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This simple roast chicken recipe is packed with flavour from fresh herbs and butter. You can serve this easy whole roast chicken on Sundays (Sunday roast), Christmas or thanksgiving.
The chicken was perfectly roasted until golden and it remained soft and juicy with crispy skin. The flavours were unbelievable, and this recipe is definitely a keeper. Serve this roast with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and homemade gravy
In my last post, I talked about how to brine chicken and its benefits. Of course, I have to follow up with the best roast chicken ever. After brining this chicken for hours, I patted it dry and then slathered the herb butter mixture on the chicken before roasting in the oven.
One word, DELICIOUS! And yes, every mouthful was succulent to the last bite!
You do not need to brine the chicken before cooking it, you can marinate with the butter mixture instead. Although, I would want you to give brining a go if you haven’t tried it before. The benefits of the process outweighs the cons.
The marinate used on this chicken can also be used on turkey. If you are looking for a quick and yet delicious Christmas roast chicken or thanksgiving turkey recipe or even a simple Sunday roast, then you are at the right place.
Now let me show you how to make the best simple roast chicken ever.
What Do You Need To Make Simple Roast Chicken?
For this best-ever roast recipe, I used the simplest ingredients you already have in your kitchen
Whole chicken (obviously) giblet removed
Butter at room temperature softened
Finely chopped fresh parsley, rosemary and thyme
Shallot: substitute with onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon zest
Orange zest
See I told you, simple ingredients but great flavour
How to make this simple roast chicken recipe
Start by preheating the oven at 190C/375F.
Prepare the roasting pan, place a rack in the roasting pan and set aside.
Roughly chop the lemon, orange and shallot and set aside (they will be used to stuff the cavity of the chicken)
Make Herb Butter: add the softened butter to a bowl then followed by the finely chopped herbs, lemon and orange zest, salt and pepper. Give it a good mix until well combined. You can pop the herb butter into the microwave for a few minutes to melt as this can be used too.
Place the chicken back down on the prepared roasting pan pat dry with kitchen towels and carefully loosen the skin on the breast.
Divide the marinade into 2 parts. Using one part to marinate the chicken and the rest would be used to baste it. melt the remaining herb butter in the microwave
Spoon some herb butter under the skin of the chicken, then rub or brush the remaining herb butter all over the chicken and into the cavity if you can manage it.
Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the chopped orange, lemon and shallot and tie the legs together (see image for reference)
Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and brush the remaining herb mixture over the chicken, return it into the oven and continue to roast for another 30 minutes then baste the chicken with the juice at the bottom of the pan.
Continue to roast the chicken for another 40 to 50 minutes or until golden and skin crispy or when water runs clean when the chicken is pierced. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature must read 65C/165F
Rest the chicken for about 10 to 15 minutes and serve. While you wait, make a quick gravy with the drippings in the pan.
Please see below cooking guidance for the different sizes and weight of a whole chicken.
How Long To Roast A Whole Chicken
Ideally, the general rule for roasting chicken provided it is cooked at the right temperature is 20 to 30 minutes for every ½ a kilo of a chicken (20 t0 30 minutes for every pound). Example
1 kg whole chicken roast for 1 hour
2 kg whole chicken for 2 hours
2.5 kg whole chicken for 2.5 hours
But remember when cooking poultry, it is important that it cooks through before consuming. unlike other types of meat that you can have rare, medium or well done, the chicken must be well done before consuming. Raw chicken can make you sick.
If you are unsure if the bird is completely roasted, pierce the chicken between the body and the legs and if the juice runs our clear then the chicken is well cooked and safe to eat.
Related post: How to spatchcock a chicken, this is a great technique to use to cook chicken when time is of the essence.
How To Make Chicken Gravy.
Scrape the settled dripping from the pan into a saucepan and spoon off the fat on the surface of the juice.
