The PERFECT Simple Roast Chicken Recipe that makes the crispiest skin, juiciest chicken with just five minutes of prep and one hour in the oven. Never buy store-bought rotisserie chicken again!
You’ll love having this roast chicken recipe in your back pocket for recipes like Classic Chicken Salad and Classic Chicken Pot Pie because you’ll have white meat for recipes and an entire rest of your bird for a delicious meal for your family. The best of all worlds.
ROAST CHICKEN RECIPE
Knowing how to roast a chicken is a skill I have taught to a number of client’s kids 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 you’ll be roasting chicken every week.
The results are the same each time, perfectly crispy skin, totally juicy chicken and pan juices (once you skim the fat) that I love to spoon over Easy Mashed Potatoes for the ultimate in amazing dinners.
The method for this chicken is from Thomas Keller, a chef worthy of admiration and respect who’s kitchens are full of magic. I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy the food in his restaurants including this delicious Roast 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 one you want. It is the best chicken you’ll ever make.
Plus, if you want to top the chicken with the best sauce you’ve ever eaten in your life, may I humbly recommend Zankou Chicken Garlic Paste (Copycat). This is the garlic paste legends are made of in the Los Angeles area and the reason Zagat loves Zankou Chicken so much. Zagat says this of the sauce:
“Devotees ‘dream about’ the ‘juicy, flavorful’ rotisserie chicken at this ‘popular’ Mediterranean fast-food chain cherished for its ‘glorious’, ‘kick-a**’ ‘garlic sauce of the gods’ that will make you want to ‘buy a tub, take it home and put it on everything you eat for the next week.'”
Just saying, make the sauce too. You won’t regret it.
The first time you make this recipe, make it as written. Next time try new ideas. We like to sometimes add crushed cloves of garlic and wedges of lemon to the chicken cavity or use Italian seasoning on the chicken.
You can also add root vegetables to the baking dish (we 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.
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How to Roast a Chicken:
- Remove the giblets – there are organs usually in the cavity of your chicken, 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 – Use salt and pepper on the whole bird, do not forget 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.
- Let it rest – Let your chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
When you roast a whole chicken you want to be sure to pay attention to the size of the chicken. A four pound chicken will likely finish cooking in 30-35 minutes at the lower temperature while a 6 pound chicken may take 50-55 minutes.
The roasted chicken will also leave behind the most amazing pan juices in the roasting pan. Once you spoon off the excess fat 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.
To serve the chicken let it sit once it comes out of the oven for five minutes. This is to be sure 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 (Per the USDA).
How to carve a Roast Chicken:
Place chicken on a cutting board and cut off the breast meat first removing the crispy skin with 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 or a bit of unsalted butter and a sprinkling of kosher salt to finish.
This is the perfect roast chicken to serve on a weeknight, a date night, for a holiday meal or for meal prepping. It’s versatile enough for any meal.
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
Mine has been cooking for 3 hours and isn’t ready yet.
Laura, I’ve never had a chicken cook for so long and not be ready, have you tested your oven temperature?
hi, I was wondering if I should put stock or water in the pan? Making tomorrow for Christmas and hope to get it right 🙂 Great recipe btw 🙂 Merry Christmas to all of you
No, there’s no need to add anything to the pan! Hope it worked out well for you!
I agree, the cooking times are off. I had a 4 lb. Chicken that I prepped 30 minutes before cooking (room temp). I followed directions exactly and at the end of the hour, the chicken juices ran red when tipped in the roasting pan. Please correct your recipe.
Was there any stock or water added to the pan prior to baking? I’m baking in a glass pan and just wondered.
Do I put a lid on while roasting?
This recipe was fantastic, moist and tender. I did have to roast the chicken 25 minutes longer because it was a larger bird.
Will use this recipe again!!!!!
Kathy
I love this recipe, it’s simple and it turned out so beautiful..
I cooked it in my cast iron skillet and it again turned out beautiful and taste great..I will Definitely be making this again
Did you put anything in the bottom of the pan? Like stock or water?
Would this work on chicken pieces as opposed to a whole chicken?
It should but I haven’t tried it so I don’t know what the cook time difference would be.
I am making this tonight but with a much larger chicken for my family (8.5 lb.) I am adding extra time but I was wondering if you could add what the cooking times would be for a larger chicken in the comment section … so I’ll know for sure next time. Thanks so much!
Discard giblets? Why!!
Use cooked giblets (gizzard, heart, liver) cut up in gravy or cook with cooked peppery rice, onion, garlic +/- mini meatballs for what my kids referred to as “Favourite Dish.”
Or just throw them into chicken carcass soup, but please don’t discard this nutritious delicacy!
Wonder if i threw some stuffing in the bird how the time would change?
Hello, I’m making this recipe tomorrow. I have a 10 lb chicken. Should I add more time to the 425 degrees or still cook for 15 mins at that temp?
