Roasted Chicken - the EASIEST recipe! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

Roasted chicken made simple! Enjoy a savory chicken dinner, including vegetables, baked in one pan with only 20 minutes hands-on time.

Perfect for quiet Sunday dinners at home and impressive enough for company, simple roast chicken is an easy and delightful entree. Envision golden brown juicy chicken emanating garlic and herb aromas, surrounded by sweet roasted carrots and onions. Imagine the smells wafting from your oven as the chicken slowly roasts!

We’ve all been tempted to pick up rotisserie chickens at the supermarket, and they are super convenient, but why not make your own? Roasting a chicken is not difficult, it’s more economical, and yes, you know I’m going to say this, homemade is so much better!

Have you noticed how salty a rotisserie chicken tastes? I think they inject them with preservatives and probably artificial flavor, too. And who knows how long they’ve been spinning in that glass case?

Once you’ve roasted a chicken at home, you’ll see how easy it is and how much better it tastes. Plus you get the bonus of veggies roasted right along with the chicken! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

About this roast chicken Recipe

It’s pretty simple. I’ve seen some more complicated roasted chicken recipes (butter/herbs under the skin, tying the legs together, etc), and they are great, but this is an easy go-to roasted chicken recipe.

Tried and true. We tested both ways, so many ways, all the ways. I’ll tell you how to make the simple version and the slightly more complicated (but still simple) version.

What kind of pan is best for Roasted Chicken?

About the only equipment you’ll need is a roasting pan. I’ve also used a Dutch oven or a large straight-sided skillet. A 9 x 13 inch cake pan works, too. If the chicken and vegetables fit in the pan without totally being crowded-in and it’s oven-safe, you’re good to go.

What to serve with Roasted Chicken

Almost everything goes well with roast chicken! A salad is great, maybe this simple arugula salad or Caesar salad. Another great choice is a green vegetable. We love sautéed Brussels sprouts, lemon feta green beans or roasted broccoli.

Since you really already have the potatoes and vegetables with the chicken, keep it simple and just serve warm crusty bread, like this easy Dutch oven bread or easy healthy cornbread.

How many people does one chicken serve?

A roasted chicken dinner will serve four to six people, depending on how hungry they are and what else you’re serving.

Ingredient List

As always, scroll to the printable recipe card near the bottom of the post for complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.

• A Whole Chicken: We recommend looking for one that is about 5 to 6 pounds, but we tested this recipe with a 5 pound chicken, a 7 pound chicken, a 5.67 pound chicken. I’m sure you get the point. As long as you keep in mind that the cooking time will increase as the size of your chicken increases, you’ll be good to go.
• Lemon: We love the bright flavor that lemon adds. If you’re looking for something a little different, try orange!
• Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots: The flavor of this trio is unreal after it’s been roasted with the chicken. Yellow potatoes (like Yukon Gold) work great with a quick scrub, because the peeling is thin and tender. Red potatoes are good, too.
• Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil: The necessities! We love kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper but use what you have. If you use a finer ground pepper, you might not need as much.

How to Roast a Chicken

First off, preheat your oven to 425°F. Prepare the chicken by rinsing and drying it with paper towels. Drying is important because it will ensure a nice crisp skin.

Place carrots, potatoes, and onions on the bottom of a roasting dish. Add about half of the olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing to combine.

Place the whole chicken on top of the carrots and potatoes, breast side up.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle the chicken with remaining salt and pepper. Of course you can always add more or less salt and pepper. Place the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken.

Bake for 1 hour, 50 minutes, or until temperature registers 165°F when checked with an instant-read thermometer inserted between thigh and breast, not touching bone.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This will result in the juiciest chicken.

Carve the chicken, and serve with potato, carrot slices, and pan juices. I like to garnish the chicken with fresh herb sprigs, like thyme and rosemary.

FAQs

Make this Chicken recipe your own

This is such a simple recipe so you can easily make changes, depending on what you like or happen to have.

• Switch up the veggies. You’ll want a vegetable that doesn’t mind a couple of hours in the oven. Try parsnips, turnips, or sweet potatoes.
• Add whatever herbs you have. If your garden is filled with sage, use a bunch of that. A mixture of herbs is nice because you get a lot of exciting flavor. I love adding sprigs of fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary to the cavity of the bird. They provide so much flavor. Another option is to add a pinch or two of herbes de Provence.
• Add garlic! Okay, like I said, I kept this recipe super basic, but I do love adding garlic. I put a few cloves in the cavity of the bird and then sprinkle some in with the potatoes, onions, and carrots. Roasted garlic is so yummy!
• Add a compound butter under the skin. There’s no denying this is a great move when it comes to chicken. Check out the recipe notes for a recipe.
• Use your crockpot: You can “roast” chicken in your slow cooker with very similar results. It will be ready to eat in 4 hours on High, or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Try my whole chicken in the crockpot recipe.
• Like roasted chicken but don’t want a whole bird? Try oven roasted bone in chicken breasts. They are very easy to make and are juicy and delicious.
• Looking for something different? Try braised lamb shanks or Instant Pot short ribs.

Make-Ahead Ideas

If you have extra time in the morning, prepare the chicken and vegetables, put them in the pan, and refrigerate it. It’ll be all ready to pop in the oven when you get home.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Leftovers should be stored in the fridge. Cooked chicken will last up to 3 days if properly stored. If there’s a lot left, cut the chicken into smaller pieces before refrigerating it so the meat cools more quickly.

Reheat: Reheat the chicken and vegetables in the microwave or in the oven, covered, until warmed through. Roasted chicken is delicious served cold, too. Try it on a sandwich or in a salad.

Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this roasted chicken recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #42. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!

We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.

Leftover love

We all know leftover options are pretty endless for chicken. Try it in dill chicken salad, chicken noodle soup, or chicken tortilla soup.

One Pan Chicken Dinners

Once you discover the beauty and simplicity of chicken dinners made in one pan, you’ll want to enjoy them frequently. Try:

• Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
• Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
• Creamy Chicken Spaghetti — one pan, endless variations!
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
• Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts with smoky roasted sweet potatoes
• Roasted Romaine Salad — sheet pan dinner
• One Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Israeli Couscous