My Favorite Whole Roast Chicken
Learn how to make the most incredible roast chicken at home! It’s perfectly juicy and tender, roasted with sage, rosemary, and butter. Perfectly roasted vegetables at the bottom of the pan pair beautifully with the chicken while also creating a flavorful sauce to drizzle over the chicken. It’s absolute perfection.
Servings 4
Calories 213kcal
Ingredients
- 1 4-5.5 lb whole chicken
- 1 large yellow onion or two medium/small onions
- 3-4 medium to large carrots
- 2 celery stalks *optional to flavor the chicken drippings more
Stuffing the Chicken
- 1 sprig (each) of fresh rosemary and sage
- 1/2 lemon, quartered
- 1 garlic head, halved
Herb Butter Sauce
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Tablespoon salted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Make the herb butter sauce: In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, olive oil, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 Tablespoons each of chopped rosemary and sage.
- Prepare the vegetables: Cut the carrots and celery into quarters and slice the onion.
- Dry and stuff the chicken: Remove the chicken from the packet and pat it dry with paper towels. Remove the innards from the center cavity (dicard or roast with the chicken), and stuff the inside with the quartered lemon, the halved head of garlic, and a whole sprig of fresh sage and rosemary.
- Season with the herb sauce: Gently use your hands to separate the chicken skin from the breast and thighs underneath the chicken, being careful not to tear it, and spoon 1/2 of the sauce underneath the skin. Then, spread the remaining sauce all over the chicken.
- Truss the legs: Next, grab your cooking twine and make a figure eight with the strings around the ends of the legs. Pull them together and tie it firmly so the legs hold in place.
- How to tuck the wings: Instead of doing a complicated trussing of the whole chicken, you can tuck the wings. First, pull the top of the wings completely out and up (reaching toward the top of the chicken). Then pull the top of the wings up and over the breast and tuck them under the upper part of the chicken. It should be pretty effortless, and they should stay in place. If they're not moving easily, you can crack the wings a little bit to make them stay.
- Roast it: Finally, roast the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes or 1 hour and 30 minutes for larger chicken (closer to 6 pounds). Depending on how large or small your chicken is, time may vary. Check the internal temperature when the time is up. It should be 165F or higher in the thickest part of the meat (check both the thighs and breast).
- Rest the chicken: When it's fully cooked, pick it up by the legs (let the juices flow out into the pan), then transfer it to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Finishing touches: Once the oven is shut off, keep the vegetables warm while the chicken rests. Then, cut the twine from the legs, carve the chicken (see my video below on how to do this), and serve with the roasted vegetables and the sauce drizzled over the top! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Basting the chicken will add more juiciness. If you have a turkey baster, you can use it toward the end of cooking time as more juices develop on the bottom to baste the chicken. This will result in an even juicier chicken!
Use the leftover bones to make stock - any time I make this recipe, I use the leftover chicken bones to make the richest-tasting chicken stock. It's a great way to eliminate waste and get the most out of your meal!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.7g | Protein: 10.1g | Fat: 15.1g | Saturated Fat: 6.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.7g | Trans Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 49.1mg | Sodium: 881mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 4.2g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Vitamin C: 9mg