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Home » Dinner » Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Herbs

January 3, 2019 By Sara 105 Comments

Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Herbs

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This roasted chicken is coated in a garlic and herb butter, then cooked to golden brown perfection. My roast chicken is tender and juicy and it comes out perfect every time!

There’s nothing more satisfying than a whole roasted chicken – it feeds a crowd, looks impressive and tastes amazing. Serve your roast chicken with loaded corn casserole and zucchini gratin for a complete meal.

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A roasted chicken in a pan garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs.

Roasted chicken is one of those comfort food classics that no one can resist. That being said, it’s so easy to either under cook or over cook a whole chicken. No one wants a chicken that’s super dry, or raw in the middle! This roast chicken is a foolproof way to have a delicious dinner on the table that will earn you rave reviews.

How do you make roasted chicken?

This recipe starts with an herb and garlic butter, which gets slathered all over a whole chicken. Be sure to loosen the skin of the chicken so that you can rub some of the butter in between the skin and the meat. The chicken goes into a pan and is roasted in the oven until golden brown.

Butter, garlic, fresh minced herbs and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.

How long do you roast a chicken?

Generally speaking, a whole chicken needs to cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound. I cook my chicken at a higher temperature to get that deep golden brown skin, so it should take more like 15-17 minutes per pound.

How do you prepare a chicken for roasting?

To prepare a chicken for roasting, you’ll want to remove the giblet bag if there’s one stuffed into the chicken cavity. The next step is to tuck the wings underneath the breast to prevent the wing tips from burning. Finally, fill your chicken cavity with aromatics like onion, lemon and herbs, then tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

A raw chicken stuffed with lemon, onion and herbs.

Do you have to brine a roasted chicken?

You do not have to brine a chicken, that being said, I highly recommend taking the time to do it. Chicken is a naturally lean type of meat which mean it’s prone to drying out. When a chicken is placed into brine, it absorbs some of the brine which helps to both keep it moist and also to season it all the way through.

When you’re working with a brined chicken, even if you overcook it a bit, it should still come out tender and juicy. I’ve included my favorite chicken brine in the recipe card below. If you choose to brine your chicken, be sure to add minimal salt to your seasoned butter so that your final product is not overly salted.

A raw whole chicken coated in garlic and herb butter.

How do you know when a roasted chicken is done?

The easiest way to tell when your roasted chicken is done is to use a thermometer. A chicken is safe to eat when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh reads 165 degrees F. I use an electronic probe thermometer which I insert into the chicken at the beginning of the cook time, and I monitor the progress throughout so that I know when to pull my chicken out of the oven.

Carved roasted chicken on a serving platter with fresh herbs.

Let me just tell you, this roasted chicken is the best chicken I’ve ever had. It’s so worth it to take the extra step of brining the chicken first, because it means that your meat will be perfectly seasoned through and through. I make this roasted chicken almost every week, and the leftovers are great for sandwiches, soups, pasta dishes and more. Your family is sure to love this roast chicken as much as my family does!

More delicious chicken dishes

  • Mexican Chicken Soup
  • Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
  • Cajun Chicken Pasta
  • Bacon Wrapped Chicken
  • Honey Mustard Chicken

Roasted Chicken Video


A roasted chicken in a pan garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs.
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5 from 34 votes

Roasted Chicken

This roasted chicken is coated in a garlic and herb butter, then cooked to golden brown perfection. My roast chicken is tender and juicy and it comes out perfect every time!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword roast chicken, roasted chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Brining Time 8 hours
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 404kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe chicken brine optional but highly recommended
  • 5 lb whole chicken
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 onion peeled and quartered
  • 1 lemon quartered
  • 6 tablespoons butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves minced
  • salt and pepper to taste go easy on the salt if you've brined your chicken

Instructions

  • Brine the chicken according to recipe directions. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels after it's done brining.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Tuck the chicken wings underneath the breast. Stuff the chicken cavity with the rosemary and thyme sprigs, onion and lemon.
  • Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
  • Place the butter, garlic, minced thyme, rosemary and parsley, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Loosen the skin of the chicken breast. Rub the butter mixture all over the chicken, both on the outside of the chicken and underneath the skin.
  • Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Cook for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. 
  • Check on your chicken every 20 minutes - if the skin is getting overly dark, cover the chicken with foil.
  • Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with pan drippings.

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 394mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 16.3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Dinner, Featured Recipes, Gluten Free Tagged With: Butter, Chicken, Lemon

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Comments

  1. Melissa says

    July 1, 2020 at 12:09 pm

    This is a great roasted chicken recipe,I have used it several times and will continue to use it. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe.

