Easy Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe (Crispy & Juicy)

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.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

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.

How to Make Roast Chicken

Ingredients Needed

• 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 poultry seasoning.

Find the printable recipe with the full ingredients list and measurements below.

Step-by-Step Directions

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

Step 3: 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 4: 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 for the Best Roast Chicken

• 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.
• 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.

How to Serve Roast Chicken

Roast chicken is a fantastic main course served with any number of homemade sides, like creamy red potato salad or roasted beet salad.

How about a loaf of no-knead artisan bread and canned green beans? Or maybe some rutabaga fries, homemade buttermilk biscuits, bacon wrapped asparagus, or quick and easy dinner rolls?

The possibilities for roast chicken are endless!

• Salad - Make a simple green salad, add some chicken on top and dress with this homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.
• Soup - Add cooked chicken to these quick and easy soups: cream of mushroom, cream of onion, cream of potato, or cream of celery.
• Wrap - Make a quick lunch with some veggies, homemade pickles and leftover roast chicken stuffed in a homemade sourdough tortilla or these sweet potato wraps.
• Casserole - A casserole is a homesteader's saving grace. It's the perfect way to use up leftovers in the refrigerator and create something hearty, warm and delicious. My chicken and broccoli casserole is no exception.

Storage & 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.