Elise Jesse Elise Jesse

Easy, Flavorful Roast Chicken

Easy, everyday roast chicken, prepped in 20-25 minutes!

Roasting a whole chicken is one of the simplest ways to create a meal that feels both comforting and elegant. This is my go-to recipe anytime I need something that I can prep and let the oven do the heavy lifting. Seasoned generously and roasted at high heat, the chicken develops crisp, golden skin while the meat stays tender and juicy. Pair it with roasted vegetables, a fresh salad, or crusty bread.

By: Elise Jesse

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 60-90 minutes

resting time: 15-20 minutes

total time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

3.5-5 pound whole chicken

5-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons  Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1tsp onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

FOR THE PAN

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

1-2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

3/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine

FOR THE CAVITY

2 Lemon cheeks

Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme

1/2 yellow onion

1/2 bulb of garlic or whole garlic cloves

DIRECTIONS

  1. Let the chicken (3.5-5 pounds, whole) come to room temperature for 20 minutes.

  2. Preheat the oven to 425° F.

  3. In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

  4. Arrange the onion, carrots, and celery in an even layer in the bottom of a large cast iron skillet.

  5. Remove the chicken from the packaging and remove the packet of giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Place the lemon cheeks and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, onion, and garlic in the cavity and pat the chicken dry.

  6. Truss the chicken by taking 3-4 feet of cotton butcher’s twine and placing the chicken breast-side up with the legs facing you. Cross the twine over the ankles of the drumsticks, bring it down, and cross the twine again, pulling the legs tightly together, and pull firmly so the legs stay snug against the bird. Continue pulling the twine down each side of the chicken toward the neck and under the wings. Flip the chicken over and tie a firm double knot across the back, and trim the excess.

  7. Loosen the skin from the breasts. Put 1/3 of the butter mixture on each of the chicken breasts, under the skin. Rub your fingers over the skin of the breasts to spread the butter around. Then rub the rest of the seasoned butter over the top of the skin, breasts, thighs, and legs.

  8. Pour ¾ cup of broth into the bottom of the pan.

  9. Bake the chicken at 425° F until the bird is cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F (65-90 minutes, a 5-pounder will usually take the whole time)

  10. Let chicken rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes before slicing.

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