Crispy Roast Chicken with Vegetables

An easy dinner recipe that every home cook should have! This crispy roast chicken with vegetables and potatoes looks impressive, tastes amazing, and only requires 15 minutes of prep. Butter, lemon, garlic, celery, and herbs flavor the juicy meat and the beautiful golden brown exterior. Serve your oven roasted chicken with a loaf of crusty bread, a basket of buttermilk biscuits, or a pan of honey cornbread!

How to Make Crispy Roast Chicken with Vegetables | 1-Minute Video

Oven Roasted Chicken

When the temperature outside gets cool and crisp, there are few things cozier than the smell of roast chicken in the oven! If you tend to stick to boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then this whole roasted chicken recipe is a great place to start. There’s no need to be intimidated, because this dish is just as easy as baking the boneless, skinless pieces — but the flavor, texture, and juiciness can’t be beat!

I’ve now made this simple roast chicken recipe so many times that I can practically do it with my eyes closed. I’ve perfected this ideal Sunday supper, which is an affordable meal that cooks entirely in one pan. You get your meat, veggies, and potatoes — with only a few minutes of hands-on effort!

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a crispy roast chicken. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Whole chicken: I use a 4-4 ½ lb. chicken, which feeds a family of 4. You can cretainly use a larger chicken if you like, it will just require a bit more time in the oven (use a thermometer to know when your bird is done).
• Kosher salt and pepper: to season the chicken.
• Lemon, celery, and garlic: aromatics that you stuff inside the cavity of the chicken to flavor the meat as it cooks.
• Thyme and rosemary: fresh herbs add great flavor to the meat and vegetables.
• Yukon gold potatoes: cook in the pan with the chicken, soaking up the drippings and becoming nice and crispy. Cut small potatoes in half, larger potatoes into quarters. You can substitute with baby red potatoes if you like.
• Carrots and onion: additional vegetables that roast in the pan with the chicken.
• Olive oil: adds flavor to the roasted vegetables, prevents them from sticking to the pan, and helps them brown and crisp in the oven.
• Butter: brushing the skin with melted butter before roasting adds flavor and helps the skin brown. I like salted butter, but unsalted butter is also fine.

Do you cover chicken when roasting the oven?

For this recipe, you’ll roast the chicken uncovered the entire time. This allows the skin to get incredibly crispy in the oven, turning that beautiful golden brown color. If you are roasting a larger chicken that requires a longer cooking time, you may need to cover the bird loosely with foil towards the end to prevent excessive browning.

How to Roast a Chicken

This simple chicken with tender, juicy, meat and crispy skin comes together easily, and tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen. It’s perfect for dinner tonight!

1. Remove the giblets, and pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season the inside of the chicken cavity with salt and pepper, and then stuff the inside of the bird with lemon, celery, half of the herbs, and the whole garlic cloves.
2. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings underneath the bird (if you can).
3. Place the chicken (breast-side up) in a large roasting pan. You know that it’s breast-side up when the tips of the drumsticks are pointing UP and the chicken looks like the shape of a heart. It’s fine to place the chicken on a rack if you have one in your roasting pan, but that’s certainly not necessary. You can also line your pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, if you like.
4. Melt butter in a small bowl, drizzle or brush the melted butter over the outside of the chicken, and season the body of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. The butter on the outside of the chicken flavors the skin and helps to make sure that the exterior is perfectly crispy and golden brown.
5. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in a large Ziploc bag or bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
6. Arrange the vegetables in the roasting pan around the chicken, along with the remaining herbs. That’s it! Your chicken is ready for the oven!
7. Roast the chicken in a 350°F oven until cooked through.

How Long to Roast a Chicken

Roast chicken cooking times vary depending on the size of your chicken. Here’s a good rule of thumb:

Roast whole (thawed) chickens at 350°F for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

For example, if you’re using a 4-lb. chicken here, you would roast it for about 95 minutes. To be sure that it’s cooked through, I always suggest using a meat thermometer.

Roast Chicken Temperature

A whole chicken is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted between a leg and thigh (not touching the bone) reads at least 170-175°F and the juices run clear. Note: the temperature of the meat will continue to rise slightly when you pull it out of the oven.

What to Serve with Crispy Roast Chicken

An easy oven roasted chicken makes a perfect one-dish Sunday supper. Pair the juicy meat, veggies, and potatoes with any of these extra sides:

• Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
• Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
• Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread or Easy Baguette
• Skillet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread or Corn Muffins
• Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
• Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Roasted Cabbage
• Homemade Applesauce
• Mac and Cheese or Stovetop Shells and Cheese
• Cranberry Orange Sauce
• Cranberry Muffins or Mom’s Cranberry Orange Bread

You can even switch it up and serve this roast chicken for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, rather than a turkey. Pair it with the classic sides like stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole for a special holiday meal.

Storage

Leftover chicken will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be aware, however, that the skin will not be as crispy when thawed.

How to Reheat

Allow the chicken to come to room temperature on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet or roasting pan and place (uncovered) in the oven until the skin is crisp and the chicken is warmed through. Be careful not to leave the chicken in the oven for too long or it will dry out.

How to Use Leftover Roast Chicken

Shred the leftover meat and use the cooked chicken in casseroles (like Chicken Spaghetti, Chicken Noodle Casserole or Chicken and Stuffing Casserole), in soups (like Chicken Tortilla Soup or Brunswick Stew), in stuffed potatoes, in Chicken Salad, in Chicken Enchiladas, for Chicken Pot Pie, or on top of Caesar Salad. Use the leftover carcass to make chicken stock or chicken broth. So many delicious options!

Recipe Variations

• Use different aromatics to flavor the meat. For instance, add apples to the pan, or switch up the herbs by using basil, oregano, chives, or parsley.
• Pick a larger whole chicken to feed a bigger family. You’ll need to increase the total baking time, but otherwise the process is the same.
• The butter on the outside helps to make sure that the exterior is perfectly crispy and golden brown, and it also adds great flavor. If you prefer, you can brush the chicken with olive oil instead.
• Strain the pan drippings and use the juices to make a gravy for serving.

Tips for the Best Roast Chicken Recipe

• Bring the chicken to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting in order to ensure even cooking.
• Cut the carrots and potatoes into fairly small, bite-size pieces so that they’re sure to be tender by the time the chicken is done. Larger chunks might not cook through, otherwise.
• For the crispiest skin, make sure that your chicken is very dry before roasting.
• Cooking time will vary depending on the total weight of your chicken. Always use a thermometer to test the internal temperature of the meat to know when it’s done.
• Truss the chicken. This only takes a minute or two, but tying together the chicken legs with twine and tucking the wings underneath helps the chicken cook evenly.
• Season liberally. Don’t be shy with the salt. This is a big piece of meat, so you want to add plenty of flavor by using enough seasoning.
• For the juiciest meat and to retain moisture, allow the chicken to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before carving.

More Roast Chicken Recipes to Try

• Rosemary Oven Roasted Chicken
• Roasted Chicken Breast with Molasses and Apples
• Roasted Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Herbs
• Whole Roasted Chicken {Super Crispy Skin!}
• Crisp and Juicy Dutch Oven Chicken
• Sweet Tea Brined Chicken

This recipe was originally published in September, 2018. The photos were updated in December, 2021.