Easy Roast Chicken Recipe

This Easy Roast Chicken Recipe is for any of you wanting to know how to roast a whole chicken. A few simple ingredients and you have dinner on the way. This healthy supper is low carb, dairy free, gluten free, Whole 30, Paleo and Keto friendly.

This post may contain affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for more info. Follow WonkyWonderful on Pinterest to stay up to date on all of the new recipes!

Roast a Chicken in the Oven

I’m showing you How To Roast a Whole Chicken the easy way.

What makes this roasted chicken so easy? Well, I keep the ingredients and prep super simple and I don’t fuss with the oven temperature. Just toss your chicken in the oven and bake until the internal temp reaches 165ºF.

To be totally honest, I used to be intimidated by cooking meat. I felt like I could never achieve that perfect roast chicken or medium rare steak.

All of the recipes I tried certainly didn’t help matters. There were always so many steps and sometimes I didn’t even know what the heck they were talking about. And my food never ended up looking gorgeous (not even close!). You shouldn’t have to attend culinary school just to make a family dinner!

After years of research, experience and trial and error . . . I now understand all of those recipes. And, nothing against them and their preferred methods, but it just shouldn’t be that difficult.

My preferred cooking method is EASY. What is the quickest and easiest way for me to get a tasty dinner on the table?

Maybe I should rename my site to The Lazy Cook because seriously, I’m all about recipes that take the least amount of time, least amount of effort and least amount of dishes. But, I still want to eat great tasting nutritious food.

Annnnywayyy, I’ll end this rant now and just get to the Easy Roast Chicken Recipe. I love a good old fashioned roasted whole chicken because it’s great for busy weeknights or lazy weekends. Prepare your side dish of choice and you got yourself a meal.

Why and how do you truss a chicken?

Trussing a chicken is basically tying the wings and legs close to the body to ensure an evenly cooked (pretty) chicken.

I do own kitchen twine but I can NEVER find it when I need it. So I just use the no-twine trussing method. Here is a video that shows you how to truss a chicken the no-twine method → https://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/how-truss-chicken-without-any-string

How Long to Roast the Chicken?

This will vary depending on your oven and the size of your chicken. Really, my cooking life became so much easier when I finally started using a meat thermometer. For a 4lb chicken you will want to start checking the internal temp at about 55-60 minutes.

Here is the basic Meat Thermometer that I use. And here is a video on how to check the internal temp → https://youtu.be/TKKp_hnmy6A

Do you cook the chicken covered or uncovered?

Drop the oven racks down to the lower third (the second rung up) to keep the breast from burning. I leave my chicken uncovered to get that great golden color. Keep an eye on it towards the end and if it looks like it may burn, just drape some tin foil over the top for protection.

What tools do you need for this roasted chicken recipe?

I use a Large Cast Iron Pan to roast my chicken because I think it heats up really well. You will also need that Meat Thermometer for precise cooking.

Need a side dish for your roasted chicken? Check these recipes out →

Oven Roasted Asparagus
Lemon Garlic Kale Salad
Easy Rice Pilaf
Orange & Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Roasted Green Beans with Bacon
Lemon Garlic Pasta
Oven Roasted Potatoes

Continue to Content

Easy Roast Chicken Recipe

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This Easy Roast Chicken Recipe is for any of you wanting to know how to roast a whole chicken. A few simple ingredients and you have dinner on the way. This healthy supper is low carb, dairy free, gluten free, Whole 30, Paleo and Keto friendly.

Print

Ingredients

• 4 Lb Whole Chicken, (innards removed)
• Olive Oil
• Salt/Pepper

Optional Add-Ons:

• Lemon
• Garlic Cloves
• Fresh Herbs
• Favorite Spice Blend
• Onion

Instructions

1. Lower oven rack to 2nd rung up (lower third of the oven) and preheat to 425ºF
2. Place chicken in large cast iron pan (or roasting dish). Stuff chicken with preferred flavors: I stuff with 1/2 lemon, 4-5 garlic cloves and rosemary.
3. Truss chicken with string or using the no-string method (see notes in post)
4. Rub olive oil over the entire chicken. Generously sprinkle with flaked sea salt and a pinch of pepper.
5. Roast chicken uncovered in oven for 60-75 minutes. Begin checking internal temp at approximately 50-55 minutes. If chicken begins to get too dark, drape foil over the chicken to prevent burning.
6. Cook chicken until internal thigh temp reaches 165ºF

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 1135Total Fat 65gSaturated Fat 18gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 41gCholesterol 399mgSodium 519mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 125g

Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

This post contains affiliate links. Basically, I get a little kick back for sending you over to purchase. . . at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!