Roast Chicken slathered with a garlic-herb-lemon butter then oven roasted to golden crispy perfection.
Juicy on the inside, and served with liquid gold pan juices loaded with flavour, this is THE Roast Chicken recipe you’ll make over and over again!
The best Roast Chicken recipe is….
….. juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside with golden skin that’s buttery and herby and garlicky with just a subtle perfume of lemon to remind you it’s there without overwhelming.
It creates its own pan juices that’s used as the sauce for the chicken. This stuff is liquid gold!
This is the chicken version of the Herb and Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey Breast I shared for Christmas / Thanksgiving last year. I’ve lost count of how many messages there were asking for a chicken version – and I’m finally sharing it!
How to make the BEST roast chicken!
The best roast chicken has garlic herb butter under and on the skin, is stuffed with lemon and herbs, roasted until it’s crispy and deep golden on the outside, and juicy on the inside.
It’s really easy to prepare a whole chicken for roasting. The trick is to use an upside down dessert spoon to loosen the skin – the shape hugs the curves of the chicken and it doesn’t tear the skin.
Then simply spoon the garlic-herb-butter under the skin then spread it from the outside. OR hold it upright and drizzle in (see photos below) – whatever you find easier!
TIP: Use most of the butter under the skin, that’s where you get the most bang for your buck. Plus, garlic burns on the skin so you don’t want too much on the surface.
After the chicken is all buttered up, place it on a bed of garlic and onion. This serves two purposes:
Elevates the chicken off the base of the pan for more even cooking (otherwise the underside sits in the pan juices and will cook faster); and
Adds extra flavour into the pan juices used as the sauce for this recipe. OR used for gravy!
How to make the BEST roast chicken (cont’d)
I like to stuff the chicken with a wedges of lemon and a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Not so much for the flavour, because in truth, you can just barely taste it. It’s more for the perfume you get when you cut into the chicken so it seems like you can taste it.
And this is the reason why I do not put garlic inside oven roasted chicken. There’s no point – it doesn’t get hot enough to make any difference to flavour and just steams.
Flavour bomb set, now it’s time for the easy part – roasting.
How long does it take to roast a 2 kg chicken?
10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 1 hr 15 minutes at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear.
The formula is: 10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 20 minutes for every 500g/1lb at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear.
But….. I want gravy!!
OK OK, hold the tantrum! It’s all good! I have the gravy recipe in the notes.😇
But really, give the liquid gold a go one of these days…. It’s crazy good! I mean, it’s garlic butter. Infused with herb flavours and a hint of lemon. Mingling with roasted chicken juices.
Watch the video. It tastes even better than it looks! – Nagi x
More whole chicken recipes
- Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken (set and forget!)
- Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk (seriously delish!)
- Thomas Kellers’ Brine for Chicken
- Coconut Pot Roasted Chicken
- Chicken Noodle Soup – from scratch!
What to do with leftovers?
Use it to make epic Bread Bowl Sandwich, Chicken Pasta Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad or toss it into a Frittata or Omelette! salad
Best of Sunday Supper Roasts
Watch How To Make It
Sometimes it helps to have a visual – so watch me make this Roast Chicken recipe!
Roast Chicken recipe originally published May 2016, improved May 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters January 2019, no change to recipe. It’s perfect as is! 🙂
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.75 – 2 kg / 3.5 – 4lb whole chicken , patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 3 rosemary sprigs
Butter:
- 100 g / 1 stick unsalted butter , melted
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp sage , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 2 tsp rosemary , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
Under Chook:
- 1 cup / 250 ml dry white wine , or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion , quartered (Note 2)
- 1 garlic bulb , halved horizontally (Note 2)
Instructions
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 220C/450F (standard) or 200C/430F (fan/convection). Put shelf in the middle.
- Mix together Butter ingredients. Add juice from 2 wedges of lemon.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan. Use a dessert spoon to loosen skin from chicken (see video). Do the top (the breast) and the drumsticks – not the underside.
- Prop chicken upright, drizzle butter under skin, using most of the garlic/herb sludge, but saving a bit of butter for the skin (Note 3).
- Drizzle / smear remaining butter all over surface of the chicken. Squeeze over juice of 2 lemon wedges.
