If making a large turkey feels intimidating for you this holiday season, then this easy whole roasted chicken is for you! Over the last 5 years, my husband and I have lived in countless tiny apartments in countries all over the world (Hi, Poland, Estonia, The Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, and Japan!). It was uncommon to find a whole turkey for Thanksgiving outside the U.S., and our tiny apartment oven typically wouldn’t fit a 30 pound turkey anyway. But we could always find a whole chicken, which became our holiday go-to. This recipe is tried and true, so easy, and will wow your guests!
What You Need To Make This Whole Roasted Chicken:
Whole Chicken: Obviously, you need the chicken! I prefer an organic whole chicken, but whatever works here. Make sure to remove the giblets from the inside cavity before putting it in the oven.
Olive Oil: You’ll need a generous drizzle of olive oil prior to adding your seasoning blend.
Seasoning Blend: You’ll need coconut sugar (or brown sugar), paprika, granulated garlic powder, oregano, cumin, sea salt, and pepper.
Butter: You’ll need a few tablespoons of grass-fed butter for the inside and outside of this recipe. I prefer salted butter but unsalted will work as well!
Carrots and Celery: You’ll need vegetables to stuff the inside cavity with. I prefer using a whole carrot and celery stalks, but you could really use any veggies (or I’ve used lemons!) you have leftover in the fridge. Just make sure you discard after cooking or save for bone broth stock later on.
Roast Pan: You’ll need a roast pan with high sides to keep all the juice inside. I love this one here from Amazon, and it holds two chickens!
Kitchen Twine: This is optional, but you can use this to tie up the legs for a more even cook. I’ve made this recipe with and without, both work fine!
Meat Thermometer: This is technically optional, but highly recommended. Each part of the chicken will cook at different paces, so it’s nice to be able to test the internal temperature to ensure it’s fully cooked, especially if you’re cooking for a crowd! You can find them for really cheap like this one here.
Easy Whole Roasted Chicken
Equipment
- Roast Pan
- Meat Thermometer
- Kitchen Twine optional
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- drizzle of olive oil
- 4 tbsp grass fed butter
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar can substitute brown sugar
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp granulated garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 whole carrot for the cavity
- a few stalks of celery for the cavity
Instructions
- Start by removing the chicken from the packaging and pat any excess moisture dry with paper towels. Check the inside of the chicken for any giblets and discard.
- Next, mix up the seasoning blend in a small bowl. Coconut sugar, granulated garlic, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Place your whole chicken on a roasting pan, breast side up. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil on top. Sprinkle the seasoning blend and rub in with your hands to coat the whole chicken. Flip, and repeat on the other side.
- Cut your whole carrot and celery in half (or whatever will fit inside the cavity of your chicken). Stuff the inside with the vegetables and 2 tablespoons of butter. If you have kitchen twine, tie up the legs to keep everything inserted (but this step is optional).
- Now your chicken should be seasoned and stuffed. Place breast side up on the roasting pan and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Roast at 375F for about 1 hour 30 minutes. About30 minutes into roasting, remove from the oven and baste the chicken with all the juices. Repeat if the chicken looks dry at all throughout the total cook time.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F at the breast bone, remove from the oven to let rest for up to 30 minutes. Continue to baste with the juices. When serving, discard the vegetables from the cavity or save to make bone broth.
- Slice the chicken and serve topped with all the juices for additional flavor. Enjoy!