This is the PERFECT Simple Roast Chicken Recipe. Your family will love it and you’ll never buy store bought rotisserie chicken again!
Chicken Recipes are a staple in every kitchen. If you love my Simple Roast Chicken, try my Oven Baked Rotisserie Chicken Breasts or my Crispy Rotisserie Chicken Thighs, full of flavor and will make your dinners stand out!
Sabrina’s Perfect Simple Roast Chicken Recipe
I have taught several clients’ kids how to roast a chicken over the course of my time as a private chef, and this exact method is the one I teach. It’s the classic American meal: the best roast chicken, a starchy side dish, and roasted vegetables. You will love this recipe so much that you’ll be roasting chicken every week. It is the best chicken you’ll ever make because it is versatile and pairs well with nearly any side dish. The leftovers can be used in soups, sandwiches, wraps, or casseroles throughout the week. It’s a reliable and satisfying recipe that feels both rustic and classic.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound chicken , giblets discarded
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Dry the chicken with paper towels inside and out then season with salt, pepper and thyme.
- Place into baking pan and cook for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 375 degrees and cook for 40-45 minutes or until the middle of the thigh reads 165 degrees on a probe thermometer.
Nutrition
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Sabrina’s Tip
A great tip for making the perfect simple roast chicken is to pat the chicken completely dry before seasoning and roasting. Dry skin helps it crisp up beautifully in the oven instead of steaming, giving you that golden, flavorful exterior.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
The method for this chicken is from Thomas Keller, a chef worthy of admiration and respect whose kitchens are full of magic. I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy the food in his restaurants, including this delicious chicken recipe, and I can tell you, you can forget Costco chickens, store rotisseries, and all the other methods you’ve ever used. This is the perfect roast chicken to serve on a weeknight, a date night, for a holiday meal or for meal prepping. The aroma of a savory chicken filling the kitchen is part of what makes it such a comforting, timeless meal. It’s elegant enough for Sunday dinners or guests, yet simple enough for an easy family meal.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Remove the giblets—there are organs usually in your chicken’s cavity– Be sure to remove these (and discard them).
- Pat dry the entire chicken– I use paper towels for this.
- Season the chicken inside and out– including the cavity.
- Truss the chicken– Tie the legs tightly together with kitchen string, tuck the wing tips under, and place the chicken breast side up.
- Start high, finish low– Cook at 425 for 15 minutes before lowering to 375 for an additional 45 minutes.
- When roasting a whole chicken, you want to pay attention to its size. A four-pound chicken will likely finish cooking in 30-35 minutes at the lower temperature, while a six-pound chicken may take 50-55 minutes.
How To Carve a Chicken
- Place the chicken on a cutting board. First, cut off the breast meat, removing the crispy skin from the chicken breast pieces. Slice the breast meat into thick slices.
- Cut off the legs and wings and place onto a large plate. Using a large knife cut through the backbone and cut out the chicken thighs and place them on the plate then arrange the chicken breast onto the plate and serve the pan juices on the side to prevent the chicken skin from becoming soggy.
- You can also top with fresh herbs, unsalted butter, and a sprinkling of kosher salt to finish.
Pairing Suggestions
The results of this chicken are the same each time: perfectly crispy skin, totally juicy chicken, and pan juices (once you skim the fat). I love to spoon over easy mashed potatoes for the ultimate amazing dinners. You can also add Root Vegetables to the baking dish (I sometimes even roast this chicken in a large cast iron skillet), but if you add vegetables please remember the cooking time will change significantly as the vegetables will absorb a lot of heat meant for the chicken. If you want to top the chicken with the best sauce you’ve ever eaten, I humbly recommend Zankou Chicken Garlic Paste (Copycat). This is the garlic paste that is full of flavor and zest.
Ideas to Serve
To serve the chicken, let it sit once it comes out of the oven for five minutes. This is to ensure that it is holding an internal temperature of 165 degrees (use a meat thermometer to be sure) for at least 5 minutes for food safety. The roasted chicken will also leave behind the most amazing pan juices in the roasting pan. You can serve the pan juices over the chicken breast meat or you can thicken it with a bit of cornstarch whisked with cold water that you heat up in a small saucepan to make a quick gravy.
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Photos Used In Previous Posts
ps: Forgot to add I used a rack in bottom of roasting tray and tied the drumsticks. My chicken was 3.5lbs – I can’t believe the weight of some of the chickens in the comments, turkeys perhaps? 🙂
Greetings from Melbourne Australia! This was excellent, thank you for sharing Sabrina. I placed two super huge, crushed garlic cloves and lemon quarters inside as suggested. So juicy and flavorful and no need for gravy. Love the simplicity, and most of all that it tastes like chicken should do 🙂
Thank you Anne Marie for your kinds words, great feedback and five star review all the way from Australia!
This truly is the best chicken recipe. The chicken came out moist and flavorable. The chicken was roasted to a beautiful golden brown color. Perfect. This is my favorite roasted chicken recipe.
Appreciate your kind words Bethann and thanks for the five star review!
How long would it take for a 7 lb. Chicken to cook? My husband picked a big chicken and I’m unsure how long to cook it . Thanks for your help.
The recipe calls for a 4 -5 lb. chicken that serves approximately 6 people. I’m guessing a 7 lb. chicken will serve approximately 8 people. Simply hover over the YIELD button above the recipe and slide it to 8. All the ingredients will reflect what is needed with the larger chicken. Please let us know how your chicken turns out!
The flavor was terrific!! Super easy quite the crowd pleaser. My chicken was 6 Lbs so used a MEATER probe to ensure correct temp so mine took longer than 45 minutes but it was really good! Also tried the Zankou garlic paste; absolutely loved it!!
Thank you for posting these recipes- will most definitely we serving this combo again!
So glad you enjoyed the Roast Chicken! Thank you Beth, and thank you for the five star rating.
I have made this recipe 3 times. I am about to prepare #4. The only variation is that I have the chicken cut into 2 halves. I only cook for one. But no more. Preparing a whole chicken is better. Best roast chicken and the crispy skin- oh my! Thank you for creating this recipe.
This did make a crispy skin but it was not cooked in one hour. It took more like two or two and a half!
Oh wow. I haven’t encountered that challenge with this recipe. How did it taste?
Perfect.
Crispy skin and juicy.
Will make again and again.
Thanks! Appreciate the 5 stars!
Simply the easiest and most delicious chicken I’ve made in a long time. Juicy and tasty. Can’t wait to try this again with suggested garlic, lemon, and Italian spices.
Made this for dinner tonight. Followed the recipe. It was perfect! My husband said it’s the best roasted chicken he has ever had.
I actually roasted a 7lb chicken using this recipe and them used the pan drippings to roast some small yellow potatoes. The dinner was fabulous! Will use the extra chicken for another meal tomorrow. So easy, so tender, so delicious. Thanks for posting this! ?
I made this roast chicken .I followed your recipe,it came out great ? Thanks
I use this recipe ALL THE TIME! So easy and delicious! Thank you!
It was delicious the most tender and juicy I’ve had. I’ve found a new love
Glad you enjoyed the chicken.