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Top view of healthy whole roast chicken with lemon in a white cast iron dutch oven

Whole Roasted Chicken

This is the easiest Whole Roasted Chicken recipe ever! Better yet, it makes the juciest and most flavorful chicken with a built-in side dish of roasted onions and carrots.

Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword best chicken recipes, chicken dinner ideas, chicken recipes for dinner, healthy chicken dinner ideas, how to roast a whole chicken, whole roasted chicken, whole roasted chicken recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 439 kcal
Author Kelly

Ingredients

  • coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 3.5-4 lbs whole chicken patted dry, fat trimmed & giblets removed
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 1 head of garlic cut in half, cross-wise
  • 20 sprigs fresh thyme divided
  • 1/4 cup unsalted, grass-fed butter or ghee (sub with extra-virgin olive oil if dairy-free)
  • 1 medium onion chopped into quarters
  • 2 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F

  2. Liberally season the inside and outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.

  3. Squeeze half of the lemon on the outside of the chicken and stuff the chicken with the other half of the lemon along with garlic and 10 sprigs of thyme.

  4. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle it again with salt and pepper.

    Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken - perfectly tender, juicy, roasted chicken you can make easily at home using your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Best part of all, you can have a simple chicken dinner in under 45 minutes. Plus instructions for cooking the chicken in the oven, thawed and frozen. No more dry chicken breasts - so juicy and moist & great for Sunday meal prep. Use your leftovers for soups, pastas, casseroles, tacos, bone & chicken broth and more!
  5. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine or string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

  6. Transfer the chicken, breast side up, to a large oven-safe cast iron skillet or pan. Arrange the onions, carrots and fennel under and around the chicken. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme over top.

  7. Roast the chicken until it's evenly golden brown and the internal temperature is at 160°F, about 50-60 minutes, making sure the juices run clear when you cut through the leg and thigh.

  8. Remove the skillet/pan from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes, tenting with foil before carving.

  9. Transfer the chicken to a platter and drizzle it with the pan juices. Serve with roasted lemon and garlic.

    Top view of healthy whole roast chicken with lemon in a white cast iron dutch oven

Recipe Notes

Serves 4-6.

Nutrition Facts
Whole Roasted Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 439 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 12g60%
Cholesterol 139mg46%
Sodium 206mg9%
Potassium 452mg13%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 4763IU95%
Vitamin C 24mg29%
Calcium 54mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.