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
I have been using chicken thighs rather than cooking a whole chicken because they never ever were as good as this recipe. 53 years of cooking and I finally made the perfect chicken thanks to you! I will be making this over and over. Even the leftovers were moist and delicious..
I’m so glad you gave this a go, Ellen! That’s so great!
This sounds delicious! And easy. I’m going to make this recipe on my Traeger pellet grill.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Debbie!
Great recipe, I make it every week. So easy. I work from home so I prep everything during lunch time and just stick it in the oven an hour before I am done work.
That’s so great! I love that you have a new favorite, Galina!
Literally the best of the best recipe, so simple yet amazing my mother has made this several times it never disappoints, and is an absolute crowd pleaser . ✨🍗✨
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing that with us, Anisha.
Best roasted chicken EVER! I’m a fairly new cook/baker, Natasha’s recipes and videos have given me the confidence to keep trying and improving. Her recipes are fool proof! Thank you so much for your great work and sharing your talent with all of us 💖
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Paola!
This was the first recipe I made off your site. It was a hit!!! I absolutely love your recipes!! If there is a cookbook in the future I am totally buying it.
Thank you for your wonderful review, Katherine! I don’t have a cookbook out yet, but we are working on one!
Going to try this tonight,looks great
Was wondering if any water was put into pan,or does it produce its own
Thanks
Hi Trent, we did not add any liquid to this recipe. I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha! I didn’t have a bulb of garlic on hand! I did have minced garlic. Will a few spoonfuls of this work as well? Thankyou, and I LOVE your recipes!!
Hi Jennifer, if you don’t have any other choice I think that will be a good substitute.
absolutely fabulous juicy and flavorful. I couldn’t get fresh thyme so I bought some poultry herbs and chopped them and put some into the melted butter before I brushed it on the chicken. I roasted chicken at 400 and used the foil on the breast as suggested.
Hi Kathie, great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha, I fixed the chicken today for a dinner for four this evening and it was delicious. Everyone loved the flavor. It is going to be my favorite way to fix chicken from now on. It is very simple and fast Thank you for sharing all your recipes and expertise.
I’m so glad this was a hit, Beth! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is just one thing I like to do with your recipe. To the 2 tbs melted butter (that you would brush on the outside of the bird), I mix right in 2tsp seasoning salt, the 1/2 tsp black pepper AND 1 tsp homemade poultry seasoning. I give it a quick mix and brush that all over the outside. My goodness! It just ups the flavor a bit more. However, this is to complement your recipe not criticize it. It’s a solid recipe! Natasha, you make terrific stuff!
No worries, I appreciate some suggestions and tips! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, Pat. That is so helpful and I’m glad you loved this recipe.
I’m interested in using this recipe for a Turkey breast. The breast size is in range noted of a large chicken. Would the cooking method be the same?
Hi MaryAnn, I haven’t tried this with a turkey breast, but I bet it could work! I imagine you would need to adjust the time to ensure it doesn’t overcook or dry out.
I cook your roasted chicken and veggies for lunch today, and it turned out just like yours, juicy and delicious! Thanks so much for this recipe! It was a hit at my house! 🙂
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Joanie!
Natasha, I’m making chicken this year for Thanksgiving in place of turkey and I plan on using this recipe. But, I also have seen your video for Roast turkey. Is it okay if for the chicken I use that butter and parsley under the skin as you do for the turkey?
Hi Bonita! I bet that will work here! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Natasha! Thanks so much for the recipe. I plan to try it but would like to know if you actually used a “hen” vs. a fryer chicken?
Hi Sheila, I have not tried that to advise.
Made this today and it was fantastic! Chicken was 6.5 lbs and took 2 hours. Most tender roasted chicken I have ever made.
That’s so great! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sandra!
Hi Natasha. Lovely simple roast chicken thank you.
Just something of interest We in RSA use the giblets to make curry with them, its really tasty.
Thank You
Regards Mary
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi. I don’t know what I did bad, but after 3 hours the chicken didn’t reach the 165F yet. Family is mad with me because it’s 9.15pm and still no food. Maybe this was slow cook? 😂😂😂😂
Hi Willem, I’m not sure what went wrong but was it probably because of the settings that you used for your oven? I recommend rewatching the video tutorial to remember what went wrong.
Hi Natasha, love your recipes! Was going to try this tonight but my oven only has a a conventional roast option. Will this charr the vegetables and/or burn the chicken?
Hi Sam, I always opt for the regular bake mode in most of my recipes unless I’m broiling something. In some ovens, roasting can give off more heat from the top so it can make the top of the chicken overly browned and dry. Regular Bake mode is a safe way to go unless a recipe states otherwise.
I tried this today on a Sunday afternoon and it was absolutely delicious and so easy to do. I live with my son and daughter in law and I often fix dinner to help out as she is a teacher. They loved it as well and using leftovers to make a pasta salad. The lemon and garlic flavors are amazing and the chicken was so juicy. I was delighted with how it turned out. Love your recipes and many blessings to you and your beautiful family!! I will be trying more. Love them !!
Hello Dixie, I’m so happy to have read your good feedback. Thank you for sharing your great experience trying this recipe, we’re glad you and your family enjoyed it!