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
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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!)
-
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
Roast Chicken recipe
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…)
Made this roast chicken last night. Absolutely fabulous. Didn’t have any spare wine so just cooked without. Still got plenty of delicious pan juices. Put the squeezed lemon rind inside the chicken with the rosemary. The rind was so full of flavour you could eat it and the chicken was delicious eaten with it. Cooked a separate bowl of stuffing / dressing for 20 mins and drizzled some pan juices over the top for flavour part way through cooking, delicious. Can’t say delicious often enough for this recipe. All that butter can’t be good for you who cares!
What can I say about this roast chicken? Absolutely amazing! I have made many roast chickens in my time, but this one will be my new recipe going forward. Such great flavours. I halved the rosemary and used thyme as well.
Paired it with parmesan/butter polenta and it went down a treat.
It has come to the point where I may at least 2 or 3 of your recipes every week.
Not just mains. I make salad dressings, hummus, etc…I have really upped my cooking game since discovering your recipes.
Another firm favourite added to the rotation.
THANKS!
This is a solid recipe (as we expect from Nagi!) This was my 2nd time making this. First time I made it exactly as described. 2nd time I butterflied it and added thyme and another seasoning as I was out of sage and parsley. I also added carrots and potatoes under the chicken. Company loved it! I love the spoon trick with melted butter, will do this from now on, so much easier!!
I’m ashamed to say that at 57 with two adult children I have never cooked a roast chook 🫢 but TONIGHT I DID, and it was BLOODY DEEELISH! Thanks Nagi x 🐓🍗
So delicious! I forgot to add the lemon juice to the butter and it was still so YUM! Served with your caesar salad and mac and cheese….oh and potato gems!!
Thanks again Nagi!
The perfect Anzac Day roast chicken recipe. Thank you Nagi san.
Amazing recipe. I thought I had roasting chicken down to a fine art but this recipe is the best ever!!
I’ve made this last night for our dinner.
It’s indeed the juiciest, easiest and tastiest roast chicken recipe I have ever tried. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe. Me and my family loves it! ❤ +++++
Can I put carrots or any other vegetables in same pan for cooking?
Also, I am making your red wine braised lamb shanks at same time (fussy niece and nephews – some won’t eat lamb so doing chicken too).
Can I cook both in oven at same time?
I almost cried the other day because my husband told me he didn’t actually like this dish (or the liquid gold pan juices) as much as I did.
Thankfully he told me it was ok and I can still make it for dinner so the tears were averted 😂
Thank you once again Nagi for another fabulous recipe. I just bought your cookbook and tried the roast chicken. It was unbelievably tender and juicy. The whole fam loved it. Looking forward to trying out many more recipes.
Oh NAGI!!!!! This is magnificent!
My husband and in laws request me to make this recipe often. They even buy me the whole chicken to make this! I’d say the key is basting the skin and the star is definitely the pan gravy.
-Ontario 🇨🇦
I’ve roasted a lot of chickens and I thought my recipe was good until I tasted this Oh my goodness this was incredible. The white meat was juicy and tender. The flavor of the herbs and lemon all worked so well. The gravy using the pan juices was perfect. This is the recipe I’ll be using for the rest of my life.
Made this roasted chicken recipe tonight and it was outstanding! Every bite was so flavorful and moist, and the skin was delicious. I used a turkey baster and baste more frequently. Next is learning to make gravy from the drippings. Thank you for this delicious recipe and video on how to prepare the chicken. I’m a visual person and the video really helped.
This was delicious. I have to admit I had my doubts because I always seem to way overcook chicken breasts but this turned out perfect. I will definitely make this again.
I’m a pretty good cook and I followed this recipe and IT WAS AMAZING!! My boyfriend loved it… and so did I obviously. Thankyou 🙂
Excellent !
Hello Nagi and crew of fans, I have to repost a review of my chicken disaster of last week, 11-21-22. Chicquita the Chicken fought bravely for her skin but she was roasted regardless. I only criticized my technique, not that recipe. After I finally decided I knew which end should be up, into my dinosaur of a stove for 2.5 hours. Done beautifully at 2hr. 45-< 350 5.2# bird. I mishandled Chickie but she took it well after all. I managed to feed several folks and my kittens. Thanks for putting up with my review madness. I think I might need adult supervision in the kitchen. *I'm 71*. Still, this one was excellent I should have taken a photo. So tasty, moist, I made dinner on the Solstice!
Before I get chopped, my 2 stars is for myself, not Nagi (Hi, Ya-It’s florida Flap now. I think I destroyed a perfectly lovely chicken today, I felt totally defeated by this thing. However, Ms. Thing is still in the oven, because I really think she owes me at least some decent parts.
I clearly have anatomical info on humans, having studied them all my professional life. I think I might need a brush-up on anatomy of poultry. Butt up, head down-it was embarrassing but I could not tell one end from the other.
I have some time to wait, in the meantime, have a pleasant “Season”; and be sending the US some of the light as our Summertime draws nearer. I’ll let you know how the bird turns out; I probably own the entire poultry nation a sincere apology. Poor thing croaked twice. Sorry, not sorry. Brightness, for all!
Flap/Florida
“Go, Gators” (it’s mandatory)!
That’s not right giving the recipe 2 stars when the blame is on you and not even knowing how it turned out yet -_-.