Whole Roasted Chicken baked in the oven is crispy outside while tender and juicy inside. The recipe is super easy and comes out perfect every single time! Plus, it’s Whole 30, Paleo, and Keto diets approved!
For a long time, I was afraid to roast a whole chicken, thinking that it’s quite complicated and it will come out dry. I never knew that it’s one of the easiest recipes you will ever find! All you need is to season the meat with your favorite spices and put in the oven.
But to get the best results, make sure you buy a good quality organic meat!
Now, let me show you how to roast it with no effort at all, so it will come out perfect every time! The skin will be crispy with a beautiful golden color while staying juicy and tender inside!
Seasoning
I love when meat has an aroma from different herbs and spices. I use my own blend that works the best for me, but feel free to play around with the flavors and add some of your favorite spices.
For this seasoning blend we will 6 ingredients:
- Salt
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
In a small mixing bowl, mix together salt, dried oregano, dried thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil. Then set aside.
How to roast
To prep the chicken, we need to rinse it and remove the giblet bag. Pad dry with paper towel and place on a plate.
Pour the seasoning mix over the skin, and using your hands, rub it all over.
Cut a lemon in four pieces and place it inside the cavity. Then, using twine, tie the legs together.
If you want, you can also add some onion, garlic, or thyme springs and put it in the cavity together with the lemons.
Place it in a baking dish or a cast iron skillet and bake uncovered for about 90 minutes for a 3 ½ pound chicken.
How long to roast
The timing really depends on the oven temperature and the meat weight. With my experience, I found that 375°F will give you the best results. Every time I make this recipe, it came out perfect; crispy outside while still being tender and juicy inside.
When the chicken is done, check its internal temperature using a meat thermometer. It should be at least 165°F. Though, I like mine to be at least 175-180°F to make sure it’s all cooked through.
If your bird is 3 pounds, cook it for at least 1 ¼ hours, then check the temperature with the thermometer.
I usually use a chicken closer to 3 ½ pounds and cook it for 1 ½ hours. Perfect results EVERY SINGLE TIME!
If your bird is 4 pounds or more, cook it for at least 1 ¾ hours, then check the temperature.
How to know if it’s undercooked
It is crucial to make sure that your chicken is fully cooked before eating it.
Here are a few tips to make sure it’s safe to eat:
- Make sure that the internal temperature is higher than 165°F (I prefer to have at least 175°F).
- If you see that the meat on the bones have pinkish color, the chicken probably needs to be cooked longer.
- Make sure that the juices from the meat run out clear without any pink color.
I like to serve this meal with some side dishes like these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables, Oven Roasted Butternut Squash, Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Green Bean Almondine, or BLT Pasta Salad.
Did you make this recipe?!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!
Easy Juicy Whole Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 ½ pounds whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅓ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 lemon cut in 4 pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together salt, dried oregano, dried thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil and set aside.
- Rinse the chicken and remove the giblet bag. Pad dry with paper towel and place on a plate.
- Pour the seasoning mix over the chicken, and using your hands, rub it all over the skin.
- Cut a lemon in four pieces and place it inside the cavity of the chicken. Then, using twine, tie the legs together.
- Place it in a baking dish or a cast iron skillet and bake uncovered at 375°F for about 90 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Hey, will this work on a 6lb turkey? Assuming you have to adjust the time, how much longer should I cook it? I made this recipe before with chicken last year for thanksgiving and it was delicious. I want to try it with a small turkey, so I want to try this again and hope it comes out as good. I can’t remember the weight of the chicken, though.
Great recipe. Added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder to spices. My family is a big fan of garlic. We also brined the chicken for about 4 hours before cooking (always makes it so moist). One of the best roast chickens we’ve ever had. Thanks so much and will definitely try that spice blend on our Christmas Turkey.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked the recipe! The spice blend will work well the with turkey, hope you enjoy it!
Have you tried stuffing the chicken with stuffing?
Hi Nicole! No, I never made this recipe with stuffing. Let me know if you make it and how it came out 😉
This was fabulous! The lemon in the cavity gave such a good flavor to the meat – and the skin – oh my gosh. I usually try not to eat the skin to keep down on the fat calories but I couldn’t resist. Crispy, perfectly flavored. Dang. Really good. Thanks for sharing and I will be making this again.
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I’m so happy to hear that!
This was the best and easiest roasted chicken recipe I’ve made. My six year old is sensitive to spice to I left out the cayenne. I happened to have an extra potato and onion around so I quartered them and threw them into the baking dish as well…. and I wish I had put WAY more in because they made for a rediculously flavorful side dish (and I would have loved to more for leftovers!). Thanks for an easy meal! (I roasted my 4.2 pound bird for just under 2 hours, and it was perfect!)
Yaay! Thank you, Meg! I also love to put some baby potatoes or chopped carrots into the pan with the chicken and roast it together. Glad you liked it!
Great taste and so easy!
Thank you, Bethany! So happy to hear that you liked it!
does the chicken need to be on a rack or cooked on a bed of onions ? will the bottom of the chicken be cooked if you just set it in the pan?
No, you can put the chicken just in the baking dish or a cast iron skillet. Because it releases enough juices, it won’t get burnt on the bottom.
How awful that I’ve never Roasted a whole chicken right?! Well no more—this is on my to do list for this week!
Nothing beats a good roast chicken, and your recipe looks amazing! I love that crispy, succulent skin. I’m definitely adding this to the rotation. Thanks for sharing!
I’m not sure if there’s anything better than a whole roasted chicken! The seasonings used in this recipe are delicious. I love the subtle bit of heat from the cayenne and the smoked paprika. Such a great combo.
I love roasting a whole chicken. It satisfies everyone’s meat preferences. Some like breast, some like thighs etc! Yours really does look perfect! Pinning for later!
Oh my goodness, that is one perfect roast chicken. All the flavors in this roast chicken makes me drool. Would be perfect Sunday roast.
Your roast came out beautiful and I bet it tastes delicious! The best part is the leftovers ^_^
Mmmm, that skin makes my mouth water so much – I love how delicious it looks – just how I like my whole chicken to be!
I have been looking for ways to save money and one of my weaknesses/easy dinners is rotisserie chicken. Can’t to wait make this simple, healthy dinner at home AND save some money!
Roasting a whole chicken is something every person should know how to make! Such a gorgeous bird and I absolutely love the fact that you didn’t over complicate the seasonings too! Simple, easy and delicious every single time! This, along with some potatoes and corn, and you a perfect Sunday meal!
That looks delicious and cooked perfectly! I love your selection of herbs that you seasoned it with too.
I still haven’t tried my hand at roasting chicken, but it’s on my list. I am so lucky my mother brings me delicious dried herbs when she visits from Italy so I should really try and see what will become my favourite spice and herb mix.
This is the perfect Sunday Supper. You can never go wrong with a great chicken dinner. Always a crowd pleaser. Leftovers are great too.