- Stuff used lemon wedges and rosemary inside chicken.
- Tie drumstick ends with string and tuck wing tips under the chicken.
- Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
- Place onion and garlic in the pan, place chicken on top. Pour wine around, drizzle chicken with oil.
- Transfer to oven. Roast for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 180C/350F (all oven types). Roast for a further 1 hr 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear when pierced at the join between the drumstick and the body. Baste twice (30 min then at 1 hr), spooning pan juices over skin.
- Rest for 15 minutes – don’t cover, skin becomes wet.
- Serve with pan juices (see video for how to carve). I discard onion but use the garlic in the pan. See notes for side suggestions & how to use carcass for incredible homemade broth!
Recipe Notes:
50 g / 3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp / 40 g flour (any white)
2 cups / 500 ml liquid from pan topped up with low sodium chicken broth Melt butter over medium heat, add flour, stir for 1 minute. Add half the liquid while whisking. Once incorpoated and lump free, add remaining liquid. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5. COOK TIMES: 10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 20 minutes for every 500g/1lb at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear. This assumes the chicken was taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. If it’s fridge cold, add another 10 minutes to the cook time. 6. TYING DRUMSTICKS: I find it easiest to use one piece of string, wrap string around one leg, then yank the other leg closer and wrap string around that one to. Then once string is around both of them, it’s much easier to handle to use the string to pull then together then wrap the string around both of them tightly so they are crossed over each other. 7. CARCASS and leftover bits/juices: Scrape it all into a pot or slow cooker, add water so water is about 2.5cm / 1″ above chicken. Add 2 tsp Vegeta or chicken stock powder or 2 crumbled cubes, celery, carrot and a few garlic cloves (chunky pieces) and a few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme/rosemary/parsley OR 1 tsp dried herbs. Simmer 1 hour / slow cooker 6 hours, strain. Pick out/off bits of chicken to use in soup. Use as incredible broth for Chicken Noodle Soup or Chicken Rice Soup. 8. SIDES: Roast potatoes (cut, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs, roast under chicken for 40 minutes), mashed potato or cauliflower, or garlic bread. Also try Potatoes au Gratin or Easy Cheesy Potato Bake – can make ahead then reheat in oven quickly. Pictured on the very edge of photo in post is this Kale Quinoa Salad (I often have it on hand as it lasts for days and days). Other great salads: Corn Salad with Avocado and Tomato, Roast Pumpkin Spinach Salad, a garden salad with Italian or French Dressing. 9. Nutrition assumes 1.2kg / 2.4lb of meat, remainder is bones discarded. Also assumes all pan juices are consumed which they probably won’t be, also you lose some in the onion/garlic/discarded chicken.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Like a mohawk – gone wrong. (Aftermath of a knee operation he had back in May 2018 when this recipe was first published…)
Thank you for all great recipes, I have been making them for my family but since we found out our little one is allergic to dairy ,egg and peanut it has been tough to adjust . I still make the ones that are allergen free and if you have any suggestions for substitutes or blogs that you can suggest it will be greatly appreciated.
Yes I do! The Nut Free Wok is a good one 🙂 And I know this will sound strange but Indian food blogs are brilliant for baked goods because they are egg free. It is AMAZING the things you can bake without egg!
Thank you!! I’ll take a look ,let me just say I’ve made this recipe twice already and there were
no leftovers.
HI Nagi – I made this last night along with your crispy roast potatoes and avocado and corn salad. We had a feast!! The lemony, buttery sauce made eyes roll with ecstasy. Apparently the best meal of the week and please could we have this next week?
Thanks for another awesome recipe.
WHOOT!!! I’m so happy to hear that Nina, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Wow, DOZER is standing UP, FANTASTIC! NEEDS warm cover. Second WOW FOR THE GOOD OKD CHOOK!! Love THIS proces and gravy too. Thank YOU. Wish YOU Well , keep warm.
YES He’s standing!!! He is much better, thanks Vera 🙂 Always on leash to go outside, he’s allowed to do little short walks a few times a day, 5 minutes or so. So much happier! 🙂 N xx
Nagi, I made this tonight, it was outstanding! I wish I could eat bread I think I would have eaten a whole loaf of Italian crusty bread with the sauce. Glad to see Dozer is up and around, I just love seeing him in your blog and following him, such a sweet little boy. You are such a great mom!
