This homemade Roast Chicken and Vegetables is the perfect dinner. There’s nothing like the aroma of a chicken roasting in the oven. You’ll love the crisp, salty skin and juicy center.
Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to bake a whole chicken dinner in one pan.
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We love chicken recipes from Instant Pot Whole Chicken to Spatchcock Chicken. If you are a fan of chicken dinners, this Roasted Chicken is a must-try!
How to Roast Chicken Video Tutorial:
Homemade Roasted Chicken is something every cook should master and our method produces the juiciest chicken breast you’ll bite into. You’ll love how easy this is and it’s amazing how butter, salt, and pepper can create so much flavor. Roasting the chicken with vegetables makes this an easy one-pan meal.
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Why You Should Roast Your Own Chicken:
Roasting a whole chicken is easy with minimal prep since there’s no need to marinate or brine ahead and you don’t need to pre-cook your vegetables since they roast in the oven with the chicken. You don’t need any fancy equipment, just a roasting pan.
A freshly roasted chicken is no match for a store-bought one that has been sitting under a heat lamp for some time. There’s something about roasting a whole chicken that will make you feel like a great cook. The presentation and flavor will impress your family.
How to Pick a Good Chicken:
- Visual Cues: Look for chicken with pink-colored meat and avoid any chicken that has any hint of grayish coloring which indicates spoilage.
- Check the Date: Use Chicken before the use-by date on the package.
- Air chilled chicken – a method for cooling chickens that produces the best flavor.
- Organic and Free Range – another indicator of a good quality chicken.
Chicken Roasting Time Chart:
For reference, these are the chicken sizes we have experimented with. We always recommend using an instant thermometer to double-check that it reaches a safe 165˚F.
- 5 lb Chicken roast for about 75 minutes at 425˚F
- 5 1/2 lb Chicken – roast for about 80 minutes at 425˚F
- 6 lb chicken – roast for about 90 minutes at 425˚F
If your Chicken is Browning too Much: We make a small triangle-shaped foil shield to place over the chicken after the first 30 minutes of roasting. This keeps the chicken from browning too quickly and ensures a juicy chicken breast. We use this same trick to make our Juicy Roast Turkey.
How do I Check Roast Chicken for Doneness?
Internal Temperature: Use an oven-safe thermometer while the chicken roasts, or insert an instant thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh (without touching bone) and it should register at 165˚F when done.
Juices Run Clear: If you don’t have a thermometer, use a small knife to cut between the leg and thigh going all the way to the bone and you should see the juices run clear.
Common Questions:
We use a 10×15 cast iron roasting pan. You can also use a rimmed baking sheet or a large oven-safe skillet, preferably a heavy cast iron pan.
You can roast with or without a rack. A pan with a rack allows air to circulate under the chicken and helps the skin to crisp and brown all over. Add the vegetables under the rack if using.
Tying or trussing the chicken with kitchen twine is optional and will make for a nicer presentation.
A frozen whole chicken should be fully thawed (about 24 hours) in the refrigerator.
Some ovens get smoky at higher temperatures. If yours does, reduce the heat to 400˚F and cook an extra 10-20 minutes.
Using a pressure cooker is the fastest way to cook a whole chicken. Check out our instant pot chicken tutorial.
Arrange the rack in the lower third of the oven so the chicken is sitting exactly in the center.
Love a Crisp Chicken Skin? If you prefer crispy skin, let your chicken rest without tenting. Otherwise, the steam under the foil will soften the chicken skin.
Serve With:
Because this is essentially a meal in itself, we love to serve roast chicken as the main course. To complete your chicken dinner, pair it with these sides:
- Mushroom Gravy – our easiest gravy recipe or make gravy from the chicken pan drippings like we did our Turkey Gravy.
- Dinner Rolls – complete the meal with fluffy rolls
- Caesar Salad – a fresh green salad with homemade dressing
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Prepping the Chicken: You can stuff, butter and season your chicken a day ahead then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to roast.
- Prepping the Vegetables: Since potatoes can discolor once they are peeled, it is best to cut and season the veggies just before roasting.
More Chicken Recipes to Try:
If you love this Roasted Chicken, then you won’t want to miss these reader-favorite chicken recipes.
- Chicken Parmesan – we will never stop loving this classic
- Chicken Marsala – a homemade restaurant favorite
- General Tso’s Chicken – even better than takeout
- Chicken Piccata – easy, one-pan chicken recipe
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings – super crispy
- Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo – my Mom’s recipe
Juicy Roast Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Roasted Vegetables:
- 6 Yukon gold potatoes , peeled and quartered (or 8 red potatoes)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped into 1” pieces
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half parallel to the base, divided
- 4 sprigs rosemary, divided
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place chopped potatoes, carrots, onion, half of a head of garlic, and 2 sprigs of rosemary in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan. Remove giblets from chicken and pat dry inside and outside with paper towels. Season inside the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stuff the chicken with 1/2 of the garlic head, 2 lemon halves, and 2 sprigs of rosemary.
- Melt 2 Tbsp of butter. Brush the chicken all over the top and sides with melted butter then season all over with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the bird. Spread veggies around the chicken. Roast in the oven uncovered at 425˚F for 80 to 90 minutes (depending on size of chicken*) until internal temperature of the thigh reaches 165˚F or until the juices run clear when you cut into the thigh.
- Transfer chicken and veggies to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi there Natasha..do you have to turn your roast chicken over.
Hi Joyce, we did not have to turn this chicken over. I hope you love this recipe!
