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Hands holding rosemary oven roasted chicken
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5 from 3 votes

Rosemary Oven Roasted Chicken

The best oven roasted chicken recipe starts with plenty of fresh rosemary and thyme, lemon, garlic, vegetables and potatoes. Easy, crispy and juicy!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword crispy, easy, oven roasted chicken, oven roasted whole chicken, roast chicken
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings 4 - 6 people
Calories 745kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 6 small red potatoes, halved (or quartered for larger potatoes)
  • 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 7 sprigs fresh rosemary plus 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 (5-6 lb.) whole chicken, patted dry; giblets removed
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 1 stalk celery, quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled but not chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Kitchen twine, for tying

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Place the potatoes, carrots and onions in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons of minced fresh rosemary; toss to coat.
  • Season chicken cavity with salt and pepper.
  • Stuff chicken cavity with lemon chunks, celery, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and garlic cloves. It's fine if you can't fit all of these ingredients into your chicken. Just stuff as much in there as you can!
  • Place chicken in the roasting pan on top of the vegetable mixture.
  • Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings underneath the bird.
  • Drizzle or brush melted butter over the outside of the chicken. Season liberally all over with salt and pepper.
  • Roast the chicken for 1 ½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the temperature on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170-175°F. Check the chicken after the first hour, and if the skin starts to get too dark, tent the chicken loosely with foil for the remainder of the roasting time.
  • Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Bring the chicken to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting in order to ensure even cooking.
  • 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, allow the chicken to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before carving.
  • Don't omit the butter. The butter on the outside helps to make sure that the exterior is perfectly crispy and golden brown, and it also adds great flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the chicken and vegetables | Calories: 745kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 1626mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10680IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg