This Roast Chicken is smothered with garlic herb butter and roasted on a bed of tender root vegetables for the most juicy, flavorful chicken with crisp, golden skin! The whole family will love this ridiculously easy one-pan roast chicken!
Easy Roast Chicken with Vegetables
Easy to prepare and cook, I often make this roast chicken recipe for family and friends when simple baked chicken breasts won’t cut it. Cooked among a mix of my favorite vegetables – onion, potatoes, carrots, and butternut squash – the whole family loves this flavorful, delicious meal.
If this is your first time roasting a whole chicken, that’s okay! In this post, I’ll detail exactly how to do so. It’s not nearly as intimidating as it seems. Promise!
Why This Recipe Works
- Rubbing the chicken with butter, garlic, and herbs adds flavor, enhances browning and crispiness, and helps reduce moisture loss during cooking.
- Cooking the chicken with vegetables makes this an easy one-pan meal, but it is just as easy to omit the vegetables and roast the chicken solo.
- Roasting the chicken at a high temperature (475°F) and then reducing it to a lower temperature (375°F) partway through cooking helps achieve crispy skin and evenly cooked, juicy meat.
- Using a digital meat thermometer will give the most accurate determination of doneness, preventing over or undercooked chicken.
- The leftover carcass can be saved to make homemade chicken stock.
Roasted Chicken Ingredients
Below are descriptions of the key ingredients in this Roast Chicken Recipe, including possible substitutions. You can find the printable recipe with measurements for each ingredient in the recipe card below.
- Whole chicken: This recipe calls for a whole 4-5 pound chicken, although any size chicken will work.
- Salt and Pepper: After the chicken is pat dry with paper towels, it is seasoned generously with salt and black pepper.
- Garlic Herb Butter: The chicken is slathered with a mixture consisting of minced garlic, butter, olive oil, fresh herbs (a combination of oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme), red chili flakes (optional), and fresh lemon juice. If fresh herbs are unavailable, substitute with one tablespoon of dried Italian Seasoning.
- More Butter: The key to delicious roast chicken is butter under the skin. Here, we’re adding more butter under the skin, specifically between the skin and breast meat.
- Vegetables (optional): Popular additions include potatoes, carrots, and onions. I added cubes of butternut squash because it’s my favorite. Beets, celery, turnips, and parsnips are other great options.
Jessica’s Cooking Tip: This roast chicken can be cooked in any oven-safe pan. I cooked this recipe in my favorite 7.5-quart Lodge Dutch Oven, but a large cast iron skillet, roasting pan, or rimmed baking sheet with (or without) the cooling rack will also work.
How to Roast Chicken
1. Preheat the oven: This recipe starts at 475°F (245°C) for 10 minutes, then drops to 375°F (190°C) for the remainder of the cooking time. Note: If you prefer to cook at just one oven temperature, set your oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and skip the high-to-low heat cooking method.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (time allowing). Remove the neck and giblets, pat the entire chicken dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
3. Prepare the garlic herb butter: Melt four tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Add the olive oil, juice from one lemon, three tablespoons of fresh minced herbs (any combination of oregano, rosemary, thyme, and rosemary), and three cloves of minced garlic. Mix well to combine.
4. Prepare the vegetables: Chop the vegetables and add them to a large 7.5-quart Dutch oven, roasting pan, rimmed baking sheet, or cast iron skillet. Smash the remaining (12 cloves) of garlic with a large chef’s knife and add them to the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of garlic herb butter.
5. Slather the chicken with garlic herb butter: Pour half of the remaining prepared garlic herb butter over the surface of the chicken. Use your hands to rub the butter and herbs over the entire surface and inside of the chicken. Note: The garlic herb butter will naturally solidify when poured over the chicken, especially if the chicken is cold.
5. Stuff and truss the chicken: Stuff the chicken with a few carrots and the quartered lemon. Gently separate the skin from the breast meat and carefully stuff the remaining half stick of butter under the skin. Tie the legs together using kitchen twine.
6. Transfer the chicken to the Dutch oven: Place the chicken, breast-side-up, in the Dutch oven directly on top of the vegetables. Pour any remaining garlic herb butter over the vegetables and chicken.
