven to roast away for another hour. Remove the chicken every 30 minutes to baste it using the juices from the chicken and the melted butter.

This basting step is important to help lock-in the juices of the chicken. Once the full two hours have lapsed, remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes - 15 minutes before slicing it on a cutting board.

Tips for the Best Roast Chicken

• Use a paper towel to pat dry the chicken before seasoning it. Doing so ensures the chicken skin gets nice and crispy.
• The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken and the temperature of the oven.

Storing Leftovers:

After it has completely cooled, store the leftover roasted chicken in an airtight container. You may need multiple depending on how much meat you still have. It will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. See below for freezing instructions.

Can I freeze leftover cooked chicken?

Another great thing about making a whole roasted chicken is that you can freeze any leftover meat. Anytime I roast a whole chicken, or even our Thanksgiving turkey, I save the bones and any leftover meat.

Add the bones and meat to a freezer bag, and store it in the freezer for up to six weeks. Pull it out when you're ready to use it, and let it thaw. Once it is thawed out, you can use it in almost any recipe that calls for chicken.

Ideas to use leftover Oven Roasted Chicken: 

One of the beauties of roasting your own whole chicken is the volume of meat that comes from it. There are limitless options for using the chicken, which is a great thing! 

• Chicken enchiladas are an amazing use of leftover chicken.
  •  Green Chicken Enchiladas
• Creamy chicken salad: make sandwiches with it, eat it with crackers, or all by itself.
• Soup: this low-carb chicken potpie soup is delicious.
• Make some chicken alfredo
• These Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas are always a hit.
• Homemade Chicken Chalupas are out of this world!
• Use the chicken carcass to make chicken stock.
• Sandwiches- simply use the leftover chicken meat for sandwiches. 

FAQ

Is it better to roast or bake chicken in the oven?

The best chicken is roasted in the oven. If you want your chicken skin to be crispy you should roast it between 375°F and 425°F.

What temperature should I roast a chicken?

Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Insert a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken (breast meat or chicken thigh) for accuracy.

Do you roast a chicken covered or uncovered?

Cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil until the last hour of roasting. This is to ensure that the surface of the chicken does not cook too quickly. It also locks in moisture, resulting in juicy, tender chicken. In the last hour, the skin will crisp up perfectly.