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
made your juicy roast chicken and vegetables last night and it was delicious. the potatoes were excellent. thank you
Very simple and Delicious!!!! Made it tonight kids loved it!
So glad it was enjoyed!
question. does the lemon overpower the chicken. my husband is not a big lemon lover
Hi Patricia! I’ve never felt like it was overpowering.
Do not hesitate to make this, Absolutely delicious! I had a slightly smaller bird a little under 5lbs, I roasted on 350, and then at the end I went up to 425…..the only change I made was I used a Lime instead of a lemon…added more garlic. I will be making three whole chickens come Christmas, so this will be my go to hands down. The skin….everything was magical. Thank You Natasha!
You’re very welcome, Renee!
Natasha! Now all I need is a Christmas trifle. Please help. I’m just looking for something delicious, chocolate and has Christmas flare…..any ideas?
Hi Renee, I have a couple trifles under my dessert section. Try searching trifle in the saerchin window or you can find them under these links – Mixed Berry Trifle and this No-Bake Berry Trifle. I hope you love these.
It turned out perfectly
Best recipe I’ve seen in my 60 yrs of cooking
Making it again tomorrow
That’s wonderful, Annette! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you loved it.
This was amazing! Thank you! My kids usually are not a huge fan of chicken but they LOVED this! Delicious 🙂
That’s wonderful to hear. You’re very welcome. I’m glad it was enjoyed.
Made this for my family tonight. It was a hit! They even loved the carrots! Lol. Thank you!
Wonderful, Laura! So glad it was a hit. 🙂
I have it in the oven now, I can’t wait to eat it! I used fewer potatoes and more carrots, as I’m going to mash them up for my 9 month old for his dinner! I know the recipe will turn out great. When I want something I KNOW will be good and not a gamble and I just need to find a recipe from a tried and true trusted blog, I always come over to NK <3
Thank you for sharing, Austin! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes on my blog.
Love your recipes Natasha! I have 2 6lb chickens to roast, can I put both in the oven? Any adjustments? Thanks!
Hi Cheryl! You’ll need to cook them until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the thigh reaches 165˚F, and juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
Do you peel the garlic head? You put half in the chicken what about the other half?
Hi Marsha, I did not peal the garlic head. I have photos of the garlic head in the post with the chicken, I hope that gives a better idea on what it looks like.
I love this roasted chicken recipe. It is my go to when I want to impress company. I actually feel like a good cook. Thank you.
Aww, that’s wonderful, Beth! I’m glad you love this recipe. Thank you.
Seems like a great recipe but was difficult to follow for the all of the ads.
Hi Kara, Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.
I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.
prep all your ingredients before hand and then play the video and follow along. Its so much fun and so much easier.
Hi Natasha, isn’t to early to add the vegetables with the chicken and cooked them for 90 mns, don’t they get mushy??
Hi Christine, if you cut the vegetables too small that may be possible, but we make it this way each time and it works out perfectly!
Amazing!! I followed the recipe as written and the results were Amazing. The chicken was juicy, very flavorful and the presentation spot on. It was a huge hit at the dinner table. Thanks Natasha for the recipe!
You’re very welcome, Marisela! I’m glad it was hit!
Your roasted chicken with vegetables and potatoes was delicious! Thank you
You’re welcome, Carol. Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely AMAZING!!!! Only had a 4# organic chicken but it was sooo juicy! Added parsnips to the veggies for variety!!!! Hubby says this needs to go in the weekly rotation!
That’s fantastic! So glad you found a favorite to add to the rotation. 🙂 Thank you for the review.
How would this recipe work with chicken thighs? And changes in temp or time?
Hi Heather, I haven’t tested this recipe with thighs to advise of some changes in the timing. I imagine that will work but you’ll probably have to monitor the cooking time.
Totally yummy. One of our go to recipes, even without the vegetables.
So glad to hear that, Becky! Thank you
Natasha I hanks so much for this roasted chicken. It is so delicious. Always a hit and so easy to make.
That’s wonderful, so glad you enjoy this recipe.
Would the timing work for a 6lb, spatch-cocked chicken? Or, maybe 20 minutes less? Thank you for your help.
Hi Ryan! I bet that could work! You may need to double-check to ensure the chicken is cooked through, so give yourself some extra time.
Just made Juicy Chicken with vegetables. I’m 80 so I have made lots of whole chickens. This recipe is so flavorful and quick. Try it you will be amazed as my husband was.
Aww, thank you Monica! So glad to hear that.