7. Roast the chicken: Roast uncovered for 10 minutes at 475°F (245°C), then reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and continue to cook (tented with foil) for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, basting at least once or twice throughout cooking. Tip: Remove the foil in the last 15-20 minutes to re-crisp the skin.
8. Check for doneness: The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit, as measured with a digital meat thermometer. Note: The chicken will continue to cook an additional 5-10°F after it is removed from the oven.
9. Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Serve drizzled with pan juices and garnished with fresh minced parsley, if desired.
Ideal Oven Temperature For Roast Chicken
The ideal oven temperature depends on two main (individual) priorities: how much time you have and how crispy you like the chicken skin.
- For tender, juicy meat and soft skin, cook the whole chicken at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes (for a 5-pound chicken).
- For firm, yet juicy meat and crispy, golden skin, roast the whole chicken at 425°F (220°C) for approximately 1 hour (for a 5-pound chicken).
- For tender, juicy meat and soft skin, roast the chicken (uncovered) at 475°F (245°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C), tent the chicken with foil, and continue to cook for an additional 1+ hour, or until cooked through. Remove the foil in the last 15-20 minutes.
The following cooking times are approximations. The best way to know that your chicken is fully cooked is by inserting a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, away from bone.
What to Serve with Roast Chicken
Roast chicken pairs well with just about everything! I always love to serve this oven-roasted chicken with vegetables (which, in the case here, is cooked directly with the chicken) and Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Biscuits, or Dinner Rolls. If you prefer to roast your chicken without veggies, try serving it with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Zucchini, or Oven Roasted Green Beans.
Storage and Leftovers
Store leftover chicken (and the vegetables) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Use leftovers to make homemade chicken soup or a Chinese chicken salad. You can also make a fantastic sandwich. Grab a fresh loaf of bread, toast a couple of thick slices, mash the vegetables, garlic, and pan drippings, and spread it all over the toasted bread. Then, top each slice of bread with leftover chicken—the absolute best.
Use the leftover carcass to make homemade chicken stock!
Do you love easy chicken dinners? Be sure to check out my Spatchcock Chicken Recipe, Air Fryer Whole Chicken, and Baked Harissa Chicken.
RECIPE CARD
Roast Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 pound chicken - brought to room temperature with neck and giblets removed
- salt and pepper - to season
- ½ cup butter - divided (1 stick, 8 tbsp)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lemons - (1 juiced, 1 quartered)
- 3 tablespoon fresh herbs - minced (use a mix of oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme)
- 10-15 cloves garlic - divided
- red chili flakes - (optional)
- 2 large yellow onions - peeled and quartered
- 5 large carrots - peeled and chopped into 2-inch segments
- 4 cups butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and chopped into approximately 1.5-inch cubes
- 3 large red potatoes - chopped into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: This recipe starts at 475°F (245°C) for 10 minutes, then drops to 375°F (190°C) for the remainder of the cooking time. See Notes
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (time allowing). Remove the neck and giblets, pat the entire chicken dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Melt four tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Add the olive oil, juice from one lemon, three tablespoons of fresh minced herbs (any combination of oregano, rosemary, thyme, and rosemary), and three cloves of minced garlic. Mix well to combine.
- Chop the vegetables and add them to a large 7.5-quart Dutch oven, roasting pan, rimmed baking sheet, or cast iron skillet. Smash the remaining garlic gloves with a large chef’s knife and add them to the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of garlic herb butter.
- Pour half of the remaining prepared garlic herb butter over the surface of the chicken. Use your hands to rub the butter and herbs over the entire surface and inside of the chicken. Note: The garlic herb butter will naturally solidify when poured over the chicken, especially if the chicken is cold.
- Stuff the chicken with a few carrots and the quartered lemon. Gently separate the skin from the breast meat and carefully stuff the remaining half stick of butter under the skin. Tie the legs together using kitchen twine.
- Place the chicken, breast-side-up, in the Dutch oven directly on top of the vegetables. Pour any remaining garlic herb butter over the vegetables and chicken.
