We're big fans of roasted chicken in all its variations. While the classic salt and pepper version is always a hit, we enjoy mixing things up now and then. That's where this flavorful whole-roasted chicken recipe comes in.
We start by marinating the chicken in a slightly spicy garlic and butter mixture. Then, we stuff it with fresh aromatics before roasting it alongside onions, potatoes, and carrots until it's beautifully golden brown.
The result? Juicy, tender chicken bursting with rich, fragrant flavor. It's perfect for weekend gatherings with friends and family yet simple enough for any night of the week.
For a complete meal, consider pairing it with our Easy Garden Salad with Lime Buttermilk Ranch Dressing or Easy Cilantro Lime Rice.
How to Make Roasted Chicken
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
Combine 3 garlic cloves and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt in a mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Next, add the allspice berries, grind them down to a paste, and transfer them to a small bowl.
Add the oregano, lemon zest, light brown sugar, chipotle powder, butter, paprika, Adobo seasoning, parsley, cilantro, and ground black pepper to taste and mash well to combine with a fork—reserve 3 tablespoons to the mixture to season the vegetables later.
Using your fingers, gently release the skin from the breast on either side of the breast bone. Place 2 tablespoons of the garlic & butter mixture under the skin on each side and smooth down to coat each breast.
Do the same at the other end, where the thigh joins the open cavity and under the leg skin on each side. Squeeze the remaining lemon into the chicken cavity, spread the cavity with the remaining garlic and butter mixture, and stuff with thyme.
Both halves of juiced lemon, halved onion, and the head of garlic. Rub olive oil over the chicken skin, including under the wings and legs.
Then, sprinkle ½ tablespoon of the Adobo seasoning or kosher salt all over the chicken skin, including under the wings and legs, and try to distribute it evenly.
Tie the legs with the kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the chicken's body. Place the onions, carrots, and potatoes in a roasting pan.
Add the vegetables and 5 sprigs of thyme, and drizzle the 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the reserved 3 tablespoons of the garlic mixture. Toss well to coat evenly, spread around the roasting pan's bottom, and place the chicken on top.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the plastic wrap and bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes up to 1 hour before cooking—Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Roast for 1 ½ hours until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.
Cut off the twine. Pull the thigh and leg away from the breast of the chicken until the thigh bone "pops" out of the socket. Next, separate the thigh and drumstick.
Remove the breast from the carcass by feeling the ridge of the breastbone in the center of the roasted chicken and slicing around the rib cage. Arrange the roasted chicken on a serving platter or individual plates with the roasted vegetables.
Related Recipes:
- Sichuan Mala Chicken
- Chipotle Chicken Tenders
- Honey Chicken
- Portuguese Chicken
- Chicken Curry
- Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
📖 Recipe
Easy Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (5 to 6 pounds) roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry (giblets and neck removed)
- ½ tablespoons Goya Adobo all-purpose seasoning with pepper or kosher salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
For the Compound Garlic & Butter Mixture:
- 5 garlic cloves , peeled and pounded into a paste.You can use granulated garlic if desire but I highly recommend using fresh ones.
- 1-½ tablespoons Goya Adobo all-purpose seasoning with pepper or 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon brown or granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon Whole or ground black pepper , adjust to your liking
- ½ tablespoon chipotle powder or sauce from a canned chipotle , adjust to your liking
- 1 teaspoon of allspice berries or ground
- 1 teaspoon whole or ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon whole or ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes or fresh , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried cilantro or fresh cilantro , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoon smoked Paprika or Spanish Paprika
- Juice and zest from 1 large juicy lime or lemon juice , 4 tablespoons (or apple cider vinegar)
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
To Stuff the chicken:
- 1 large bunch of fresh thyme
- juice from 1 lemon , (4 tablespoons) do not discard
- 1 large red or yellow onion , peeled and cut in half
- ¼ cup of the garlic mixture
- 1 head garlic , halved
For the Vegetables:
- 3 large red or yellow onions , cut into quarters
- 5 sprigs , fresh thyme
- 4 large carrots , cut into quarters
- 1 kg (4 to 5 large) Russet potatoes, cut into quarters
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons of the garlic and butter mixture
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
- In a mortar and pestle, combine 3 garlic cloves and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and pound into a paste. Next, add the allspice berries, grind them down to a paste, and transfer them to a small bowl.
- Add the oregano, lemon zest, light brown sugar, chipotle powder, butter, paprika, Adobo seasoning, parsley, cilantro, and ground black pepper to taste and mash well to combine with a fork—reserve 3 tablespoons to the mixture to season the vegetables later.
- Using your fingers, gently release the skin from the breast on either side of the breast bone. Place 2 tablespoons of the garlic & butter mixture under the skin on each side and smooth down to coat each breast. Do the same at the other end, where the thigh joins the open cavity and under the leg skin on each side.
- Squeeze the remaining lemon into the chicken cavity, spread the cavity with the remaining garlic & butter mixture, and stuff with a bunch of thyme, both halves of juiced lemon, halved onion, and the head of garlic.
- Rub olive oil over the chicken skin, including under the wings and legs. Then, sprinkle ½ tablespoon of the Adobo seasoning or kosher salt all over the chicken skin, including under the wings and legs, and try to distribute it evenly.
- Tie the legs with the kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the chicken's body. Place the onions, carrots, and potatoes in a roasting pan.
- Add the vegetables, 5 sprigs of thyme, and drizzle the 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the reserved 3 tablespoons of the garlic mixture. Toss well to coat evenly, spread around the roasting pan's bottom, and place the chicken on top.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the plastic wrap and bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes up to 1 hour before cooking—Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Roast for 1 ½ hours until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh, and the internal temperature should be 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.
- Cut off the twine. Pull the thigh and leg away from the breast of the chicken until the thigh bone "pops" out of the socket. Next, separate the thigh and drumstick.
- Remove the breast from the carcass by feeling the ridge of the breastbone in the center of the roasted chicken and slicing around the rib cage. Arrange the roasted chicken on a serving platter or individual plates with the roasted vegetables.
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
