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!)
- Thomas Kellers’ Brine for Chicken
- Coconut Pot Roasted Chicken
- 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
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! 🙂
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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…)
Uh oh! Even tho I watched the video and read instructions on dried herbs, I think I royally screwed up. 1 Tbsp dried sage! Yikes! Oh well…learning curve. You would think I would know better being 66 yo.
Hi Arlene, the herb quantities are fresh (as it states finely chopped) if you want to sub dried – you can use 2-3 tsp in total of the dried herbs 🙂
Hi! Do you cook entire time without cover? I think I might have missed that part somewhere! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hi Andrea, no need to cover 🙂
Hey Nagi! Absolutely love all your recipes & this chicken looks amazing! I plan on making this for a date soon. I would like to add carrots & baby red potatoes. Would I just add both of those 40 minutes prior to the chicken being finished? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Nancie, yes you can definitely do that! I hope you love it – N x
Without doubt the tastiest roast chicken ever, I’ve cooked this for Sunday lunch multiple times now and it always turns out bursting with flavour and perfectly roasted – thank you Nagi!
WOOT! Perfect George!
I have never been able to roast a chicken. It would always come out so dry but thank goodness I discovered this web page. It was so easy and the chicken was amazing.
I’m so glad you loved it Barb!!
Best roast chicken ever, so juicy and gravy was delicious. Family loved it. Have tried many of your recipes and all fantastic. You’ve made cooking fun again! Thank you Nagi
That’s awesome to hear, thanks so much Mary ❤️
Just roasted 2 chickens so juicy and delicious going to make broth and your chicken noodle soup!
Thanks for another great recipe
Perfect Jill!!! Enjoy ❤️
THE BEST taste combo ever! I love how you flavour the chicken. Tried it the first time today and I wished I could slurp the juice to the last drop (yes, it is THAT GOOD!). I didn’t have sage and I don’t drink alcohol so those didn’t go into the recipe.
My husband ate 3/4 of the chicken and ditched his instant gravy.
Definitely in my collection! Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it Kay!! – N x
Liked the flavors here! I brined my chicken before roasting so it was for sure moist.
Sounds amazing Fin!
Hi Just wondering if I could cook 2 roast chicken 2kg in the same pan and the cooking times will be the same?
Hi Janelle, sure can – cook time will be the same!
This is SO GOOD. The way you presented the information was so user-friendly. Though I love cooking, I had somehow never tried roasting a bird before. This came out so well and I can’t wait to do it more. I love the flavour profile and the clarity with which you presented the steps. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it Kate, thanks so much for letting me know!
Awesome recipe Nagi! I don’t ever leave comments but this is the 2nd recipe I’ve tried from your collection and just wanted to say thank you! Didn’t change a thing, perfect!! Great flavor, so moist!
My whole family loves this recipe for roast chicken. So easy too make and so tasty and moist. My new go to!
And it’s so easy to make a broth with the carcass using your notes.
Thanks so much!
Wow, Thanks so much for this tasty, tasty recipe. Roast Chicken is not a good enough name. My wife calls this “Death Row Chicken”!
I absolutely love this recipe. Not only is it simple, using ingredients I had available, it was easy to assemble and tasted incredible. I added some veggies underneath the chook and they roasted gorgeously over the hour and a half in the oven. I also dashed a tiny bit of peri peri spice on the skin. Thank you for the recipe! This is my go-to from now on!
Sounds like you nailed it Mariana! I love the addition of the Peri Peri!
I just made this for dinner and I truly believe it is the best chicken I have ever cooked. So juicy and so tasty. This very simple recipe was easy to follow and following the instructions for roasting time it was cooked to perfection! Thank you so much, this recipe will be on heavy rotation in my family!
Woah what a great compliment Alison!!
I love the roast chicken. You knocked it out the park with this recipe! Could I add small potatoes around the chicken to roast, also?
Sure could Valerie!
My first time making a roast chicken and it was incredible! I didn’t have any sage, but the lemon and rosemary still made it so good. I left the temperature at 220C and cooked for 1 hour only and it was delicious. Definitely going to try making the gravy next time as well.
I’m so glad you loved it Alice you can definitely sub any herbs you have available – N x
This is so delicious thank you so much
Love this… thank you Nagi! God Bless you!:)
You’re so welcome Faith ❤️
This looks so good! Can I add vegetables and cut up potatoes and put it underneath the chicken too? Thank you!
This was sooo good. Commenting so I remember what I did next time.
Used fresh rosemary & oregano & powdered sage & upped garlic to 5 cloves! Whizzed & softened butter mix in TMX. For a 1.5kg chicken I would do 20mins at 220*C and 1 hour at 180*C in my oven. Added lemon juice & 2 tsp cornflour to make gravy in TMX. Soooo soooo good. Thank you!!!