- Roast uncovered for 10 minutes at 475°F (245°C), then reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and continue to cook (tented with foil) for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes (or approximately 20 minutes per pound), basting at least once or twice throughout cooking. Tip: Remove the foil in the last 15-20 minutes for golden brown crispy skin.
- The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit, as measured with a digital meat thermometer. Note: The chicken will continue to cook an additional 5-10°F after it is removed from the oven.
- Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Serve drizzled with pan juices and garnished with fresh minced parsley, if desired.
Jessica’s Notes
- This roast chicken can be cooked in any oven-safe pan. I cooked this recipe in my favorite 7.5-quart Lodge Dutch Oven, but a large cast iron skillet, roasting pan, or rimmed baking sheet with (or without) the cooling rack will also work.
- Cooking Temperature: If you prefer to cook at just one oven temperature, set your oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and skip the high-to-low heat cooking method.
- Insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone to check for doneness.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
I made this for dinner last night. And it was bomb! I changed a couple of things though full of things though. Paprika is like the worst seasoning in the world in my humble opinion, so I replaced it with Italian seasoning. I also added sliced carrots and onion To my potatoes. It baked perfectly it ached perfectly and was juicy. I would make it again
I made this for dinner last night. And it was bomb! I changed a couple of things though. Paprika is like the worst seasoning in the world in my humble opinion, so I replaced it with Italian seasoning. I also added sliced carrots and onion to my potatoes. It baked perfectly and was juicy. I would make it again!
My previous comment is a great example as to why speech to text is not my Forte haha
Thanks for the bomb feedback Shay 🙂
Hi, thanks for the recipe! In one of your last steps is says to baste chicken a few times. What do I bast the chicken with?
Great question Grace. An old fashion Baster is what I use for basting the liquid from the bottom of the dutch oven. If you don’t have a baster handy you can always use a ladle, just be careful not to burn your hands 🙂
Do you need to put the Dutch oven in the oven to preheat? Then add the veggies and chicken?
Hi Shannon,
Nope, you preheat the oven first per step 1 of the recipe card, then you work on steps 2 through 6 in the recipe card. In step 7 you transfer the chicken to the room temperature dutch oven uncovered, and continue from there 🙂
Hi Jessica ☺️
I’m hoping that you can help me. I’ve found your recipe and am planning on attempting my first ever roast chicken.
I’m just going to be cooking the chicken in an iron skillet, will I need to cover the roast at any point in time?
Thank you!
Ashley
Great question Ashley! You shouldn’t cover it with a lid, as the recipe calls for loosely tented foil. I have more detailed instructions in the body of the post under “How to roast a chicken”, of which I am copying steps 7-9 here:
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7. Transfer chicken to your Dutch oven. Transfer the seasoned chicken, breast-side-up, to the Dutch oven and place directly on top of the vegetables. Pour any remaining garlic herb butter over the vegetables and chicken.
Don’t worry if you can’t cover your Dutch oven with the lid.
8. Cook. Roast uncovered for 10 minutes at 475 degrees F. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and continue to cook (covered) for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes (or approximately 20 minutes per pound), basting at least once or twice throughout cooking.
You will need to cover your chicken with foil for at least an hour or so of cooking. Knowing this, I usually keep the chicken uncovered for the first 10 minutes, cover, and them uncover again for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. Remember that browning (not burning) is actually good.
9. Rest. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F as read with a digital meat thermometer remove from the oven and cover with foil. Allow chicken to rest 10 minutes before carving.
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enjoy 🙂
I made this last night in my new dutch oven and it was soooo good!
This chicken is really not browning up on top like your photo. Would love any tips and tricks you have.
Hi Alexandra,
You can set your oven to broil to brown it, but keep a very close eye on it as it will brown really fast 🙂
I’ve made Root Beer Can Chicken on the grill before, but this is one of those forehead-smack-why-didn’t-I-think-of-that ideas…I have a cast iron bundt pan that I may just use to try out this recipe tonight! It’s rainy and dreary out today so a roast chicken for supper was what I had in mind anyway.
Thanks for posting this! I’ve gotten in the habit of a faux-tisserie slow cooker chicken, which is great for busy weekdays, but I’ve been thinking I should up my game on Sundays.