Hi Natasha
In South Africa, gizzards of the chicken are seldom included However if they are they could b÷ used to make gravy. Alternatively I used them to make stuffing, without the neck put the gizzards in a food processor, add an onion, cup of breadcrumbs, sage, chicken spice, an egg and mix together to stuff the chicken. Try it 😉
Hi Colleen, thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha
What do you mean by dividing the rosemary? I love all your recipes and you are my go to for any type of cooking. Keep smiling…
Hi Sharron, 4 sprigs rosemary divided means 2 sprigs will be used for step 1 and the other 2 for step 2 in the recipe card.
Is there an option to used dried rosemary for this roasted chicken? if not what would be another option for roasted chicken recipe?
Hi Jane, I think that will work fine too.
I don’t have fresh Rosemary so I’m wondering how much dried Rosemary would you recommend?
Hi Jan! A general rule of thumb for the dried-to-fresh herb ratio: Use one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe.
This is one of those recipes that you will make over and over. I made it last Sunday and am making it again this Sunday. I think the lemon is a game changer! Yum, the juice that it makes is delicious! Now onto the bread:) The smell in my house right now….
It is really a game-changer, thanks for trying out this recipe, good to know that you enjoyed it!
I really loved this recipe, the chicken and veggies came out delicious. Thank you much for this easy gem of a recipe. I took inspiration from one of your other recipes and added a step further or putting a butter/lemon/parsley combo under the chicken breast skin and it came out super moist and delicious!
That’s so great, John! I’m so glad you found inspiration for this! Thank you for your lovely comment!
I made this chicken today and it was SO wonderful! Usually when I roast a chicken I stuff it with stuffing but this looked so good I had to try! Stuffing it with the lemon, garlic, and rosemary gave it SUCH a nice flavor! I will definitely be making this again!
Hello Ashley, I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Best roast chicken EVER!! Family approved and eaten 😊 the only different thing which I did was to add some water and wine as I added more potatoes and carrots.
Great to hear that you loved this recipe! Thanks for your good comment and review, we appreciate it.
I just love watching your videos. I get great compliments on your recipes that I make. I really like your chopping/cutting board. Where can I purchase one?
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Elizabeth! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes! You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Hi Natasha, Made Juicy Roast Chicken with vegetables tonight. Thank you – was yummy – yes meat was tender and vegetables very tasty 😋 👍🏼
Thank you for that lovely review, Paulin! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Loved loved loveddddd this recipe. I tried this recipe last night for me and my husband and since it’s only me and him I got a 2.5lb chicken and baked it on a baking sheet pan with a rack on it so it can get crispy all over with a bed of veggies and omg girl it was the juiciest chicken ever 😭🥰 I LOVE YOUR RECIPES NATASHA!!!!
That’s just awesome, Kaleena! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! We love juicy chicken, and this is the best recipe for it!
I made it for our sunday lunch and it was amazing. So moist, tender and flavorful.I really loved the smell and taste of the lemon and rosemary. It was also easy to serve and designed a beautiful table for me. Thank you so much.
You are very welcome! Thanks for leaving a great review and feedback, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was amazing! The best roast chicken I have ever had! Thank you!
That’s fantastic feedback! Thank you for sharing that with us.
super tasty recipe !!
I made this last night for my husband and me. I added some halved Brussels Sprouts to the veggie mix. I’m not very experienced with roasting a whole chicken, but this turned out quite well, and was delicious. Thanks for a great recipe, and an informative video.
Yum! I love that you added brussels sprouts! Great idea!
I’ve made roast chicken many times over the years. This was definitely the best roasted chicken that I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly. No changes were needed. I can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow! Thank you so much!
I’m happy to hear that, Sharon. Thank you for sharing that with us and you are very welcome!
This was not only beautiful but it tasted as good as it looked. My kids LOVED every bite & my husband too. It’s not easy to find recipes that we all love so I was super excited that they all love it. Also, it was easy to fix, so a double win! Clean up is a breeze because it’s was fixed on my iron cookie sheet & all it needs is to be rinsed & dried to be ready to use again. Thanks for posting this video & all the inspiration you give me to feed my family.
Hello Beverly, that is so heartwarming. Thank you so much for your fantastic comments and feedback, we appreciate it!
Made the roast chicken recipe tonight. It was absolutely delicious and the chicken so moist! Hubby said best I’ve ever made. Followed your recipe pretty much except I put some paprika on the skin as well. Potatoes and carrots turned out great, some carrots and onions got a bit of charring. Made gravy with the drippings, turned out delicious too! This recipe is definitely a keeper and will make again.
Hello Geri, thank you so much for your wonderful comments and feedback. I’m happy that you enjoyed this recipe!
I have a 2lb chicken. How long should I cook? 40 min at 425?
Hi Audrey, it is possible that times would vary. We used a 5 1/2 lb chicken. I recommend reading through our recommendations in the Chicken Roasting Time Chart section and cooking the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees.
Hello!!! I made this juicy chicken recipe yesterday for dinner and IT.IS.AMAZING!!! One of our all time favorites. The flavors with the lemon and garlic was wonderful. I will definitely make this again and again!!!
Hello Annette, thanks for your awesome feedback and review! Your comments made my morning more inspiring!
made this no rack but I placed l half stick butter in side chicken with other ing. mentioned. thick sliced onion rounds salted cracked pepper sprinkle olive oil then halved Brussels sprouts ontop this was bed for chicken yummy. had a small chicken so dropped temp to 355. 1 hour 25 minutes. roughly instant read thermometer always handy.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Joseph!