Best Simple Roast Chicken Recipes

MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
• Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
• Now, salt the chicken-I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
• Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone-I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
• Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip-until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

SIMPLE SLOW ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the paprika, black pepper, garlic salt, parsley, and marjoram in a small bowl. Pour the red wine into a roasting pan with lid; set aside.
• Place the celery and quartered onions into the cavity of the chicken. Rub the chicken with the reserved spice mixture, and set into the roasting pan.
• Cover, and bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before serving.

SIMPLE/EASY STUFFED ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRAVY (FOR BEGINNERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Empty contents of stuffing box, both the bread crumb and seasoning envelopes, into a medium bowl.
• Add hot water and butter; stir to mix.
• Add chopped water chestnuts, onion and poultry seasoning, mix thoroughly and set aside.
• Check inside the chicken for giblets, remove and set aside.
• Rinse chicken inside and out with cold running water.
• Dry thoroughly inside and out with paper towel.
• Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper inside the cavity and all over the outside.
• Place chicken in a roaster.
• Loosely pack the stuffing mix into the main cavity and any left into the neck cavity folding the skin over it.
• If necessary secure the neck skin with a pick.
• Take a length of kitchen string and tie the ends of the legs as close together as possible.
• Rub the butter all over the outside of the chicken making sure to cover the whole outside surface.
• Take two lengths of aluminum foil, place one piece over the chicken lengthwise, take the other piece and place it sideways over the first piece.
• Tuck the foil tightly to the chicken so it is touching the bottom of the roaster but not under the bird.
• If the bird is not completely covered (except for the underside) Use a third piece to finish covering.
• Place the roaster on the middle rack of the oven and roast at 400f degrees for 15 minutes.
• Reduce the heat after 15 minutes to 350f degrees and roast for approximately 2 hours.
• At about 2 hours, carefully lift the aluminum foil and poke the chicken with a fork, if the juice runs clear, remove the foil and roast a further 30 minutes to brown the skin to golden.
• If the juice is not yet clear, roast a little longer and check again.
• Once the chicken is well browned, remove to platter, cover with foil and let rest.
• In the meantime, if you wish to make giblet gravy, take the giblets (and neck if it's there), place in a saucepan, cover with water, add salt and pepper and a little poultry seasoning if you wish, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.
• Remove to strainer, reserving liquid.
• Chop the giblets and pick any meat off neck bones, add to a blender and add the liquid.
• Blend to liquefy level, add 3 or 4 tablespoons flour or corn starch and blend to mix well.
• Pour off as much fat as possible from the roaster, take a whisk and move up any bits and pieces of stuffing/chicken stuck to the bottom, remove any large pieces of skin, add the giblet mix from the blender, whisk around; place in 450°F to 500°F degree oven until bubbly, about 10 minutes; add a small amount of hot water if necessary if it is too thick until it is the consistancy you want, cook another 5 minutes.
• (We like ours very thick) Whisk and pour into gravy boat and serve hot with the roast chicken.
• Gravy can also be made without the giblets, just whisk up the brown bits in the roaster and add 1 cup of hot water and make a slurry of cold water and either flour or corn starch, add the slurry and whisk, cook the same as above adding a little more water if necessary.

STUPID SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place chicken into a roasting pan and insert lemon halves into the cavity; spread kosher salt over outside of chicken.
• Roast in the preheated oven until skin is browned and crisp, the juices run clear, and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 1 hour. Let chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the chicken in a large roasting tin, then stuff the garlic and bay leaves into the cavity. Rub the outside of the chicken with butter, then squeeze over the lemon juice and add the lemon halves to the inside of the chicken. Season inside and out, then cook the chicken for 20 mins.
• Turn the oven down to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and cook for a further 45 mins or until the chicken juices run clear when you pierce the thigh with a knife. Leave to rest for 15 mins before carving.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels, and let sit at room temperature to take the chill off, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 450 degrees F. Put a rack in a small roasting pan.
• Season the cavity of the chicken generously with salt and pepper, and stuff it with the thyme and garlic. Tie the legs together with butcher's twine. Season the outside with salt (generously) and a few grinds of pepper, and place the chicken breast-side up on the rack. (Seasoning the chicken when on the rack could result in gravy that's too salty.)
• Roast the chicken until the skin is golden brown and crispy and a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh registers 165 to 170 degrees F, depending on how you like your dark meat, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let the chicken rest on the rack for a few minutes, then carefully tip it forward to drain all the collected juices into the roasting pan. Discard the thyme and garlic. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board while you make the gravy. (To transfer the chicken easily, hold a wooden spoon handle in the cavity with one hand and use the other hand to lift the chicken with tongs.)
• Remove the rack from the pan, and pour the pan drippings into a small bowl. Skim off 2 tablespoons of the fat, and stir them into the flour and 2 tablespoons water in another small bowl. Heat the roasting pan over medium-high heat, add the wine, scrape up any browned bits and simmer until the wine reduces by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and any remaining pan drippings, bring to a simmer, add the flour mixture and whisk constantly until the liquid thickens into a gravy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the gravy with salt and pepper.
• Remove the butcher's twine from the chicken. Snip off the wingtips using kitchen shears; reserve to make stock. Remove the leg quarters by slicing between the thigh and the body, then finding the hip joints near the backbone and slicing through them. Separate the drumsticks and thighs, and transfer to a platter. Sit the carcass upright; snip out the backbone and reserve it to make stock. Lay the breast skin-side up and slice in half through the breastbone. Separate the wings and breast, and transfer to the platter. Serve the chicken with the warm gravy. Reserve the carcass to make stock.

