Oven Roasted Chicken
A perfectly oven roasted chicken with crispy golden skin and a tender juicy explosion of flavor in every bite could not be any easier with this recipe. Seasoned with ingredients you probably already have in your spice rack and cooked with potatoes, carrots, and onions.
How to Oven Roast a Whole Chicken
Oven roasting a chicken can be intimidating and for years I struggled with achieving that juicy tender bird with a crispy skin. The key to a perfect roasted chicken every time is temperature. Oven temperature and internal temperature are equally important.
Oven Temp – To get crispy skin, a 350°F oven temperature will not cut it. I like to roast my chicken at 425°F uncovered. This will help you get that beautiful golden browned crispy skin.
Internal Temp – Monitoring the internal temperature of the chicken is super important to keep it from overcooking and drying out the meat. You always want to cook any protein to temperature and not time. The time it takes can vary from a number of different factors. I recommend using a good quality instant read thermometer to determine when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. I like to use both a probe style thermometer that can be placed in the meat while cooking in the oven and also a handheld instant read thermometer to check for doneness after removing from the oven.
Seasoning – Before we season the chicken brush 2 tbsp of melted butter over the entire chicken. If possible lift up the skin over the chicken breast and brush some butter under the skin. This will give the seasoning mix something to stick to and also help crisp up the skin while roasting. Mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a small bowl or shaker bottle. Sprinkle the seasoning over the entire outside of the chicken and inside of the cavity.
Vegetables – My favorite vegetables for this dish are a simple mix of red potatoes, carrots, and onions. Other root vegetables like parsnips or rutabaga also work great.
Roasting – Roast the chicken at 425°F for about 90 minutes. Remember time can vary depending on the size of the bird and other factors. Always cook to an internal temperature of 165°F. If the skin is getting a little too dark before it is done, loosely cover it with aluminum foil to prevent the skin from burning.
Rest – I know you want to dig in to this juicy bird but letting it rest is a must to allow the meat to relax and redistribute all the flavorful juices throughout the bird. Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F remove from the oven and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Rest for 15 minutes.
Now it is time to carve and enjoy!
Oven Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter melted
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 ½ lbs Red Potatoes
- 4 lg Carrots
- 1 lg Onion
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃)
Prepare Vegetables
- Chop onion, carrots, and red potatoes.
- Add the vegetables to a roasting pan.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Prepare Chicken
- Pat the entire chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Rub the entire chicken inside and out with the melted butter. Carefully pull the skin up from the chicken breast and spread some melted butter under the skin.
- Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Season the outside and inside of the chicken with the seasoning mix. Also, season under the skin.
- Roughly chop the potatoes carrots and onions. Spray the bottom of a roasting pas with cooking spray or olive oil. Layer the vegetables in the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Place the seasoned chicken in the roasting pan directly on top of the vegetables. I like to add a ½ cup of chicken broth or water to the pan to help keep the vegetable moist.
Cook
- Roast the chicken uncovered for about 90 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75℃).
- If the skin begins to get too dark, cover with aluminum foil for the last 15 – 30 minutes of cooking.
- Check for doneness in the thickest part of the thigh with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 165℉,
- When done, remove the chicken from the pan and loosely cover with tin foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
