Roast chicken is the ultimate kitchen staple! And my version is ridiculously easy to make. There are just three ingredients, yes, three! And there’s no stuffing of the bird required. Trust me, this recipe will become your go-to oven-roasted chicken recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Roast Chicken
Growing up, my mom was always so adamant about making a whole roasted chicken. It was easy, economical, comforting, and offered a different tasting experience from baked chicken breasts (namely, I got dark meat and crispy skin!). My mom loved to serve this recipe with a side of roasted vegetables for weeknight dinners, but I’ve found it can go far beyond that. You can zhuzh it up for a stunning Thanksgiving main (that’s not a roast turkey) or carve it up to make soups, protein bowls, or even breakfast hashes. Moral of the story—learn how to roast a chicken! Because it’s…
- Versatile: you can slice it, dice it, or shred it
- Simple: only three ingredients (chicken, olive oil, seasonings)
- Super flavorful: you can always switch up the seasonings
Roast Chicken Ingredients
While some roast chicken recipes are fancy, with aromatics stuffed inside the cavity and the chicken sitting on a bed of vegetables, don’t feel obligated to make it that way. As I always say, simple is often best! Plus, when you want to get a healthy dinner on the table with no fuss, it’s hard to beat this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- For the chicken: Grab a 4 to 5-pound whole chicken. If it’s smaller or larger, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
- For the flavor: All you need are olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. If you don’t have an Italian seasoning blend, feel free to sprinkle on your favorite dried spices and herbs.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Roast A Chicken
First, pat the chicken dry and truss the legs (you don’t need to truss or tuck the wings). Trussing helps to cook the chicken legs and thighs evenly and avoid drying out the breast since the cavity will be exposed. Pro tip: If you don’t truss the legs, check on the chicken 10 to 15 minutes earlier, as it typically cooks faster.
Second, evenly rub the chicken with oil and pat in the seasoning. Don’t be afraid to add a bit more salt, as this will help crisp up the skin. As for the oil, make sure to rub it underneath the chicken as well, so all sides are fully coated.
Third, let’s get to roasting! Roast the chicken at 425°F (220°C) for about 70 to 90 minutes, or until it’s beautifully golden! To make sure your chicken is cooked perfectly, check out my tips in the next section. Pro tip: You can use any oven-safe pan (I prefer cast iron) or a large roasting pan (including the disposable holiday ones) to roast your chicken.
The Best Time and Temperature for Roasting Chicken
After a few tests, I’ve found that roasting a 4 to 5-pound whole chicken is best cooked at 425°F (220°C) for 70 to 90 minutes uncovered. If you find that the chicken skin is getting burnt, you can quickly top it with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes.
Just keep in mind that all ovens heat differently. So use a meat thermometer to check your chicken at 70 minutes to see if it has reached 165°F (74°C). Poke it halfway into the middle of the thigh for the most accurate measurement!
How to Serve a Simple Roast Chicken
There are countless ways to serve roast chicken. And you can never go wrong serving it up on a plate with vegetable-heavy sides. But here are a few more ideas to use up the whole chicken throughout the week.
- With roasted or mashed vegetables: These veggies are classics for a reason. I’m talking about roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, roasted potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, or mashed cauliflower.
- Turn it into a salad: Slice pieces and layer on top of any salad for a protein boost – like this kale salad with apples and chicken.
- Add it to a protein bowl: Start with a rice or leafy greens base, then pile on your favorite veggies, diced roast chicken, pickled onions, or even a dollop of hummus!
- Make a breakfast hash: Dice it up into cubes and cook it with other seasonal veggies in a pan, then crack a few eggs on top for the final touch. You can use my turkey cranberry hash as inspiration!
- Add it to a soup: Make a classic chicken soup out of it, or even my white chicken chili.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips
Let me emphasize again how great a meal prep ingredient roast chicken is! Here’s how to store it in the fridge and freezer.
- To store: Cut up any remaining chicken (into slices or cubes), and store in sealed containers in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can use this as a meal prep base for all the serving options above!
- To freeze: Carve the chicken into individual pieces (i.e., chicken breasts, legs, and wings), then place them in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Watch how I carve the chicken in the video below!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Want even more amazing chicken recipes? Here are a few of my favorites. You can also take a glimpse at my roundup of chicken breast recipes and chicken thigh recipes for more ideas.
- Lemon Garlic Spatchcock Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings or Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Herbed Honey Mustard Chicken
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
If you make this roast chicken recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (4 to 5-pound) whole chicken, packet of giblets removed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), place a baking rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven, and bring the chicken to room temperature. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Place the chicken breast side up in an oven-safe pan (I prefer cast iron). Truss the legs. Drizzle with oil and use your hands to rub it all over the chicken.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, patting the seasoning in with your hands.