POULET ROTI TOUT SIMPLE (SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Do not truss the chicken. Place the chicken in a Pyrex baking dish, breast side up. Distribute onions, tomatoes and margarine or butter and oil around and on top of the chicken. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or so, basting every now and then.
• Turn the bird breast side down. Add the potatoes and mix well with the juices in the pan. Add more margarine or butter - 1 or 2 ounces, if necessary. Lower the heat to 350 degrees. Cook another 45 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve. The skin should be very, very crisp. The chicken may be garnished with the potatoes.

GRANDMA'S SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove and discard insides of chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry. Trim any excess fat.
• Combine salt, pepper, and paprika in a small bowl and sprinkle over chicken and into the cavity.
• Place vegetables and bay leaf in body cavity. Tie ends of legs together with a cord (I have never done this and it still turns out fine). Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken.
• Place chicken, breast side up, on a broiler pan (or on a rack inside another pan) coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 400 degrees for one hour or until meat thermometer inserted into thigh registers 180 degrees.
• Cover loosely with foil for about 10 minutes.
• Remove vegetables from inside chicken and throw them away.

SIMPLE AND EASY ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F.
• Wash chicken and pat dry with paper toweling.
• Coarsely chop the bulb of garlic (don't bother to peel cloves).
• Remove rosemary from 4 of the stems and chop coarsely; reserve the rest for later.
• Chop lemons into quarters.
• Put chopped garlic, chopped lemons and the chopped rosemary into the chicken's cavity.
• Rub the chicken skin generously with the butter or olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and tuck remaining rosemary stems on the chicken, around wings and drumsticks.
• Roast chicken in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
• Decrease oven temperature to 375F and cook for 60-75 minutes more or until the juices of the chicken run clear (time depends a lot on weight).
• Allow chicken to sit at least 15 minutes before carving.
• Garnish with more fresh rosemary before serving, if desired.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH CHESTNUT BREADING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Place the chestnuts and torn baguette into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper, as well as about 1 teaspoon each of the sage, savory and rosemary. Toss well to incorporate the olive oil and seasonings.
• In a separate bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice and the remaining 5 teaspoons sage, 2 teaspoons savory and 1 teaspoon rosemary and rub the mixture all over the inside and outside of the chicken. Place the squeezed lemon halves in the cavity.
• Place the chicken atop the breading and roast for 20 minutes; reduce the heat to 400 degrees F and cook until a thermometer inserted into the leg registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, an additional 25 minutes.
• Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes, covered with foil, before serving.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat,the better.
• Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
• Now, salt the chicken-I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
• Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone-I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
• Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip-until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards.
• Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The presentation is not meant to be super-elegant.
• Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

SIMPLE WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN RECIPE - THE DINNER BITE

Steps:

• 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.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GREENS (AND BONUS STOCK)

Steps:

