Oven-Roasted Chicken Recipe | Crispy Skin & Juicy Whole Chicken  

An oven-roasted chicken recipe is one we should all have in our arsenal. This three-ingredient recipe perfectly roasts tender and juicy meat while slowly turning the skin golden brown and crisp. Trust me, this will become your go-to method for cooking a whole chicken. 

For years, I cooked chicken wrong. Don't misread me. I still cooked pretty delicious chicken, but I could never master the crispy skin and the juicy meat. I either had one or the other.

It wasn't until I learned a couple of crucial steps when roasting a whole chicken that I could roast a whole chicken to perfection each and every time.

My other go-to method for getting dinner on the table in a hurry is to cook an Instant Pot whole chicken. Though you won't end up with crispy skin, you'll have perfectly cooked chicken that you can shred up and use in chicken and broccoli casserole with curry (or chicken and artichoke casserole), to top this chicken Alfredo pizza recipe, or make cream of chicken soup heartier.

It's good to have plenty of chicken recipes on hand when you raise your own meat birds.

What Makes This Recipe Unique?

Beyond the impressive skill of roasting a chicken to crispy perfection every time, you'll love this recipe because it's:

• Basic: Only three ingredients are needed for a perfectly roasted chicken every time. And they're all basic pantry staples.
• Versatile: Having a whole cooked chicken on hand is so great for easy lunches, quick dinners, or to slice, dice, and shred however you see fit.
• Delicious: Have we discussed the crispy skin? It's not the last time it will come up. Perfectly crisp, while the meat is juicy and flavorful. You can mix and match your favorite herbs and seasonings to suit your taste preference.

Key Ingredients:

A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

• Chicken - Grab that whole chicken, about 4-5 pounds. If it's larger or smaller, you'll need to adjust the cooking times.
• Seasonings - Nothing fancy here! For a basic roast chicken, I find keeping the seasonings as simple as possible means the leftover chicken is more versatile. I just use lemon pepper and good ol' Redmond Salt (use code "Pioneering" for 15% off at checkout). Feel free to substitute your favorite homemade seasoning blend.

Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe Instructions:

Step 1: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Take your time here and make sure it's completely dry (this is an important step to getting crispy skin).

Step 2: Then, season the chicken on all sides and let it rest in a bowl while the oven preheats to 425°F (220°C). Pro Tip: Be sure your seasoning has salt in it. This helps draw out excess moisture to get that crispy skin.

Step 3: Place chicken, breast side down, on a rack inside a roasting pan, cast iron skillet or baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes before flipping.

Step 4: Carefully remove the pan from the oven and, using tongs, flip the chicken so the breast side is up. Continue roasting for another 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the skin is brown and crispy.

Step 5: As with all meats, the chicken should rest for at least 15 minutes (20-30 minutes is ideal) before slicing so the juices can redistribute.

Tips and Troubleshooting

• Dry Skin Equals Crispy Skin - The drier the skin before roasting, the crispier it will become. Take your time when patting the chicken dry.
• Do not stuff - Do NOT put anything in the cavity of the chicken. No onion, lemon, garlic... nothing! The secret to juicy chicken with crispy skin is the dry environment.
• Breast side down - It may sound odd to cook a chicken upside down, but this is key to keeping the breast meat from drying out. And flipping the chicken over for the last 20-30 minutes of roasting crisps the breast skin up perfectly.
• Use a Meat Thermometer - The safest and most accurate way to know when your chicken is done is to check for an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Watch it closely - During the last 20 minutes of cooking, watch the chicken carefully to make sure the skin isn't getting too brown. If the skin looks like it's close to burning, but the chicken isn't yet to temperature, loosely cover the chicken with a piece of aluminum foil.
• Save the Carcass - Don't throw away the carcass! Use it to learn how to make chicken bone broth.

Storage and Meal Prep Tips

One of my favorite ways to meal prep at the beginning of the week is to cook a whole roast chicken to have for meals all week long. With only three of us at home most nights, a whole chicken will get us quite a few meals. If you have a larger family, consider roasting two or three chickens to get you through the week.

• Refrigerator: Slice, dice, or shred your chicken and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Use or freeze before the fifth day for the best freshness.
• Freezer: Slice, dice, or shred your chicken, or freeze in individual pieces (chicken breasts, legs, and wings) in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to three months. To use, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat or use as an ingredient in any of the recipes mentioned above.

FAQ’s