This perfectly tender and juicy whole oven roasted chicken gets brushed with a fresh lemon rosemary garlic butter and stuffed with aromatics for extra flavor. It’s perfect for Sunday dinner, but easy enough for a weeknight!
Searching through cookbooks, leafing through food magazines and trolling through food blogs proves one fact over and over again: cooks love making recipes with chicken, myself included. Mine run the gamut—from sautéed, like my creamy lemon chicken breasts and mushrooms to grilled, like my best grilled chicken breast recipe—to this whole roasted bird. While the boneless chicken breast seems to be the star in most recipes, the whole bird cannot be ignored. There’s nothing quite like a juicy hen, perfuming the whole house, to get the salivating started.
This whole roasted chicken is a butter infused invitation to belly up to the Sunday dinner table, but it’s so easy you could totally make it any day of the week. Chicken on the bone. Chicken with skin. Those two things give chicken a flavor all on its own. But when you layer that baby bird with the soft, buttery mix of garlic, lemon, and rosemary a totally new flavor permeates our chicken-little under, and over, the skin. It’s a thing of magic.
What’s in This Oven Roasted Chicken?
Simple is the name of the game here. When using fresh herbs, you don’t need much else to flavor a whole baked chicken.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon rosemary chicken:
- Whole chicken
- Onions
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Unsalted butter
- Fresh rosemary—If you have other fresh herbs on hand besides rosemary, feel free to season the chicken with them. Thyme, oregano, sage, parsley and/or tarragon would all be delicious additions
- Kosher salt and pepper
- White wine—If you don’t consume alcohol or have run out, you can substitute chicken stock or broth
How to Roast a Whole Chicken
Cooking a whole chicken isn’t as daunting as it may seem. Here’s how:
Take the chill off. Before prepping the oven roasted chicken pull your chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting to ensure a more even cooking time. Meanwhile, preheat your oven and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. You don’t want the top of your bird burning!
Infuse your butter. Stir together some melted butter, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and lemon zest. Gently pry the skin from the meat of the bird’s breasts and legs and work that flavored butter over the meat. Then, slather the top of the skin with the butter, too.
Stuff your bird. Stuffing isn’t just for Thanksgiving. Use fresh aromatics (lemons, onions and a full head of garlic) to stuff into the bird’s cavity, and pour white wine into the bottom of the roasting pan. Depending on how large your roasting pan is, you might be able to throw in some roughly chopped potatoes and cook those alongside the whole roasted chicken. You don’t want to crowd the pan too much though, otherwise it’ll be difficult to turn the bird and get it crisp all over.
Roast your bird. Turn it occasionally and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 155°F to 160°F and the juices are running clear.
Do You Cover Chicken While Roasting in Oven?
I don’t recommend covering your chicken unless is begins to brown too much, then you can tent it with foil.
How Long to Roast a Whole Chicken?
A whole roasted chicken that weighs four to five pounds will take roughly 1 hour 10 minutes to cook through. However, the cook time for your specific bird may vary slightly depending on how big it is and how hot your oven burns.
5 Tips for Making an Oven Roasted Chicken
- Add fat and get under it’s skin. To get a crispy skin on your roast chicken that’s juicy on the inside, slather the bird with a salted or unsalted butter or olive oil (just don’t use margarine). Both work equally well and will turn your bird into a bronzed Brazilian bombshell from the beaches Rio de Janeiro with a crackin’ crispy crust. Gently work your fingers between the skin and the meat of the breasts and legs, separating the two from one another and work in another layer of flavor with additional butter or oil. Here’s how to soften your butter when you’re in a pinch. Also, try any of these blended butters for maximum flavor.
- Add aromatics. Stuff your chicken with onion, lemon, garlic, and fresh rosemary to deliver a lovely flavor from within that permeates every juicy bite of the chicken meat. You can always play around with these. Some of my other favorite vegetables and herbs to use are: celery, carrots, turnips, and fresh thyme, oregano, sage, parsley and/or tarragon.
- The best oven temperature to roast chicken. We’re roasting our chicken, not baking it. That’s why a high temperature will ensure a crispy skin that’s juicy on the inside. Roast your chicken at 425°F and baste occasionally while cooking.
- How to tell when the chicken is done. Plan on 15-18 minutes of cooking time per pound, then add 15 minutes plus resting time. For a 5-pound chicken, I plan on 75-90 minutes for a roast chicken to be done. There are three ways I use to tell if a chicken is done, and I do each of them every time I roast chicken: Use an instant-read thermometer inserted between the breast and thigh meat, avoiding the bone. This is my favorite thermometer. The temperature of the chicken should read between 155° to 160°F.