- Roast the chicken for 70 to 90 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Double check doneness with an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 165°F (74°C). Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- I used an almost 5-pound chicken and it took 85 minutes to cook. If you’re using a smaller chicken, make sure to check the temperature early, so that you don’t accidentally overcook it and end up with a dry bird.
- If you don’t have kitchen twine to truss the legs, not to worry. You can still roast the chicken and just the legs fall open. But I’d recommend checking on the chicken 10 to 15 minutes earlier, as it typically cooks faster.
- If you don’t have Italian seasoning, just sprinkle of mix of individual spices such as dried basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- If you want a fancier roast chicken recipe, check out the one in my cookbook – it’s two whole roasted chickens (hello meal prep!) on a bed of fennel, pear, and onion. So delish!
- There have been a couple of comments about smoking out the oven when making this recipe. I think that might be due to two things:
- Not letting the chicken come to room temperature and fully patting it dry, which leaves water/moisture on the chicken. This moisture then combines with the oil and splatters.
- Not using a large enough pan. If the pan barely fits the chicken, any splatters are likely to go over the edge and onto the bottom of your oven, creating smoke.
Nutrition
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Best chicken ever…super, super easy!!!
I can’t thank you enough for this super easy, quick, super moist and flavorful recipe!!!
I forgot to leave you FIVE STARS in my post!
Thank you, again!
Thanks for leaving a review, Jennifer! Happy to hear you loved this roast chicken.
Perfect! I knew it would be a winner because I used your no failed turkey two years in a row and it was a winner.
Wonderful! Glad you loved this roast chicken, Stacey.
This is a no fail recipe. I took my chicken out an hour and a half or so from the fridge to come up to room temp. I used a roaster pan to cook my chicken as my cast iron pans are shallow and I didnt want the oil to be splashing out of the pan. I did dry the chicken as per the recipe and that really seemed to help. I used a mixture of basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary, plus pepper. I had already dry brine the chicken with salt. I had just over a 3lb chicken so I cooked it for 60 minutes, checked the temp and it was good to go. I wanted the skin a little more crispy so I broiled for a couple minutes and it worked out well. I am bookmarking this recipe for future reference. I may try some other spice combinations but the base recipe is so easy and the chicken comes out juicy.
You’re on it, Caitlyn! I’m so glad your roast chicken was a success with this recipe.
Hi! If I put the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and put potatoes and carrots in the bottom will that affect this recipe?
Hi Judy – no, it won’t affect the recipe at all. Enjoy!
This was so, so easy and delicious! I have never successfully roasted a chicken…until I made this recipe. It turned out so moist and flavorful. It really is foolproof!
Glad you finally were able to roast the perfect chicken, Coby!
This is the best chicken recipe I have ever cooked. It was moist and delicious and oh so easy.
I have made a lot of your recipes and I have not come across one that I did not like.
Excellent recipes.
Thank you.
I’m so glad you found the perfect roast chicken recipe, Tish!
By far the best recipe ever 😀🙂😀
I’m so happy you think so, Shantae!
Tried this last night – wonderful! I appreciate how easy this was and how tasty it turned out. I look forward to trying different herbs for different flavors. My teen even gave it the thumbs up, so you know it was good.
Hi Amy – Thrilled that this roast chicken turned out beautifully!
So delicious and easy! Thank you!
Glad you loved this roast chicken, Alyssa!
Lisa,
I made your roast chicken recipe for Thanksgiving. I had a five pound chicken which is sufficient for a bachelor. I had to lower the temperature to 415° because the smoke alarm went off when I had the oven on at 425°. The chicken came out truly moist! Thank you for your recipe & the photos! Very clear and understandable.
Amazing! I’m so glad your chicken turned out perfectly, Alphonse!
This turned out so flavorful and moist. I was able to cook 2 chickens at the same time and it only took about 70 minutes.
Amazing! Glad the results were perfect, Shannon.
The chicken tasted great! It’ll be especially good for soups and casseroles. The mess, however, was not great. I can’t imagine making this, and then cleaning my oven, weekly. I did all the things suggested and it still spattered everywhere. I believe I’ll stick to grilling the chicken from now on. It’s still messy, but the mess is outside.
How long should a six pound chicken take to cook? I’m guessing a larger chicken takes a bit. more oil and spices?
Hi Lori – yes, a slightly larger chicken will take longer to cook and require a bit more spices. Always go by internal temperature to determine if it’s fully cooked through. Enjoy!