I found it interesting that you referred to Thomas Keller. I used to work with his sister Judy in West Palm Beach. Have never had the pleasure to meet Thomas. My son is in the business and would love to meet him some day.
Wow, what a small world! I hope things work out for your son 🙂
I made this chicken this morning started around 10am it finally got done at 1pm. Could it be because I have a gas stove!?! No matter how long it took this chicken is amazing!!!? I will definitely make it again we’ll worth the wait
Thank you
Thank you for this recipe. It was indeed very delicious. My only question is I got only about 1/4 cup of actual chicken “broth” on the bottom of the roaster; that little bit of gravy was really good but should I add some water to the roaster to get more gravy next time? If it means anything, my chicken was about 5 1/2 LBS.
Thank you again!
I wouldn’t, I would just add additional chicken broth to the pan, gently (with a wooden spoon) scrape up the browned bits and cook the gravy. If you need a punch of chicken flavor to it, a small amount of Better than Bouillon would help too.
Excited to try this tonight! The seasoning sounds perfect! I’ve been looking for one with a shorter cook time ? The only thing I’d say to change is “remove the giblets and save for broth because they bomb diggity and sooooo nutritious and bone broth is soooooo easy to make” ?
Incredible recipe. I will never roast a chicken in the crockpot again. I did mix it up with placing a lemon halve, garlic, Rosemary and a bay leaf in the cavity of the Chicken. I also seasoned it with my Penzi Jerk seasoning.
The best roast chicken I have ever tried. No fail recipe. Very juicy and tasty. I love it!
Wow!! Thanks so much, Carol!
Can I use Italian or herbs de Provençe seasoning? I’m out of thyme 🙁
It’ll work in a pinch. Enjoy!
This is a great recipe! Timing is just right!
Thanks, Nancy.
This recipe was great and so easy to make. The chicken came out so juicy and tender.
I followed everything except the kosher salt which I substituted Lawry’s seasoned salt that I use in a lot of other dishes I prepare. This recipe is definitely a keeper for me. Thank you for sharing it!
I’m cooking a 6 pound whole chicken today. What would my times be then in the oven? Also I brined the chicken overnight. Thanks I can’t wait to try this tonight.
I would give it an extra 15-20 minutes, tent if too brown halfway through.
Hi Sabrina! Do you coat the chicken in oil or butter before seasoning?
I didn’t but you definitely could. Enjoy!
I actually forgot to turn temp down to 375 for about 15 more minutes so will that dry it out?
Great recipe, I always roast chicken exactly like this. But I’m not sure why anyone would throw out perfectly good giblets. Especially if you have a high quality organic/free range chicken. The giblets are extremely high in iron and other vitamins and minerals.
Does it come out soggy on the bottom if not cooked in a roasting pan with rack?
You can place it on a rack if you don’t want it sitting in its juices.
You don’t cover the chicken during cook time right?
I am going to try this roast chicken recipe. It reads easy and delicious. The whole chicken I buy doesn’t have giblets. I know that lots of cooks don’t like giblets, I do like them. I am glad that we can all enjoy what we like, and great recipes too.
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Thanks for the 5 stars, Tarp.
This was so flavorable. I will cook a whole chicken again this way.
Excited to try this method tonight- my husband loooves some salty crispy chicken skin lol. But DONT throw those giblets out- set them aside and refrigerate and when your chicken is all carved up make some nourishing bone broth with all those nutrient dense organs!
I’m making this tonight, what baking pan do I use?
I used a 9×13 baking pan.
Hi I have made this before and it came out wonderful. But I used a roasting pan and its way too big. I searched everywhere if its ok to use pyrex dish or corning at 425 degrees but there were mixed answers. Think I can use glass?
Yes 🙂
Should the roasting pan be covered?
No, you want to leave it uncovered so the skin is allowed together crispy. Enjoy!
I have a new “Electric Skillet” and would like to try it out. Would an Electric Skillet work cooking a whole roasted chicken?
Thank you,
Steve B
I believe you can!
What you want to do is set your skillet to a medium high heat, then you can coat the bottom of the skillet with oil. Next, add your chicken when the oil is hot and cook the chicken for about 10-15 minuets until the chicken is cooked through, flipping every now and then till the whole chicken is is evenly brown.
hope this helps!
Going to try to make the roast chicken, thanks for your help.
Fixed this for the second time today. Delicious and moist again, and I even overcooked it (by accident of course!). It is only my husband and I, but I love using the leftovers to make chicken gumbo! My favorite roast chicken recipe!
I’m glad you enjoy it so much, Karen.
Tasted great! I will be using this recipe as my “go to!” I used herbs de Provence instead of just thyme.
Thanks for the substitution recommendation, Sarah. Thanks for coming back and rating it 5 stars.
i love the way you cook!…sweet and simple and flavorful!
thank you
You’re welcome!
