Roast Chicken slathered with a garlic-herb-lemon butter then oven roasted to golden crispy perfection.
Juicy on the inside, and served with liquid gold pan juices loaded with flavour, this is THE Roast Chicken recipe you’ll make over and over again!
The best Roast Chicken recipe is….
….. juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside with golden skin that’s buttery and herby and garlicky with just a subtle perfume of lemon to remind you it’s there without overwhelming.
It creates its own pan juices that’s used as the sauce for the chicken. This stuff is liquid gold!
This is the chicken version of the Herb and Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey Breast I shared for Christmas / Thanksgiving last year. I’ve lost count of how many messages there were asking for a chicken version – and I’m finally sharing it!
How to make the BEST roast chicken!
The best roast chicken has garlic herb butter under and on the skin, is stuffed with lemon and herbs, roasted until it’s crispy and deep golden on the outside, and juicy on the inside.
It’s really easy to prepare a whole chicken for roasting. The trick is to use an upside down dessert spoon to loosen the skin – the shape hugs the curves of the chicken and it doesn’t tear the skin.
Then simply spoon the garlic-herb-butter under the skin then spread it from the outside. OR hold it upright and drizzle in (see photos below) – whatever you find easier!
TIP: Use most of the butter under the skin, that’s where you get the most bang for your buck. Plus, garlic burns on the skin so you don’t want too much on the surface.
After the chicken is all buttered up, place it on a bed of garlic and onion. This serves two purposes:
-
Elevates the chicken off the base of the pan for more even cooking (otherwise the underside sits in the pan juices and will cook faster); and
-
Adds extra flavour into the pan juices used as the sauce for this recipe. OR used for gravy!
How to make the BEST roast chicken (cont’d)
I like to stuff the chicken with a wedges of lemon and a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Not so much for the flavour, because in truth, you can just barely taste it. It’s more for the perfume you get when you cut into the chicken so it seems like you can taste it.
And this is the reason why I do not put garlic inside oven roasted chicken. There’s no point – it doesn’t get hot enough to make any difference to flavour and just steams.
Flavour bomb set, now it’s time for the easy part – roasting.
How long does it take to roast a 2 kg chicken?
10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 1 hr 15 minutes at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear.
The formula is: 10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 20 minutes for every 500g/1lb at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear.
But….. I want gravy!!
OK OK, hold the tantrum! It’s all good! I have the gravy recipe in the notes.😇
But really, give the liquid gold a go one of these days…. It’s crazy good! I mean, it’s garlic butter. Infused with herb flavours and a hint of lemon. Mingling with roasted chicken juices.
Watch the video. It tastes even better than it looks! – Nagi x
More whole chicken recipes
-
Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken (set and forget!)
-
Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk (seriously delish!)
-
Chicken Noodle Soup – from scratch!
What to do with leftovers?
Use it to make epic Bread Bowl Sandwich, Chicken Pasta Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad or toss it into a Frittata or Omelette! salad
Best of Sunday Supper Roasts
Roast Chicken recipe
Watch how to make it
Sometimes it helps to have a visual – so watch me make this Roast Chicken recipe!
Roast Chicken recipe originally published May 2016, improved May 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters January 2019, no change to recipe. It’s perfect as is! 🙂
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.75 - 2 kg / 3.5 - 4lb whole chicken , patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 3 rosemary sprigs
Butter:
- 100 g / 1 stick unsalted butter , melted
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp sage , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 2 tsp rosemary , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
Under Chook:
- 1 cup / 250 ml dry white wine , or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion , quartered (Note 2)
- 1 garlic bulb , halved horizontally (Note 2)
Instructions
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 220C/450F (standard) or 200C/430F (fan/convection). Put shelf in the middle.
- Mix together Butter ingredients. Add juice from 2 wedges of lemon.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan. Use a dessert spoon to loosen skin from chicken (see video). Do the top (the breast) and the drumsticks – not the underside.
- Prop chicken upright, drizzle butter under skin, using most of the garlic/herb sludge, but saving a bit of butter for the skin (Note 3).
- Drizzle / smear remaining butter all over surface of the chicken. Squeeze over juice of 2 lemon wedges.
- Stuff used lemon wedges and rosemary inside chicken.
- Tie drumstick ends with string and tuck wing tips under the chicken.
- Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
- Place onion and garlic in the pan, place chicken on top. Pour wine around, drizzle chicken with oil.
- Transfer to oven. Roast for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 180C/350F (all oven types). Roast for a further 1 hr 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear when pierced at the join between the drumstick and the body. Baste twice (30 min then at 1 hr), spooning pan juices over skin.
- Rest for 15 minutes – don’t cover, skin becomes wet.
- Serve with pan juices (see video for how to carve). I discard onion but use the garlic in the pan. See notes for side suggestions & how to use carcass for incredible homemade broth!