I tried this recipe since I can get a whole chicken and then make several meals from it. I appreciated your directions and suggestions and photos. The seasoned chicken came out perfectly cooked and I was able to get four separate meals from that one chicken. Thank you!
Hi Tay – I’m glad you found the step-by-step photos helpful in making this roast chicken recipe. I hope you enjoy it in your meals throughout the week!
This came out so good! I had a mess in my oven tho. I did have it at room temp and patted dry. Would this turn out well if I covered loosely with foil? Or a roasting pan with cover??
Hi Theresa – so happy you loved it! You can cover it, but just know that the skin will likely not get quite as golden and crispy.
This is foolproof! I’m an experienced cook who has made, I think, just about every version of whole roasted chicken, LOL! But your recipe is the one I make most often. I produces the perfect base for gravy as well, just the right amount of fat. After removing the bird, I simmer pan drippings over medium high heat, whisk in flour and then add chicken broth and a shake of poultry seasoning, cooking to desired thickness and perfect gravy every time. Thank you for this delicious easy roast chicken recipe, especially wonderful to help newer cooks feel like pros!
You’re so very welcome, Lisa! And great job making a gravy with the drippings as well. I do think you’re a pro cook now! ;)
Sooo easy and soooo delicious. I was really nervous about making my 1st roast chicken ever. I will be making this often. If I knew it was this easy, I am no longer buying store made versions. Thank you so much for posting this with a video. You have changed my life.
You’re more than welcome, Ros! I’m so happy you found the video tutorial helpful. Enjoy many homemade roast chickens in the future! :)
Yum yum delicious!!!
I can’t figure out how you got 294 calories per serving for this, if there are six servings total and the chicken is 4-5 pounds. Wouldn’t it be closer to 800 calories per serving?
Hi Germaine – Thanks for catching that! I just adjusted the nutritional information.
Will be using a stainless steel roasting pan rather than a cast iron pan to make this. Question: should I put the chicken on the rack that comes with the pan or set the bird on the floor of the pan?
Hi Diane – either method will work just fine, so it’s really up to you. :)
I’ve been receiving your recipes for sometime now and love them all. Not too complicated, easy to make & such a great variety. Well done & keep ‘em coming. Cheers from Western Australia.
Thanks for the feedback, Sue! Great to hear all the recipes you’ve been trying are great.
Best chicken ever!! This is my go-to recipe for roast chicken! So simple and always turns out perfectly!
Yay, so thrilled to hear it’s your go-to roast chicken recipe. Thanks, Tracey!
This is my absolute favorite chicken recipe! It comes out perfect every time. I have to replace roasting pans more often than I like to admit because we use this recipe so often. It’s great because you can use any seasonings you’d like and it’s always delicious!
Thrilled you’ve found a new favorite roast chicken recipe, Lisa!
I just did this recipe for lunch. It was delicious and super juicy. And saved the bones to make the chicken bone broth next. I added paprika, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder too. As well as put some whole garlic cloves and half a lime inside the chicken. Will become one of my regular recipes.
That’s the best way to utilize the leftover chicken bones! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Maricarmen.
I love making this recipe! It’s so juicy and flavorful, and I use the bones after to make bone broth. Such an amazing way to use the whole chicken! Thanks!
Happy to hear you’ve found the perfect roast chicken recipe, Carmen!
It’s so easy to make and it’s very tender I agree. This is the only recipe I use to roast the whole chicken!
Hi Olya – I’m happy to hear this is your go-to roast chicken recipe!
Lisa, Fabulous recipe and the chicken sooo tender. Let’s be honest we get the best part after we carve it up, the crispiest skin fragments and the secret Buttons (bigger on turkeys) um, um, good. Thank-you for all the testing you do. Have a fun summer! H.
Hi there – Great to hear your roast chicken turned out perfectly!
I have tried baking whole chickens before, only for them to turn out dry and unsatisfying. This recipe was so easy, I couldn’t imagine it would be any different. I tried it anyway, and I am a believer! The chicken is so moist and flavorful! I will never buy another rotisserie chicken again! Someone mentioned the only thing they didn’t like about making this was cleaning the cast iron. My Nana taught me to put it on the stove top and heat it up with a little water. All the bits come off no proble. Easy peasy! Thanks for the recipe!
So happy this recipe pleasantly surprised you, Kim! And that’s a great tip on cleaning the cast iron pan, thanks for sharing. And enjoy your perfectly roasted chicken!
Looks and sounds great,I’m doing this today
This recipe worked great. This is the first chicken I’ve ever made that turned out decent. I’m 60 years old..Good job
Amazing! I’m so glad your roast chicken was a success, Tom.