    Reply
  2. Dana says

    June 27, 2020 at 3:02 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe 🙂 I juiced the lemon and added to the butter mixture then put the quarters in the chicken. So yummy!

    Reply
  3. judy says

    June 11, 2020 at 4:05 pm

    About to try this recipe. Can you use margarine instead of butter?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 11, 2020 at 7:52 pm

      That should be fine!

      Reply
  4. Ali Smith says

    June 7, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    5 stars
    I just tried this, having never brined before it was interesting, also had a tough time with the rub , maybe not dry enough or it was too soft, here in the desert things get warm easily, any way it turned out great will use again for sure thanks

    Reply
  5. Kay says

    May 30, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    5 stars
    Super easy and absolutely delicious

    Reply
  6. Meghan Dunbar says

    May 27, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is absolutely delicious!! The best roast chicken I’ve ever had!

    Reply
  7. Pete says

    May 11, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    Everything here looks about right and delicious! But isn’t the thickest part of the breast supposed to be at about 160-165F and the thickest part of the thigh supposed to be at about 175-180F? Or am i just in the wrong? 🙂

    Pete

    Reply
    • Sara says

      May 13, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F regardless of the cut!

      Reply
  8. Cynthia says

    May 10, 2020 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best recipe for roasted chicken! My family loved it so much. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  9. Sho Shinsha says

    April 28, 2020 at 2:10 pm

    The soft butter mixture would not adhere to the chicken skin. I ended up just putting the butter under the skin and sprinkling herbs and salt on the chicken. Was I supposed to melt the butter?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 28, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      The butter should be very soft, if the chicken is really cold the butter can harden on the skin which makes it harder to spread sometimes.

      Reply
  10. Monica says

    April 28, 2020 at 2:02 am

    Can I use dry herbs for the rub?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 28, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      Yes that’s fine, use 1/3 of the amount of fresh.

      Reply
  11. Alina Melnyk says

    April 26, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    5 stars
    That was absolutely amazing and delicious chicken I eve ever make it. Omg was delicious and very Juicy..Definitely I will make it again.. Thank you

    Reply
  12. Sandy says

    April 13, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    The chicken came out so moist and flavorful! I will be making this again.

    Reply
  13. Marcella says

    April 12, 2020 at 4:27 pm

    5 stars
    Hands down this was the best chicken I have ever had. Thank you for sharing this recipe! The brining is a necessity.

    Reply
  14. Amanda Fink says

    April 7, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    5 stars
    I made this last week and it was SO good. I will definitely make it again. However, the skin of my chicken shriveled right off the chicken and I pulled a bare breasted chicken out of the oven. It still tasted SO good. How do I prevent this skin shrinking and sliding off next time?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 7, 2020 at 8:12 pm

      You can use toothpicks to secure the skin in place before you put it in the oven!

      Reply
  15. Stori says

    April 6, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    Fantastic! My family devoured it and I can’t wait to make it again. Delicious!!!

    Reply
  16. Renee says

    April 4, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic! I used the brine recipe first. Probably the best roasted chicken recipe I’ve made! Thanks Sarah!

    Reply
  17. Sonja says

    March 3, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    Working on the brine now and will cook tomorrow. I do have one question.. someone suggested just rubbing the butter underneath the skin the rubbing butter all over further into the cooking process so it doesn’t burn. What are your thoughts?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      March 4, 2020 at 10:01 am

      I’ve never had an issue with the butter burning, but you could try it that way! I just can’t advise as to how it would come out because I haven’t tested it myself.

      Reply
  18. Gretchen says

    February 18, 2020 at 5:22 am

    Excellent‼️Keeper‼️

    Reply
    • Krystin says

      April 1, 2020 at 10:55 am

      Would the drippings from this chicken work to make a gravy? Have you ever tried stuffing it?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        April 1, 2020 at 3:15 pm

        You could stuff it but it will take longer to cook! The drippings could work as gravy, just don’t add any salt as it will be salty enough from the brine.

        Reply
  19. Katherine Dwan says

    January 16, 2020 at 4:38 am

    This was incredible! My chicken took longer to cook. My husband and I think it was because the chicken might’ve been a little larger and I put too much in the cavity. I absolutely loved this will be making it over and over again.

    Reply
  20. Carolyn says

    January 9, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    5 stars
    This was the BEST chicken I’ve ever made. I made it a couple of weeks ago and didn’t have time to do the brine. This time I brined it for 12 hours. The brine makes all the difference. It is so delicious!!

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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