I perfected my Easy Oven Baked Whole Chicken, and the one surprising trick I use guarantees juicy meat every time.
I’ve roasted a lot of chickens but this one still surprises me. I write about food for a living and yet a simple roast can throw me a curve now and then, it still manages to finish with skin so crisp and the meat juicy as heck.
I love slipping garlic and lemon inside and letting the oven do the work, there’s one tiny trick I keep for myself cause it flips the whole thing on its head. If you wander through Whole Roasted Chicken Oven posts or pin Easy Oven Baked Whole Chicken ideas you’ll see why this one won’t leave your mind.
Ingredients
- Whole chicken rich in protein, filling gives roast its savory juicy centerpiece
- Olive oil or butter add fat, helps browning, carries flavour, makes skin crisp
- Garlic gives pungent aromatic depth some sweetness when roasted minor health benefits
- Lemon brightens flavor, adds tart acidity, helps cut through richness
- Carrots bring natural sweetness fiber, roast into caramelized tender bites
- Onion gives savory backbone sugars caramelize, adds moisture to the roast
- Thyme and rosemary add herbaceous piney fragrant notes freshens overall dish
- Parsley freshens bright color light herb flavor optional garnish that cleans palate
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 whole chicken about 3 to 4 lbs
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- 1 small onion
- 2 large carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 425 F and move an oven rack to the middle. Take the chicken out of the fridge, remove any giblets, and pat the chicken very dry inside and out with paper towels.
2. Cut the lemon in half and quarter the small onion. Smash two garlic cloves lightly with the flat side of a knife. Season the cavity with about half the kosher salt and a little pepper, then stuff the cavity with one lemon half, the quartered onion, the two smashed garlic cloves, two thyme sprigs and one rosemary sprig.
3. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts with your fingers and slip the other two smashed garlic cloves and some thyme leaves under the skin so the garlic sits right against the meat. This helps flavor the breast and keeps it moist.
4. Rub the outside of the chicken all over with the olive oil or melted butter. Sprinkle the outside with the remaining kosher salt, the black pepper, and the optional paprika if you want extra color.
5. Toss the carrots and celery with a little oil or melted butter and scatter them in a roasting pan to make a bed. Place the chicken breast side up on top of the vegetables. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken and tie the legs together or just tuck them under the body so it cooks evenly.
6. Roast the chicken at 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes until the skin starts to brown nicely and get crisp. Then turn the oven down to 375 F and continue roasting.
7. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F and the juices run clear, usually another 40 to 60 minutes depending on size. If the skin is getting too dark, tent the bird loosely with foil.
8. About halfway through roasting you can baste once by spooning pan juices over the bird, but dont worry if you skip it. The garlic under the skin and the herbs in the cavity will do most of the work.
9. When done, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 15 minutes so the juices redistribute. Meanwhile skim the fat from the pan juices, scrape up browned bits from the pan and heat briefly to concentrate if you want a quick jus.
10. Carve the chicken, spoon the pan juices over the meat, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with the roasted carrots, celery and onion. Enjoy, its juicy and simple and perfect any night of the week.
Equipment Needed
1. Roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet
2. Cutting board
3. Sharp chef’s knife
4. Paper towels for drying the bird
5. Small bowl and spoon for oil and seasonings
6. Kitchen twine (butcher’s string) for tying legs
7. Instant read thermometer
8. Tongs for moving veggies and the chicken
9. Oven mitts or potholders
FAQ
Roast Chicken Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Kosher salt (1 tbsp): you can use fine table salt or fine sea salt instead, but use less — start with about half the amount and taste as you go.
- Olive oil or melted butter (2 tbsp): swap for a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed, or use ghee or chicken fat (schmaltz) for extra richness, same amount.
- Lemon (1): replace with 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine or apple cider vinegar, or use lime or orange juice for a different citrus note.
- Fresh thyme & rosemary (4 & 2 sprigs): use dried herbs at about one third the fresh amount (eg 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp dried rosemary), or swap for sage, oregano, or herbes de Provence.
