Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

Roasted Chicken is a basic and yet, easy dish to prepare. And depending on the size of your family, there may be leftovers or at least the bones to use for broth for yet another meal. So there can be leftovers for chicken salad, wraps or tacos, sandwiches, soup, to add to salads, or again, the bones can be used for broth. You can freeze any leftovers for later meals. The possibilities are endless! Easy and a great value.

Print Recipe

Whole Roasted Chicken

How to Roast a Whole Chicken

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Resting Time15 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, French, Italian

Keyword: Easy,, Leftovers,

Servings: 4

Author: Mary Schurr

Ingredients

• 3 Pound Whole Chicken
• Salt As needed to cover
• Black Pepper As needed to cover
• Unsalted Butter Optional, to baste chicken
• Dried Thyme Optional, as needed to season

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450F, allow the bird to rest while oven preheats
• Salt and Pepper the cavity
• Truss the bird if you like, but optional
• If basting with butter, add now. I melt butter and then coat the bird
• Rain salt, pepper, and thyme (optional) all over the bird on both sides
• I use a simple saute pan or skillet, but you can use a roasting pan to roast the chicken
• Roast until done, approximately 50-60 minutes. Check after 40 minutes and cover if browning too much. I use parchment paper.
• Rest for 15 minutes and then serve

Notes

There’s no exact recipe for a whole chicken since the size may vary and your actual oven temperature may vary. Keep check while roasting and use thermometer to see when done. USDA recommends 165, but remember the chicken will continue to cook a bit once out of the oven.