Recipe Notes:
50 g / 3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp / 40 g flour (any white)
2 cups / 500 ml liquid from pan topped up with low sodium chicken broth Melt butter over medium heat, add flour, stir for 1 minute. Add half the liquid while whisking. Once incorpoated and lump free, add remaining liquid. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5. COOK TIMES: 10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 20 minutes for every 500g/1lb at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear. This assumes the chicken was taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. If it’s fridge cold, add another 10 minutes to the cook time. 6. TYING DRUMSTICKS: I find it easiest to use one piece of string, wrap string around one leg, then yank the other leg closer and wrap string around that one to. Then once string is around both of them, it's much easier to handle to use the string to pull then together then wrap the string around both of them tightly so they are crossed over each other. 7. CARCASS and leftover bits/juices: Scrape it all into a pot or slow cooker, add water so water is about 2.5cm / 1" above chicken. Add 2 tsp Vegeta or chicken stock powder or 2 crumbled cubes, celery, carrot and a few garlic cloves (chunky pieces) and a few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme/rosemary/parsley OR 1 tsp dried herbs. Simmer 1 hour / slow cooker 6 hours, strain. Pick out/off bits of chicken to use in soup. Use as incredible broth for Chicken Noodle Soup or Chicken Rice Soup. 8. SIDES: Roast potatoes (cut, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs, roast under chicken for 40 minutes), mashed potato or cauliflower, or garlic bread. Also try Potatoes au Gratin or Easy Cheesy Potato Bake - can make ahead then reheat in oven quickly. Pictured on the very edge of photo in post is this Kale Quinoa Salad (I often have it on hand as it lasts for days and days). Other great salads: Corn Salad with Avocado and Tomato, Roast Pumpkin Spinach Salad, a garden salad with Italian or French Dressing. 9. Nutrition assumes 1.2kg / 2.4lb of meat, remainder is bones discarded. Also assumes all pan juices are consumed which they probably won't be, also you lose some in the onion/garlic/discarded chicken.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Like a mohawk – gone wrong. (Aftermath of a knee operation he had back in May 2018 when this recipe was first published…)
Jill E Schilling says
This is a great recipe! The chicken was absolutely delicious. Five stars. Thank you Nagi.
Lyn Loh says
Hi Nagi, question – if I am cooking TWO x whole chickens in the oven at the same time using this recipe, would I need to extend the oven cooking time? And if yes, by how long?
Nagi says
Hi Lyn, no you wouldn’t as they are separate, it would only need longer if the bird weighted more than stated in the recipe. N x
Rakel says
Another great recepi from you Nagi, one of the best chicken I´ve tasted for a long time and I made the gravy too, this was easy to make but yet all them flavours jumping out at you at once. I feel Dozer´s pain, the hair dressers here have been closed for ages so got my boyfriend to cut my fringe, never again, I looked like Garth from Wayne´s world, good job hair grows back. x
Tunia Murdeshwar says
Nagi, I call you the cooking goddess. This evening I am making your roast chicken for the second time. Don’t think I’ll try another recipe of roast chicken for a long time. It turns out like a celebration meal when I serve it with soup and mashed potatoes. And bread ( pav , here in Bombay) . Looking forward to dinner. Thanks for taking the trouble to describe and film the recipes. They are precise to the teaspoon
Lin says
Absolute 5 stars! It was juicy, succulent and very very delicious. The gravy, wow! I laid a load of veg under it for a complete meal. Love it!
Sue R says
Another 5 star recipe from Nagi! I don’t think I’ve ever had chicken breast so succulent before. Yay!
Nancy says
yummy roast chicken added with honey is taste too good.
Sharon Henry says
Nagi, I loved the simplicity of this delicious recipe. The flavor from the lemon and the herbs were fabulous!!
I am a huge fan of yours, and thank you for sharing, yet another wonderful recipe.
Anna says
This chicken was moist and buttery! Just delicious! A great ‘gussying up’ of a regular roast chicken. Yet again Nagi, another incredible recipe! I really appreciate the inclusion of cooking details for potato roasties and other sides. Your notes are my favourite part! Thank you!
Karen Middleton says
Nagi this Roast Chicken is not a 4.99 it’s a 10. My family absolutely love it. I used the strained juices from the chicken, added flour and chicken stock to make the gravy. Best gravy ever
Nagi says
WOOT! Thanks so much Karen!! N x
Debbie says
Hi Nagi
Can I use lemon juice from a bottle since I don’t have any fresh lemons
Love says
Can we sub white wine to apple cider vinegar ?
Jackz says
Great recipe, Nagi! The chicken was perfectly cooked. My family loved the tasty onions and potatoes!
Nagi says
Hi Debbie, sure can! N x
Fanny Lam says
Thank you for all your delicious and simple recipes. I have not try all of them yet but the ones that i have are super yummy, This Roasted chicken is actually one of my favorites, Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Rachel says
How can I rest it for 15 mins without it getting cold? In the oven with the heat turned off?
Barbara Havrot says
Delicious moist chicken. Just trying to figure out what I can do with all the leftover juices! Seems a shame to throw them out.
Nagi says
Gravy!! You can never have enough gravy Barbara! N x
Sally says
I only have sweet white wine currently, can i use that instead of the dry white wine?
Nagi says
Hi Sally, you can although you’ll end up with a sweet tasting gravy – you can just sub chicken broth as an alternative – N x
Jen says
Another hit! All my recipes are 90% from your site. The flavors and spices you use are what my family loves. Nothing over complicated yet just as tasty. The herbs weren’t overpowering at all. I used a whole young chicken, wine instead of broth for the bottom of the roasting pan. My spices were dry so I used 1 tsp sage, .5 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp parsley. With the gravy of course. Served with balsamic roasted brussel sprouts. Definitely going to make this again!
Amy Morgan says
So good!
Trish says
I’ve made so many traditional roast chicken dinners with gravy before but this is absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe 100% and so good. Will never do any other way from now on. Thank you for your amazing recipes and inspiring ideas. Dozer is absolutely gorgeous (from a Golden owner) ❤️
Nagi says
WOOT! Nailed it Trish! N x
Stella says
What is the best substitute for the dry white wine preferably non alcoholic because I don’t take alcohol because I really want to try out this recipe
Nagi says
Hi Stella, the sub is listed in the ingredients for you – N x
KAREN MCMICHAEL says
Absolutely amazing!! The pan juices are delicious and the flavor is scrumptious. I served it with sweet potato which turned out to be really yummy for a side dish with this.
Nagi says
Sounds great Karen! N x