Roasted Chicken Recipe

4.91 from 10 votes

Roasted chicken made simple! Enjoy a savory chicken dinner, including vegetables, baked in one pan with only 15 minutes hands-on time.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 50

Additional Time15

Total Time2 25

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

3 to 4 yellow potatoes (1 -1 ½ lbs.), scrubbed, trimmed, and quartered (red potatoes are fine, too)
4 to 5 whole carrots, peeled, and cut into 3 inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, divided
1 whole chicken (6 pounds), giblets removed, and patted dry with paper towel
½ lemon

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Place potatoes, carrots, and onions on the bottom of a roasting dish. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper, and toss to combine.
3 to 4 yellow potatoes (1 -1 ½ lbs.), scrubbed, trimmed, and quartered, 4 to 5 whole carrots, peeled, and cut into 3 inch pieces, 2 medium yellow onions, quartered
Place the whole chicken on top of the carrots and potatoes, breast side up.
1 whole chicken (6 pounds), giblets removed, and patted dry with paper towel
Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle chicken with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper (more or less to taste). Place the lemon half inside the cavity of the chicken (see notes).
½ lemon
Bake 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. Larger chickens may take longer to cook and smaller chickens may need less time. If the chicken seems to be browning too quickly, tent with a piece of aluminum foil.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Carve the chicken, and serve with potato, carrot slices, and pan juices.

Seasoning options: Add fresh herbs to the cavity, along with the lemon half. We recommend rosemary, thyme, and fresh parsley. If desired, add peeled garlic cloves to the vegetable mix and to the cavity of the chicken.
Compound butter to rub under the skin. This yields the best flavor in our opinion, but the above recipe is great if you want to keep things simple (it also looks a little nicer as the butter and spices tend to brown more quickly). For the butter, in a small bowl, blend together 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Gently lift up the skin of the chicken, and with your fingers, scoop some of the butter mixture and push it beneath the skin. From the outside of the chicken, massage the butter off your fingers and onto the chicken. Continue until butter mixture is used up. Resume recipe by drizzling oil over the chicken, but omit the additional salt and pepper as that is incorporated in the butter
Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. If there's a lot left, cut the chicken into smaller pieces so it cools more quickly. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, covered, until warmed through.

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