Add water (200ml to 300 ml) then give it a quick stir, taste for salt and adjust accordingly. If need be, crumble half of 1 chicken stock cube into the mix and bring to boil for 5minutes.
Make a slurry with cornflour and water or flour and water (about 1 tablespoon should do). Whisk the slurry to the boiling juice and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Pour the gravy into a gravy boat and serve over roasted chicken.
Tips for perfect roast ( Christmas Roast Chicken)
- For crispy chicken skin, make sure you dry the chicken completely before cooking. You can place the chicken at the bottom of the fridge and make sure you don’t have any cooked food or vegetable near it to avoid cross-contamination and any food hygiene issue
- If using frozen chicken or turkey, make sure it thaws completely before cooking. Leave the kitchen on the countertop to defrost overnight or in the refrigerator. Note: it might take longer to defrost thoroughly in the fridge.
- Rest the chicken for at least 10 minutes before carving or serving.
- Save the chicken carcass to make delicious homemade stock (recipe coming soon)
How To Serve This Simple Roast Chicken
Here are some suggestions
Mashed potatoes: it is almost like a taboo to serve a Sunday roast without mashed potatoes. I have some creamy garlic mashed potatoes you should try
Steamed vegetables: like this stove top broccoli recipe. If you own a pressure cooker (instant pot) make some quick vegetable side like green beans, brown sugar glazed carrots, sprouts etc in your intelligent machine. It would only take 2 minutes
Chips or wedges: Say no more… check out this crispy potato wedges and you would be hooked.
Pressure cooker rice a perfect side to this succulent chicken roast.
Perfectly roasted potatoes (recipe coming soon)
Other Chicken Recipes On The Blog You’ll Love
Simple Roast Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 kg whole chicken giblet removed 5 lb
- 100 g butter softened
- fresh parsley finely chopped about 1 tablespoon
- rosemary finely chopped about 1 tablespoon
- thyme finely chopped about 1 tablespoon
- 2 medium shallot roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste use less salt if using brined chicken
- zest from 1 lemon cut up the lemon to stuff chicken
- zest from 1 orange about 1 tablespoon, cut up the orange to stuff chicken
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven at 190C/375FPrepare the roasting pan, place a rack in the roasting pan and set aside.
- Roughly chop the lemon, orange and shallot and set aside (they will be used to stuff the cavity of the chicken)
- Make Herb Butter: add the softened butter to a bowl then followed by the finely chopped herbs, lemon and orange zest, salt and pepper. Give it a good mix until well combined. You can pop the herb butter into the microwave for a few minutes to melt as this can be used too.
- Place the chicken back down on the prepared roasting pan pat dry with kitchen towels and carefully loosen the skin on the breast.
- Divide the herb butter into 2 parts. Using one part to marinate the chicken and the rest would be used to baste it
- Spoon some herb butter under the skin of the chicken, then rub or brush the remaining herb butter all over the chicken and into the cavity if you can manage it. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the chopped orange, lemon and shallot and tie the legs together (see image for reference)
- Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and brush the remaining herb mixture over the chicken, return it into the oven and continue to roast for another 30 minutes then baste the chicken with the juice at the bottom of the pan. Continue to roast the chicken for another 40 to 50 minutes or until golden and skin crispy or when water runs clean when the chicken is pierced. If using meat thermometer, internal temperature must read 65C/165F
- Rest the chicken for about 10 to 15 minutes and serve. While you wait, make a quick gravy with the drippings in the pan.
Notes
1 kg whole chicken roast for 1 hour
2 kg whole chicken for 2 hours
2.5 kg whole chicken for 2.5 hours But remember when cooking poultry, it is important that it cooks through before consuming. unlike other type of meat that you can have rare, medium or well done, chicken must be well done before consuming. Raw chicken can make you sick. If you are unsure if bird is completely roasted, pierce the chicken between the body and the legs and if the juice runs our clear then the chicken is well cooked and safe to eat.
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