Woweee Regina! That was fast! 🙂 I’m so super pleased you enjoyed this one, I’m very fond of this roast chook! Thank you for your feedback and your kind words re: Dozer! N xx
Nagi, I made this tonight, it was outstanding! The sauce was worthy of a whole loaf of crusty bread.
Good to see Dozer up and around, I hope the little boy is doing better and is in better spirits. You are such a good mom.
Your recipes always looks so amazing! I really appreciate the “ notes” too because sometimes that makes all the difference in the outcome. I plan to make this next week when my hubby will be back in town. We are on a low carb and/or healthy carb diet so this will pair well with a salad for a low carb meal. Thanks for sharing!😊
I’m so glad you find the notes helpful Rebecca! And YES great for a low carb meal! N xx
Gorgeous! Just gorgeous.
Dozer looks great! Mohawk or no Mohawk, he’s a looker! (All the gals say so.)
He’s blushing
I just Love what you are doing here with herbs under the skin. (why didn’t I think of that?)
Could you please teach us an easy way to tie the legs together.
I always struggle with this.
Hi Ken! I’ll pop notes in the recipe – but in summary, I find it easiest to wrap string around one, then yank the other leg closer and wrap string around that one too, Then once string is around both of them, it’s much easier to handle to use the string to pull then together then wrap the string around. 🙂 N x
Dozer needs a leg warmer. LOL.
Hot pink or stripes?? 🤔
definately needs leg warmers Hows he doing after his op Nagi ?
He’s doing too well. He wants to bound everywhere but he’s not allowed too, he’s still on bed rest! 😂
That is our method — great minds think alike. You’ve tweaked it a bit and I like your version. Hubby even does that to the turkey breast. And oh poor Dozer!! He must feel naked. Give him a big hug from me and one for you too.
I LOVE that this is your method too!! Validates it!! N xx
Looks awesome, but I would make a paste of 1 tablespoon rock salt and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic and coat the bird with it, and place two lemons, poked 20 times each in the cavity, cooking it for 20 minutes per pound at 400 degrees. Nagi, you recipe looks wonderful, but this is easy, doesn’t use fatty butter, makes the bird very moist, …but thank you for your recipe. I hope you will try mine!!
Brooke! One more question please – do you crush the rock salt to make a paste?? If you don’t, does it stick ok on the sides??? Sorry for all the questions! (I feel like one of my readers when asking questions about one of MY recipes! 😂)
Hi Nagi … I use what we call “Kosher salt’ out her which is the coarse Kosher salt has bigger pieces than regular salt. I do not crush it and there is not need to. I mix it with teaspoon of finely chopped garlic (confession … I even use pre-chopped garlic that comes in a jar …!!!sometimes) The paste always stays on the bird and never falls off. You don’t need to worry about having a thick layer of paste all over the bird .. it never falls off and it always seems to work, as long as you rub the entire bird in a thin layer of the paste. I never worry about whether I have evenly covered the bird.. trust me, this recipe is very easy and always seems to work. And I enjoy all of your questions and look forward to your thoughts. Do Not forget the lemons, and put in potatoes, carrots, an onion, a parsnip and whatever else you might want to roast. Enjoy!!
Gotcha! We have that here too, we call it cooking salt 🙂 I look forward to trying this, I have a chook in the fridge! N x
Can’t wait until you try this, as with your amazing, I know that you will make it better….Enjoy and thank you so much for all of your terrific and wonderful recipes!!
OH YUM!!! I am totally trying that one of these days! I was actually thinking yesterday about trying a “healthy” version and pulling the skin off, adding a crust of some sort 🙂 N xx
A great looking recipe! I use the cast iron frying pan method, coat the bird with toasted sesame oil, and stuff with a whole onion cut in half or quarters. Cover with herbs and spices. (Your combo looks tasty!) Roast at 425 degrees for 15 min, then turn down to 375 for 50 min or more until meat temp is right. The onion comes out cooked and yet still crunchy instead of soft and slimy. The pan juices make exceptional gravy because of the sesame oil, without adding more butter. (Tip 1: Important, make sure the chicken is really thawed all the way through!) (Tip 2: For extra crisp skin, uncover in fridge for a while before preparing.)
