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Roasting a whole chicken is one of the easiest ways to plan meals for the week. This simple method gives you tender, flavorful chicken and perfectly roasted vegetables in one pan, along with plenty of options for using the chicken in meals throughout the week.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One Pan Cooking: The chicken and vegetables roast together in a single pan, making preparation simple and efficient.
- Great Flavor: Lemon, garlic, and herbs season the chicken beautifully and give every part of the dish a bright, flavorful finish.
- Perfect for Meal Planning: A whole roasted chicken provides plenty of options for the week. Use it in salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta dishes, and more. For ideas on how to use cooked chicken, explore our Recipe Finder tool.
- Hands Off Cooking: Once the chicken is in the oven, there is very little to do. The oven handles the roasting while you focus on other tasks.
- Nutritious: This recipe offers a balance of protein and vegetables, giving you a meal that is both satisfying and wholesome.
Roasting a whole chicken has always felt like one of the most helpful ways to set myself up for the week. It’s simple, comforting, and gives you so much flexibility in your meals.
I love how one roast chicken can become several delicious meals, whether added to a Caesar salad, used in chicken salad, tucked into chicken tacos, stirred into chicken spaghetti, or enjoyed with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. My hope is that this method makes meal planning feel easier and gives you a reliable recipe you can turn to often.
Ingredients And Substitutions
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy roast chicken recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Vegetables: Use a mix of broccoli, carrots, onions, and garlic to create a flavorful base for roasting the chicken. These vegetables soften as the chicken cooks and pick up the pan drippings, adding depth to the final dish. You can also use other sturdy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, parsnips, or Brussels sprouts. Use leftover vegetables in a small vegetable casserole or vegetable soup for one.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil helps the chicken brown and keeps the vegetables from drying out. Extra virgin olive oil adds a richer flavor, but light olive oil works well if you prefer something milder.
- Seasonings: Rosemary, salt, and black pepper provide simple, classic seasoning that complements roast chicken. If you don’t have rosemary on hand, thyme or oregano are excellent substitutes.
- Butter: Butter helps the skin brown and adds rich flavor. Salted or unsalted butter both work well. If you want to keep things lighter, replace the butter with an additional drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe Variations
Adding different seasonings is an easy way to change the flavor of your roasted chicken and keep your weekly meals exciting.
- Lemon Herb Chicken: Season the chicken with lemon slices, garlic, and rosemary or thyme. This classic combination adds fresh flavor and works well in salads, grain bowls, and wraps.
- Garlic Butter Chicken: Mix softened butter with minced garlic and spread it under the skin before roasting. This helps the chicken brown and adds rich flavor.
- Citrus Chicken: Swap the lemon for orange or grapefruit to bring a slightly sweeter citrus flavor. Add the zest for extra brightness.
- Spicy Paprika Chicken: Use a blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne. This seasoning adds warmth and is great for meal prep bowls.
- BBQ Chicken: Brush the chicken with BBQ sauce during the last 30 minutes of roasting. This creates a caramelized, smoky coating that is perfect for sandwiches and bowls.
Instructions
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
This method skips the roasting rack and uses vegetables as the base, making the chicken easy to roast in a large 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet or a baking pan.
- Place the chicken in the center and scatter the vegetables around it. As the chicken roasts, the skin browns and the vegetables soften, absorbing the juices that collect in the pan. This adds great flavor and keeps the entire meal simple by cooking everything together in one pan.
This one pan method keeps the steps simple and makes it easy to prepare chicken you can use in meals throughout the week.
Expert Tips
- Check the Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to confirm the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
- Let It Rest: Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving so the juices settle and the meat stays tender.
- Pat the Chicken Dry: Dry the skin with paper towels before seasoning. This helps the chicken brown more evenly.
- Roast on the Center Rack: Placing the pan on the center rack promotes even cooking and consistent browning.
Frequently Asked Questions
A chicken between 4 and 6 pounds cooks evenly and provides enough meat for several meals throughout the week.
Most chickens roast in about 70 to 90 minutes at 425 degrees F, depending on size. Always check that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Roast it uncovered so the skin can brown and crisp.
Cooked chicken keeps for up to 4 days when stored properly in an airtight container.
Yes. Shredded or chopped chicken freezes well for up to 3 months.
Popular Leftover Chicken Recipes
Leftover roasted chicken is perfect for quick, flavorful meals throughout the week. Here are some easy recipes that make great use of cooked chicken.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this roast chicken recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
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Easy Roast Chicken For Weekly Meal Planning
Equipment
- Large roasting pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 4 medium carrots -thickly sliced
- 1 medium onion -thickly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic -divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil -divided
- 1 (5-6 pound) whole chicken -rinsed and patted dry with giblets removed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt -divided
- ¾ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper -divided
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 lemon -sliced in half
- 4 tablespoons salted butter -softened
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a roasting pan, toss the broccoli, carrots, onion, and two garlic cloves with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil.
- Remove the giblets from the chicken, rinse the inside and outside, and pat the chicken completely dry.
- Season the inside of the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and dried rosemary.
- Fill the cavity with lemon quarters, the remaining garlic, and 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Place the chicken in the roasting pan and arrange the vegetables around it.
- Rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and ½ teaspoon olive oil.
- Season the skin with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Roast for about 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear or a thermometer reads 165°F in the thigh.
- Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a platter, cover with foil, and rest for 20 minutes.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables.
Notes
- Check the Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to confirm the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
- Let It Rest: Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving so the juices settle and the meat stays tender.
- Pat the Chicken Dry: Dry the skin with paper towels before seasoning. This helps the chicken brown more evenly.
- Roast on the Center Rack: Placing the pan on the center rack promotes even cooking and consistent browning.
- Note: You can easily customize the vegetables in this recipe based on what you have on hand. Broccoli, carrots, and onion roast beautifully, but other sturdy vegetables work just as well. Sweet potatoes, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are all great options and hold up nicely in the oven. Mixing and matching different vegetables adds variety and gives you a flavorful, well rounded pan of roasted chicken and vegetables.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I never buy enough chicken to have “leftovers”.
How do I reduce this recipe for one or two drumsticks or thighs?
If you’re working with just one or two drumsticks or thighs, this particular whole chicken recipe isn’t the best fit. It’s designed specifically for a whole chicken. However, I have a great selection of recipes tailored to smaller cuts like drumsticks and thighs. Simply head to the search bar on my website and type in “chicken thigh” or “chicken drumstick” to find a recipe that will be just the right size for your needs.