- Allow 10-15 minutes of resting time once you’ve pulled the chicken from the oven. so the juices seal into the meat where the chicken will continue to cook as it rests, bringing the temperature up to the recommended 165°F internal temperature.
- Check to see the juices are running clear with no streaks of blood or color. I can usually tell when I pull my thermometer from the meat and the juices run out.
- Wiggle the chicken leg. If it is loose and pliable, the chicken is likely done. As you cook more chickens, you’ll become better at using this method by touch.
- Long live leftovers. If you’re lucky to have any chicken left over, you can shred it and add it to soups, sandwiches, salads and more! Although the lemon rosemary chicken is super flavorful, it complements many dishes without overpowering them.
Watch the Video: Whole Roasted Chicken
What to Serve with Whole Oven Roasted Chicken
- The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Heavenly Funeral Potatoes Recipe
- Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Mashed Cauliflower With Parmesan and Chives
- Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter
- Sweet Carrots with Tarragon
- Green Beans and Shiitake Mushrooms
- Winter Green Salad with Orange Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- one 4-5 pound chicken at room temperature, giblets and neck removed from cavity
- 2 onions quartered
- 1 head of garlic cut in half plus 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 lemons 2 cut in half and remaining half sliced into thin slices
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter* softened
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs plus 1 sprig minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup white wine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Mix the butter with minced rosemary, 3 cloves of minced garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Pat the chicken dry and rub half of the butter, garlic and lemon zest mixture under the skin and the rest over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Generously season cavity of chicken with salt and pepper and stuff with lemon half, ½ head of garlic, 2-3 quarters of onion and 2 rosemary sprigs. Truss legs with cooking twine and tuck wings under bird.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan breast-side-up with the remaining onion, garlic, lemons and herbs. Add ½ cup of white wine.
- Roast for 30 minutes or until the breast is firm and just beginning to brown in spots. Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-down, baste with juices and roast for 20 minutes longer, until the skin is lightly browned. Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-side-up and baste again. Add ½ cup of water if wine has evaporated. Roast for about 20 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 155°F to 160°F and juices are running clear.
- Transfer the bird to a cutting board and tent with foil. Remove aromatics and vegetables from the cavity, carve the chicken and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Whole Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Cast Iron Skillet Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
- 40 Cloves of Garlic Roast Chicken
- Juicy Roast Chicken
- Whole Chicken Grilled Under a Brick with Harissa
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KCG
Thanks for the recipe. Make sure you make a chicken stock with the carcass. There are several good crock pot chicken stock options online that are no fuss and no mess.
TE
Thanks for this recipe. Tried it tonight. I didn’t have any wine. :[ Will try again, for sure. Still yummy and looked great.
Anna Wright
Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I am interested in anything with Chicken as it was my favorite dish. A roasted chicken with an garlic twist. What more can you ask for?
Shantell
I tried this recipe last night and I only used one lemon. The lemon flavor was so strong. Maybe because I squeezed some of the juice onto the chicken but I couldn’t enjoy it. I will trying this recipe again soon
Jordanne
Made this for my parents’ anniversary and they loved it! I marinated the chicken with rosemary, salt, & pepper for 24 hours though.
Thank you for this recipe
Kelee
I did a twist on this recipe by soaking the chicken overnight in a brine of chardonnay, water, sea salt, rosemary and lemon slices. After doing the prep part of the recipe, I put the chicken in the smoker on low for about 5 hours. Instead of using water in the smoker tray, I used the chardonnay/water mix that was the brine. It was the best chicken I ever had!! It literally fell off the bone and the chardonnay in the smoker gave a delightful flavor. I’m going to do the recipe again today and roast it in the oven this time to compare tastes!
Wow, that sounds amazing Kelee. That’s similar to how we prepare our Thanksgiving turkey, basted in wine and butter. I will totally try this way and share on the blog and credit you, if that’s okay with you :)
Karen
YUMMMEEE! This was wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
We added unpeeled russet potatoes to the bottom of the pan and let them cook along with the chicken. They were approximately 3inch chunks, seasoned with Lawry’s season salt and smoked paprika, placed skin side down in the pan all around the chicken. The flesh became tight on top and creamy inside. Even the onions the recipe calls for came out tasty.
I think next time I will try using a rack for (hopefully) more uniform browning.