• Season your chicken all over (including the cavity) with about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a lot of black pepper. If you like, add the grated garlic clove or two, some lemon zest, some spices like cumin or garam masala, or chopped thyme or rosemary.
• If time permits, let the chicken rest uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to dry out the skin. Stuff the woody herbs, if using, in the cavity either before or after resting.
• When ready to roast, heat the oven to 425 degrees, and, at the same time, heat a skillet on your stovetop for a few minutes. Coat the pan with a little oil or butter, and add the bird so it's lying on its back. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, then move it to the oven.
• Roast the bird until it's burnished all over and the wing tips - if your chicken still has them attached - are a little singed, about 45 minutes for a small bird, and up to 75 minutes for a larger bird. The juices should run clear if you prick the thigh with a fork. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees.) Move the bird to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Return the same pan to the stove and set it over medium heat until the drippings sizzle. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until tender and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the kale and a splash of water and cook until the leaves are very tender and the water evaporates. If the kale is still tough and the pan is dry, add another splash of water. Season with salt and serve with the chicken. Pick any remaining meat off the carcass and save it for another meal.
• Make the optional stock: Put the chicken bones in a medium pot. Add a teaspoon of salt and whatever aromatics you have around: an onion or other alliums, leftover leek tops, a carrot, a bay leaf, herbs or herb stems, peppercorns, a celery stalk or the tops.
• Cover with cold water and let it all simmer for 2 or 3 hours. Or use an electric pressure cooker and let it cook at high pressure for 1 hour, or a slow cooker for 3 to 6 hours. Strain it after it cools, if you like. Stock will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt. If time allows, cover loosely with a towel and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. Heat oven to 450°F.
• Coat chicken with oil. Tie legs together and tuck wing tips beneath body with kitchen twine. Place on a roasting rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, rotating once, until cooked through, about 1 hour. Remove from pan and let rest 20 minutes before carving into eight pieces (keep skin intact). Scrape the fat and juices from the bottom of the pan and transfer to a container.

SIMPLE LEMON ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse cavity of chicken. Insert fresh rosemary under skin. Wedge lemon and insert in cavity. Coat skin with olive oil. Rub in seasonings, a healthy amount of each. Be sure to be generous with the garlic and lemon pepper. Squeeze juice from remaining lemon onto chicken, reserve half of the juice for halfway through roasting. Place chicken in roasting pan, breast side down. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, then flip bird. Roast another 45 minutes, or until juices run clear. Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Asparagus. Be sure to eat the tail first!

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
• Place the chicken breast side down. on a rack in a roasting pan. Begin Roasting. Mix together the olive oil, the herb salt and pepper.
• After the chicken has roasted for about 20 minutes, spoon some of the olive oil mixture over it, then turn the breast side up. Baste again. Then after 7 or 8 minute, at this point the breast should begin to brow, if it hasn't, roast a few more minutes. Turn the heat down to 325 degrees, baste again, and roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh eads 160 degrees to 165 degree. Total roasting time will be under an hour.
• Before removing the chicken from the pan, tip the pan to let juices from the bird's cavith flow into the pan,(if they are red cook another 5 minutes.
• Remove bird to a platter. and let rest for about 5 minutes. While resting, pour the pan juices into a cup, and pour off or spoon of as much fat as possible. Reheat the juice, carve the juice, carve the bird, garnish, and servewith the pan juices.

MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
• Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
• Now, salt the chicken-I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
• Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone-I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
• Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip-until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GREENS (AND BONUS STOCK) RECIPE

Steps:

• Season your chicken all over (including the cavity) with about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a lot of black pepper. If you like, add the grated garlic clove or two, some lemon zest, some spices like cumin or garam masala, or chopped thyme or rosemary.
• If time permits, let the chicken rest uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to dry out the skin. Stuff the woody herbs, if using, in the cavity either before or after resting.
• When ready to roast, heat the oven to 425 degrees, and, at the same time, heat a skillet on your stovetop for a few minutes. Coat the pan with a little oil or butter, and add the bird so it's lying on its back. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, then move it to the oven.
• Roast the bird until it's burnished all over and the wing tips - if your chicken still has them attached - are a little singed, about 45 minutes for a small bird, and up to 75 minutes for a larger bird. The juices should run clear if you prick the thigh with a fork. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees.) Move the bird to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Return the same pan to the stove and set it over medium heat until the drippings sizzle. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until tender and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the kale and a splash of water and cook until the leaves are very tender and the water evaporates. If the kale is still tough and the pan is dry, add another splash of water. Season with salt and serve with the chicken. Pick any remaining meat off the carcass and save it for another meal.
• Make the optional stock: Put the chicken bones in a medium pot. Add a teaspoon of salt and whatever aromatics you have around: an onion or other alliums, leftover leek tops, a carrot, a bay leaf, herbs or herb stems, peppercorns, a celery stalk or the tops.
• Cover with cold water and let it all simmer for 2 or 3 hours. Or use an electric pressure cooker and let it cook at high pressure for 1 hour, or a slow cooker for 3 to 6 hours. Strain it after it cools, if you like. Stock will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.