YUUUUMMM! I don’t think I’ve ever made chicken with sesame oil, I wanna try! N xx
What would you suggest for a chicken that is whole but already cut up?
HI Kari! It would be wonderful – just do the same butter under skin thing, place them in a tray, put the lemon and rosemary under them, pour wine around, roast skin side up uncovered for 50 minutes, basting once at 30 minutes 🙂 180C/350F. N x
Soooooo glad to see Dozer up on his feet and without a lift-harness or collar!!!! Does he still need the collar when at rest so he doesn’t lick and worry the sutures or the healing incision? And, if so, will he need to have it on for much longer? I’m happy to see how well he’s doing, in any case!
The chicken looks amazing! It’s probably a good thing that you’ve needed to update some recipe photos, since some readers may have missed some of these “must have” recipes if they’d started following your blog after you’d posted many of these. Everyone who eats chicken needs a really great roast chicken recipe that’s great for any time, but also worthy of making for guests. This chicken looks eminently company-worthy.
All done on the collar, thanks for your well wishes Wynn!! His scar is healing nicely and he’s up and about 🙂 Almost back to his usual self – hard part will be keeping him QUIET!!! N xx
Oh, and…. The carcass bones popped into a pot or slow cooker later, will make a wonderful soup broth, too, with some water, a couple of bouillon cubes, onions, celery and some pepper and herbs. I usually wrap and secure the cleaned bones in cheese cloth, so I can skip the straining step, by just lifting them out, instead, and then add in any leftover chicken, and some diced carrots with noodles, rice, or pearled barley for a tasty chicken encore performance.
YES!! Wynn, thank you for that, I will add a note in the recipe! N xx
Hi Nagi
Can’t wait to make this chook! Looks so luscious!! One thing I’m wondering about is the olive oil … it’s not mentioned in the recipe but it is in the video. Use it? About how much?
Karen
Hi Karen! I see it 3rd from the top of the ingredients, is it there for you? 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi
Of course it’s there! That’s just like me, speeding through things.
Karen
Hi Nagi,
So great to see Dozer up and about..will be up to doing his thing real soon!
Awesome chicken recipe (can’t go wrong with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs) and will definitely try this instead of buying one prepared at the market. It’s easier for only the two of us, but nothing beats one home made…and (I’m with Patricia on this one), hubby always knows it’s a Nagi recipe 🙂 Can’t go wrong!!
Hugs to you and Dozer…
It’s a bitterly cold morning today and you just brightened it up considerably!! 🙂 N xx
Hi Dozer!
So great to see you movin’ and groovin’ big guy! Be good and don’t rush things. We want to see all healed so mom can post pics of you ‘Dozer-ing’ real soon.
Hi Nagi!
Great timing on this post – I just bought two chickens yesterday. Looking forward to trying your recipe. Thanks.
He is moving’ and groovin’ aplenty inside his pen.. 🙄
Wow the chicken looks good enough to eat NOW
Dozer I love your new look..be careful when you walk NO CHASING stuff out in the yard YET woof advice from your Canadian Pal Luca 🐕
He is plastered to my side at all times now when outside the house! Leashed even for 💩💩💩 !!!
That is some great looking chicken. Can’t wait to try it.
Yay! So happy to see Dozer up on his own. No more harness!
That harness was soooo handy… kinda like carrying giant grocery bags!! 😂
Going to have to try this – soon!!!
All of the recipes that I’ve made from your site have been delicious Nagi! Truly, my husband says – it this is Nagi recipe :-),……he seems to know when it is! Thanks for making me look good, and cook even better.
And Dozer…..ah! we have had so many animal friends over the years, and we loved them all…….Dozer appears to be doing well – awesome – he has a good ‘mama’ to take care of him. Good Job Dozer….keep working at it – and a special wee treat for him o.k. Nagi! Not too much though, we want him to get better and be up and about in the pool, etc…….makes me smile each time I see his pic.
Take care, and thanks again for all the wonderful recipes…..going to be making the One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese over the next day or so.
Northern Ontario Gail
You flatter me Patricia!!And thank you for the lovely message re: Dozer 🙂 It’s so nice to see him almost back to normal! N xx