One lesson I recently learned is that the chicken you choose can make such a difference. Go for one that is fresh and hormone free – it’s worth the extra money.
jessie
Planning to make this for Thanksgiving for our small gathering. Instead of a small turkey, we got a big chicken. Any thoughts on what we might need to change for a larger 7-8 pound bird?
Carmen
Wow the best recepie for roasted chicken. Juicy, and the perfect flavor. I recommended 100%.
Marina
This looks so mouthwatering and perfect!
Zoobi
Can you please tell me what I can substitute for wine. Thanks
You can use chicken broth or even apple juice. Enjoy!
Dawn Jones
By far, the best roasted chicken ever. Even with all the garlic I took a chance that my husband would like it. He LOVED IT!!!
Thanks so much!
Stephanie
I made this for my fiancé’s entire family last night as a welcome to America meal and they loved it! I’m so thankful i found this post. It made for the tastiest, easiest chicken I’ve ever made. Thanks again!
Nancy
Where do u put the wine on top of chicken or bottom of roasting pan
Rose
I have never before turned a chicken over as it was roasting, but did so according to this recipe and lost all that delicious, crispy skin from the breast…. So mad! I should have listened to my gut. I’m sure this would have been great otherwise.
Elizabeth
Wonderful recipe. Came out moist with lots of flavor. Left overs were yummy too! Didn’y have as many lemons on hand but still tasted fab. My new go-to roast chicken recipe.
Elizabeth! That is fantastic to hear and I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Kalpana
Hello Heidi ! This really is such a great roast chicken dish. Simple and delicious. Thanks for sharing with us
Alaina
What is a good option if I don’t own a roasting pan?
Sarah
Ok this looks amazing and I just made it BUT my chicken skin kept sticking to pan when I went to flip it over so I lost that yummy crunchy skin effect
Hey Sarah, place some of the sliced lemon under the bird to act as a shelf for it. Or, add a little more wine.
Marlene Drozd
How does a person keep from the butter sticking to fingers. I had more on my fingers than the chicken, very frustrating
Jk
Ive been there…you need to have the chicken at almost room temp and I get butter mixture liquified then brush on chicken and rub under breast skin
donna
what about starting chicken breast-side down, then finish breast up?
Adriana
I absolutely love this recipe! The seasoned butter makes the chicken flavorful and very juicy. The only thing I changed was I used a lime along with the lemon. I also added cut up potatoes, broccoli, carrots, and onions to the bottom of the roasting pan. The veggies were deliciously roasted with the drippings from the chicken. The whole family raved over this meal! Thanks!
Lincoln @ LincsFlavours
I made this a couple of days ago and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing.
I made it slightly differently and thought others might be interested…..
I actually made this in an old-fashioned wood-fired stone oven. I actually never use the thermometer on the oven, I just light the fire and have the wood burning for a certain amount of time. In this case 90 minutes with a good fire. The last 15 minutes adding no new wood to avoid excessive flames when roasting.
I pushed the ashes to the sides and started roasting.
I roasted it for 10 minutes uncovered to brown it nicely, followed by 40 minutes with the roasting tin covered in foil. I turned the tin around half way through.
To be on the safe side I always use a probe thermometer to test the temperature in the thickest part of the least. I went for 80ºC and the chicken came out beautiful.
Shauna
While I think that the alcohol content bakes out, we do not consume alcohol in our home so I don’t have wine on hand. I do have red and white wine vinegars. Would those be bad to use?
GlitterGal
If I’m not using wine, I would use chicken stock, rather than vinegar.
Dawn Jones
I made it white grape juice. Fabulous!By far, the best roasted chicken ever. Even with all the garlic I took a chance that my husband would like it. He LOVED IT!!!
Thanks so much!
Dawn Jones
I made it with white grape juice. Fabulous!
That’s a great non-alcohol alternative idea Dawn. Thanks for sharing!
Spicemylife
It looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! I would love to try it.
Kathleen
I made this for my family last night and they loved it. The chicken was moist, juicy, and flavorable. This recipe is definitely a “keeper.!”
Colleen
This was perfect for Friday dinner with friends. It’s easy yet impressive.everyone thought i was the goddess of food, lol! loved the whole spices (garlic, lemons rosemary.) Both flavourful and delightful to the eyes.
A must do again.will tag you the pic from the heart of nairobi.
Thank you
Terry
I suggest seasoning and filling the cavity first, then buttering under and on the skin. I can also assure you that if you get buttered up and don’t want to go back to the computer to check the ingredients, resulting in leaving the aromatics out of the cavity and putting them on top instead, it is still delicious. :)