Roast chicken is a classic main dish recipe that everyone should know how to cook. Featuring delicious crispy skin, the whole roast chicken is juicy, tender inside and rich in flavor thanks to the butter and aromatic herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme. Perfect for a family dinner as well as a special occasion, this recipe is so flavorful and easy to prepare that it will beat any roast chicken.

The recipe is quite simple to make and requires a few simple ingredients. It is best to leave the chicken whole with the skin on. The fat released during cooking will keep the meat moist and succulent. Clean the chicken well, then spread a mixture of butter, aromatic herbs, salt and pepper over the meat. Finally, roast the chicken in the oven until the skin is golden brown and crispy.

Remember to baste the chicken with the released juices from time to time, watching the timing to prevent the meat from drying out. Before serving, let the bird rest for about 10 minutes, then carve it as you would a turkey.

Serve your roast chicken with a portion of roasted or fried potatoes or carrots, and you will really delight your guests. So let’s find out how to make a perfect roast chicken by following our step-by-step procedure and tips.

How long to roast a chicken?

When roasting a whole chicken, it is important to monitor the cooking time which depends on the size. Generally, a chicken weighing 1 kg or less takes around an hour to cook at 200°C.
For this recipe we used a bird weighing around 1.5kg/4lb which took around 1 hour and 20 minutes to cook completely at 180°C. Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

For a larger chicken, the cooking time can also be up to 1 hour and 40 minutes.

What is the best temperature to roast a chicken?
You should generally roast or cook a whole chicken between 180°C/350°F and 220°C/425°F.

If you want to cook the poultry to perfection, you can also start by cooking it at 200°C/400°F for the first 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180°C/350°F.
Once cooking is complete, make sure your instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of the chicken that is between 75°C/165°F and 80°C/175°F.

What to serve with roast chicken
You can serve your roast chicken with roasted, mashed or pan-fried potatoes. Baked sweet potatoes, candied yams, and macaroni salad are also great options.

For a slightly healthier side, you can pair roast chicken with baked or candied carrots, roasted asparagus, or an asparagus feta salad.

Tips for Making Tender Whole Roast Chicken
You can add garlic and lemon to the spread mixture.

For a richer flavor, you can add a small glass of white wine while the chicken cooks.

You can use your favorite aromatic herbs.

If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, you can also use it as a filling for sandwiches or tacos. You can also incorporate it into a frittata, salad or omelette.

How to Store Roast Chicken
Roast chicken can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 1 to 2 days. You can also freeze it.

Ingredients
WHOLE CHICKEN
1 (about 1.5kg)
BUTTER
60g
ROSEMARY
SAGE
THYME
SALT
BLACK PEPPER
How to roast a whole chicken

Step 1
Chop the aromatic herbs.

Step 2
In a small bowl, soften the butter by working it with a spoon.

Step 3
Add the chopped aromatic herbs to the butter.

Step 4
Season with salt and ground pepper.

Step 5
Take the chicken, place it on a cutting board and tie the back legs with kitchen twine.

Step 6
Do the same with the front ones.

Step 7
Remove remaining feathers with a flame.

Step 8
Arrange the chicken in a baking dish.

Step 9
Lightly salt the skin.

Step 10
Spread the butter mixture onto the bird’s skin.

Step 11
Cover with foil and roast the chicken in a static oven at 350°F/180°C for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Step 12
Halfway through cooking, baste the surface of the chicken with the juice collected in the baking dish. You can repeat this operation several times, so that your chicken remains soft, juicy and crispy at the same time.

Step 13
After the cooking time, remove the roast chicken from the oven. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes, cut and serve.