Herb Roasted Chicken (Easy 70-Minute Dinner)

This herb roasted chicken is a whole bird rubbed with garlic herb butter and roasted hot until the skin crackles and the meat stays juicy. It takes 70 minutes from start to carving, and most of that time is hands-off. A dry bird and a thermometer do most of the work.

Why You'll Love This Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken

The herb butter does two jobs. Under the skin, it bastes the breast from the inside while the outside dries and crisps in the oven. Lemon and garlic in the cavity scent the meat, with no brining step or special equipment. One pan holds the chicken and the vegetables, and the juices that collect underneath become your sauce.

Ingredients

The chicken

• 1 whole chicken, 1.6 kg (3½ lb), giblets removed and patted very dry
• 9 g (1 tbsp) kosher salt, divided (Diamond Crystal; use about half as much fine table salt)
• 2 g (1 tsp) freshly ground black pepper, divided

Herb butter

• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 8 g (2 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
• 4 g (1 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves
• 6 g (2 tsp) finely chopped fresh rosemary
• Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)

For the pan and cavity

• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme and 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges
• 450 g (1 lb) baby potatoes, halved
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

How to Make Herb Roasted Chicken

1. Dry the chicken. Remove the giblets and pat the bird very dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Dry skin browns and crisps; wet skin steams. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 425°F (220°C).
2. Make the herb butter. Mash the butter with the garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, half the salt and half the pepper until smooth and evenly flecked with green.
3. Butter under the skin. Slide your fingers between the skin and the breast, working from the cavity end, and loosen it over the breast and thighs without tearing it. Push about two-thirds of the butter underneath and rub the rest over the outside.
4. Season and stuff. Sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper over the skin and inside the cavity. Put the lemon halves, garlic head and herb sprigs in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
5. Set up the pan. In a large roasting pan or 12-inch cast-iron skillet, toss the onion and potatoes with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread them out in one layer and set the chicken on top, breast side up.
6. Roast. Roast for 40 minutes without opening the oven, then start checking. The chicken is done when a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, reads 165°F (74°C), the skin is deep golden and the juices run clear. Most 3½ lb birds need about 50 minutes. If the breast browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
7. Rest. Move the chicken to a cutting board and rest it for 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil. The temperature climbs a few degrees and the juices settle back into the meat. Slide the pan of vegetables back into the oven while you wait so the potatoes finish crisping.
8. Carve and serve. Cut the legs away at the joint, slice the breast across the grain and spoon the pan juices over everything.

Tips for Crisp Skin and Juicy Meat

• Start dry: If you can, leave the chicken uncovered on a plate in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Cold, dry air pulls moisture off the skin, and that is what makes it crackle.
• Trust the thermometer: Ovens run hot or cool and birds vary, so timing is only a guide. The USDA safe temperature chart lists 165°F (74°C) for poultry. With no thermometer, cut between the thigh and body. The juices should run clear with no pink near the bone. Treat that as a backup only.
• Give it room: Keep the vegetables in a single layer around the bird. Piled-up potatoes steam, and that moisture softens the skin.
• Crisp skin, juicy meat: Skip the basting, since spooned liquid softens the skin and the butter underneath already does the job. Then rest the chicken before carving, or the juices end up on the board instead of in the meat.

Variations

• Spatchcocked: Cut out the backbone and flatten the bird. Roast at 450°F (230°C) for about 40 minutes, until the thigh reads 165°F (74°C).
• Bigger bird: For a 4½ lb (2 kg) herb roasted whole chicken, add about 15 minutes of roasting and check the thigh temperature before pulling it.
• Chicken pieces: Use 1.2 kg (2½ lb) bone-in thighs and drumsticks with the same butter. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until they reach 165°F (74°C).

What to Serve With Herb Roasted Chicken

The potatoes and onions in the pan make this a one-pan dinner, but a green side helps. Green beans, a lemony arugula salad or buttery peas all work. Spoon the pan juices over the sliced chicken, or thin them with a splash of stock for a quick gravy.

For a bigger weekend table, start with a small bowl of our roasted tomato basil pasta, or set out crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

Refrigerate: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Pull the meat off the bones and keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Freeze sliced or shredded meat in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat: Warm the chicken covered at 325°F (160°C) with a splash of stock or pan juices until it reaches 165°F (74°C), about 15 to 20 minutes. In the microwave, use short bursts and stir between them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to brine the chicken?

No. Salt on the skin and in the butter under it seasons the bird well. If you have time, salt it the day before and leave it uncovered in the fridge. That seasons the meat further and dries the skin.

Why is my chicken skin not crispy?

Almost always moisture. Pat the bird very dry, skip the basting, give the vegetables room and make sure the oven is fully at 425°F (220°C) before the chicken goes in. If the skin is pale at 165°F (74°C), rest the bird, then broil it for 2 to 3 minutes while you watch closely.

What temperature is roast chicken done?

165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. For a larger bird, check the breast too. Both should read at least 165°F (74°C) before you carve.

Can I use dried herbs?

Fresh herbs taste best here, but dried works. Use about one-third as much, so 1 teaspoon dried thyme and ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary, and mix them well into the butter. Skip the parsley or add it fresh at the end.

Can I roast it from frozen?

No. Thaw the chicken fully first. A 3½ lb bird needs about 24 hours in the refrigerator, and it should be dried well before you butter it.

Pat it dry, probe the thigh and rest it for 10 minutes, and the rest of dinner takes care of itself.