Whole Roasted Chicken

So today’s recipe will probably be the easiest recipe you ever see here on the blog.  A juicy, moist whole roasted chicken with a delicious, crispy skin.

Chicken is a favorite at our house and some of our other favorite ways to make it are on the grill.  These grilled chicken tacos are a summer favorite as well as this Honey Lime Chicken.

Whole Chicken Recipe

A well roasted chicken can be the starting point for so many delicious meals.  You can of course serve it just as sliced roasted chicken, but that is just the beginning, it has so many possibilities.  One of my favorite ways to use a roasted chicken is in a salad. Just cut up the chicken and add it to copycat Cubby’s Apple Pecan Chicken Salad.  Another favorite is in this BBQ Chicken Salad or in this Quinoa version of a BBQ Chicken Salad.

How to Roast a Chicken

• Clean, rinse and dry chicken. Rinse both off both the inside and the outside of the chicken.  Remove anything that may be in the inside of the chicken.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Place in a roasting pan or a foil covered baking sheet.
• Combine  basting mixture which includes butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and parsley.  Butter will help give it a nice crispy skin.

• Loosen skin on chicken and rub or pour butter mixture under skin and over the entire surface of the chicken.
• Fill cavity of chicken. Place remaining lemon and springs of fresh herbs into the inside of the chicken, including any leftover garlic or garlic gloves.

• Truss your chicken.  Tuck the wings in under the chicken and tie the legs together.  If you don’t know how to do it here is a quick video you can watch on How to Truss a Chicken or just google how to truss a chicken.  There are lots of fancy ways to do it.  I went simple and just tied the drumsticks together with plain old string.  Trussing helps the chicken cook more evenly.

• Liberally salt and pepper chicken.  I like to use a coarse Kosher or sea salt. This will give you a nice salty, crisp and yummy skin.
• Bake in a 450 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until chicken reaches about 155 degrees F.

• Remove the chicken from the oven and then baste it with the juices that have formed in the bottom of the pan.  Allow the chicken to sit for 10 -15 minutes to so it can finish cooking (to 165 degrees F) and for the juices to absorb into the chicken.

How Long Does Cooked Chicken Last in the Fridge?

Cooked chicken will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.  For longer than that I recommend putting the chicken in an airtight bag or container and freezing it. Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to six months.

What to Serve with Roasted Chicken

I served it with some roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes along with roasted broccoli or asparagus and a spinach salad.  A simple yet delicious meal.  Enjoy!

Ways to Use Leftover Roasted Chicken

• Chicken Enchiladas
• Rosemary Chicken Pizza
• Asian Chicken Wraps
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

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 Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe

Originally posted May 20, 2011

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