Pro Tips
1. Dry brine if you can: pat the chicken super dry, salt it a few hours ahead or overnight in the fridge. The skin gets way crispier and the meat stays juicier. Pull it out about an hour before roasting so it isnt rock cold inside.
2. Get flavor under the skin not just on top. Mix butter or olive oil with smashed garlic, chopped thyme, rosemary and a little lemon zest then gently slide it under the breast skin so it sits against the meat, that really keeps the breast moist. Be gentle with the skin so you dont tear it.
3. Use the high heat then lower temp trick to crisp the skin and finish gently. Have an instant read thermometer and aim for 165 F in the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone, check in a couple spots if needed. If the skin is browning too fast tent the bird loosely with foil, dont panic.
4. Rest and save the juices: let the chicken rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving, dont skip this or the juices will run out. Remove the vegetables before making a quick pan jus, skim off excess fat, scrape the brown bits and reduce with a splash of lemon juice or wine then taste and season. If your carrots end up mushy next time roast them separately on a sheet pan.

Roast Chicken Recipe
I perfected my Easy Oven Baked Whole Chicken, and the one surprising trick I use guarantees juicy meat every time.
6
servings
690
kcal
Equipment: 1. Roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet
2. Cutting board
3. Sharp chef’s knife
4. Paper towels for drying the bird
5. Small bowl and spoon for oil and seasonings
6. Kitchen twine (butcher’s string) for tying legs
7. Instant read thermometer
8. Tongs for moving veggies and the chicken
9. Oven mitts or potholders
Ingredients
-
1 whole chicken about 3 to 4 lbs
-
1 tablespoon kosher salt
-
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
-
1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
-
4 garlic cloves
-
1 lemon
-
1 small onion
-
2 large carrots
-
2 celery stalks
-
4 sprigs fresh thyme
-
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
-
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 F and move an oven rack to the middle. Take the chicken out of the fridge, remove any giblets, and pat the chicken very dry inside and out with paper towels.
- Cut the lemon in half and quarter the small onion. Smash two garlic cloves lightly with the flat side of a knife. Season the cavity with about half the kosher salt and a little pepper, then stuff the cavity with one lemon half, the quartered onion, the two smashed garlic cloves, two thyme sprigs and one rosemary sprig.
- Gently loosen the skin over the breasts with your fingers and slip the other two smashed garlic cloves and some thyme leaves under the skin so the garlic sits right against the meat. This helps flavor the breast and keeps it moist.
- Rub the outside of the chicken all over with the olive oil or melted butter. Sprinkle the outside with the remaining kosher salt, the black pepper, and the optional paprika if you want extra color.
- Toss the carrots and celery with a little oil or melted butter and scatter them in a roasting pan to make a bed. Place the chicken breast side up on top of the vegetables. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken and tie the legs together or just tuck them under the body so it cooks evenly.
- Roast the chicken at 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes until the skin starts to brown nicely and get crisp. Then turn the oven down to 375 F and continue roasting.
- Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F and the juices run clear, usually another 40 to 60 minutes depending on size. If the skin is getting too dark, tent the bird loosely with foil.
- About halfway through roasting you can baste once by spooning pan juices over the bird, but dont worry if you skip it. The garlic under the skin and the herbs in the cavity will do most of the work.
- When done, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 15 minutes so the juices redistribute. Meanwhile skim the fat from the pan juices, scrape up browned bits from the pan and heat briefly to concentrate if you want a quick jus.
- Carve the chicken, spoon the pan juices over the meat, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with the roasted carrots, celery and onion. Enjoy, its juicy and simple and perfect any night of the week.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 298g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 690kcal
- Fat: 41.5g
- Saturated Fat: 10.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Polyunsaturated: 8g
- Monounsaturated: 22g
- Cholesterol: 233mg
- Sodium: 817mg
- Potassium: 678mg
- Carbohydrates: 3.3g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Sugar: 1g
- Protein: 71.5g
- Vitamin A: 2500IU
- Vitamin C: 5mg
- Calcium: 100mg
- Iron: 2.7mg