How to Roast a Whole Chicken in the Oven

whole roasted chicken with crispy, golden brown skin.

4.58 from 19 votes

How to Roast a Whole Chicken in the Oven

A basic recipe for juicy and tender oven-roasted whole chicken with crispy skin and lemon flavor. Learn about the right temperatures and cooking times.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 30

Course: Poultry

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 729kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

1 chicken about 1,2 kg/ 2.6 lbs
½ + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 organic lemon
1 whole garlic head
5 sprigs fresh rosemary
1-2 tablespoons butter
ground sweet paprika
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Season chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, inside and outside. Season the insides of the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt. Halve the lemon and halve the garlic head horizontally. Stuff them together with 3 sprigs of rosemary in the chicken.
1 chicken + ½ from the salt + 1 organic lemon + 1 whole garlic head + 3 sprigs rosemary
Truss the chicken if desired. Place the chicken breast side up in a cast iron pan or a roasting pan.
Butter mixture: Melt the butter in a small pan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and mix well. Brush the chicken all over with the butter mixture. Remove the leaves from the remaining rosemary sprigs and chop them finely. Sprinkle the chicken with rosemary, sweet paprika powder, and black pepper.
1-2 tablespoons butter + 1 teaspoon salt + 2 sprigs rosemary + ground sweet paprika + freshly ground black pepper
Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes, in case it weighs 1,2 kg/ 2.6 lbs. Check from time to time. If the chicken threatens to get too dark, cover it loosely with aluminum foil. That really depends on your oven; my oven tends to do that if I don't watch out (Note).
Check if the chicken is done by piercing it with a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear. The best way to prove if the chicken is cooked through is to pierce it into the thickest part of the thigh with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 73 degrees Celsius/ 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Check again: If the juices are not clear or the necessary internal temperature is not reached continue roasting the chicken for another 5 minutes, then check again. Continue checking every 5 minutes or so until the appropriate internal temperature is reached, the roasting time depends on the oven as well.
Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.

Notes

Cooking times: If your chicken weighs more than that, do the math: the chicken will need 20 minutes per 500 g/1.1 lbs plus 30 minutes.

Another example is a 1500 g/ 3.3 lbs chicken that needs about 60 minutes for its weight plus the extra 30 minutes, which is a total time of 90 minutes.

Nutrition