This is now my “go to recipe” for roast chicken! I followed your instructions exactly and in an hour had a juicy, delicious chicken for our dinner, perfectly cooked! I’d like to try your slow cooker recipe for a roast chicken, and another one on this site, but for ease in preparation, quickness, and great results, this is the recipe I’ll use….really great for those dishes that call for a store bought rotisserie chicken. Thanks…so glad I found this!
To the person who wonders why you’d discard the giblets…..I hate liver of any kind and also have an aversion to the other things that come in those little bags inside the chicken. And I don ‘t think I’m alone in that respect! No one in my family makes gravy with those things…nor do I think many other people do. But if you like to….that’s your perogative!
Vicki W.
I agree with you 100%! I strongly dislike organ meat and whatever other little chunks of yuck are in those little bags.
Yay!! Me too!
Ummmm this recipe takes WAY more time than it calls for. I started this at 5:30 and it’s now 8:19 and it’s still raw in places. Crank the temp way up and anticipate way more time than a convenient hour.
Lol was it frozen? You can’t do it if it’s frozen
Amy may have misread time. She started cooking at 5:30 and said it was 8:19 ..but posted comment at 6:20.
Might have only been 50 minutes
An Oven thermometer assures temperature is accurate. Preheat
Try again. 2nd time’s the charm
Ditto!
Just made this for my partner’s birthday dinner. It was a hit! Perfectly crispy skin, the breast meat was so tender and juicy, five stars all around. Thank you!
Why would you discard the giblets? They can used at a later time for gravies, sauces and soups.
I’d like to know if you can bake your whole crispy chicken in a Dutch oven?
Yes 🙂
To the person who wonders why you’d discard the giblets…..I hate liver of any kind and also have an aversion to the other things that come in those little bags inside the chicken. And I don ‘t think I’m alone in that respect! No one in my family makes gravy with those things…nor do I think many other people do. But if you like to….that’s your perogative!
I agree! Not the liver (I hate the taste), but the rest of it, including the neck, you put in a pan with water, onion, herbs, then strain it and make chicken stock to use with your pan drippings for a sauce/gravy.
Baked the chicken. And liked the simplicity. Can you do the same thing with a turkey breast? I saw your recipe for a roasted turkey breast and want to try it sometime but right now want to avoid using butter because I have started a New Years resolution diet! LOL.
Yes, you can use turkey instead. Enjoy!
I’ve never made a whole chicken before, but have made turkey. Does this need to be covered when baking, or put in an oven bag like you would a turkey?
Thanks ?
Whoops! I see this question has been asked! No cover… got it!! Thanks again!!
Could I make 2 chickens at once? If so do I add time?
It may take an hour and a half to 2 hours for two chickens. Make sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
Do you cover the chicken for the cooking time?
Nope, no cover. 🙂
Wouldn’t the chicken breast dry out?
It didn’t for me. I hope you enjoy it!
If I stuff it how do I adjust the time
You want to add at least 15 minutes to total cook time, and check both the chicken temp and the stuffing temp (stuffing should reach 165F)
This is my go to recipe for roasting chicken in the oven. A great recipe! I also like to use the same recipe for preparing the chicken to cook in the slow cooker. I shred up the chicken and divide up in freezer bags to freeze for future use in recipes. I also save the broth and freeze it. Makes life a lot easier!! Thank you for your recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I like to rub the entire chicken with butter, before I season it. The skin comes out nice & crispy.
Perfect!
Why would you threw away the giblets that’s a waste . They make an excellent snack for the person is cutting up the chicken .
I know that not too many folks now-a-days, want to bother to cook the giblets, chop ’em up, and incorporate them into their stuffing (or dressing), along w/shredded carrot, onion, celery, & herbs. If I’m not going to use the giblets at that particular time, I freeze them until I need them. IMO, there’s nothing like old fashioned homemade dressing. I never discard the giblets. They can also be used to make giblet gravy.
Great flavor, used a 5lb chicken so it took 55mins and the. Broiled 4 mins to get a browner (?) tip. Very moist, easy to follow, all around great recipe. This is the 1st whole chicken I have ever made-not a great cook but this made me shine!! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you decided to give it a try.
Delish and tasty
Michelle hamilton ThankYou!!!!!!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
there is just something magical about a simple, juicy roast chicken. your photos make this look so delicious and perfect! So delicious on it’s own, but also great in so many dishes!
Thanks so much, Danielle,
This was so simple! Great recipe, will be making again and again
Thanks for coming back to let me know, Noelle.
This is an easy weeknight dinner! Looks so delicious!
Easy peasy!
I love chicken but never roasted a whole one. Think I’ll give it a try!
Enjoy!
Crispy and juicy chicken is what I’m craving right now! I cannot wait to try this recipe tonight!
Perfect way to satisfy a craving. Enjoy!