This is a very simple roast chicken recipe and it’s perfect just the way it is! A whole chicken gets roasted on a sheet pan on top of a bed of potatoes and carrots that soak up all of those chicken juices.
You have two options – bake it low and slow or hot and fast! The low and slow method is my preferred method because it results in the most tender chicken with light golden skin, more pan juices, and creamy veg. However, if you’re short on time you can choose the hot and fast method for a darker brown skin, slightly more dry (but still delicious) chicken and charred veggies. Both are delicious, so you can’t go wrong! Be sure to watch the video if you’ve never roasted a chicken before.
The recipe will serve four people with leftover chicken to use in other meals or snacks.
Ingredient highlight
Potatoes! The mighty potato! Most of the the nutrient content is in the skins, so keep those skins on if you can. Potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, and fiber. They contain lysine, an essential amino acid that you often can’t find in grains.
Servings 4 (with leftover chicken)
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 3 hours Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs waxy potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 1 lb carrots, halved lengthwise
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the chicken
- ¼ tsp kosher salt, plus more for the chicken
- Black pepper
- 1 (4-4.5 lb) whole chicken*
- Quartered onion, halved lemon, and/or herbs, to stuff inside (optional)
- Lemon, for serving (optional)
- Herbs, for serving (optional)
Serve with (pick one):
- Garlic and Fennel Braised Greens
- A simple green salad or herb salad (greens or herbs tossed in lemon and salt)
- Raw crunchy veggies (thinly sliced and tossed in lemon and salt)
- *If you don’t want to deal with a whole chicken, you can use about 2 lbs of bone-in, skin-on thighs, drums, or legs and use the hot and fast method, but reduce the cook time to 30-40 minutes.
- Add garlic! ~ Slice the top off of a whole head of garlic, drizzle lightly with oil and place it on the baking sheet. When the chicken is done, take the garlic off and let it rest, then you can squeeze those cloves out and spread them onto toast or the chicken/veg!
- Note: ~ I prefer the low and slow method because it gives you a juicer, more tender chicken, more pan juices, and super tender veg.
- Note: ~ all chickens are different. Some will produce a lot of juices and others not as much. I baked a young local chicken and it didn’t have nearly as much liquid/juices come out compared to the grocery store chicken.
- Level up! ~ If you want to impress, make this romesco sauce to serve with it. It’s insanely delicious!
Universal chicken doneness cues:
- Leg wiggle test: grab a drumstick and gently move it. If it moves easily/is floppy – it’s done
- Thigh and body seam: where the thigh meets the body, it should have opened up and feel loose rather than tight.
- Internal temperature of at least 155-160F deep into the thigh joint, right where the thigh meets the body.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven (325F for low and slow or 425 for hot and fast).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional). Add the potatoes, carrots, oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread out evenly on the pan, placing the potatoes cut-side-down.
- Remove any giblets from your chicken. Tip your chicken over the trash can or sink or a bowl to pour out any liquid inside of the cavity.
- Place the chicken on top of the veggies and use paper towels to pat dry all over (both sides). Season with salt (use about ¾ teaspoon per pound, about 1 tablespoon for a 4 lb bird) and plenty of black pepper on both sides. You want the chicken to be very well salted all over.
- Place the chicken, breast-side-up, resting on top of the veggies. If you’d like, you can stuff the cavity with a quartered onion, half a lemon, and/or any herbs you want to get rid of. Pull the wings out so the tips are facing up. You can tie (truss) the legs together with twine or just leave them (I don’t bother).
Low and slow:
- Bake at 325F for 2.5-3 hours or until the chicken skin is light golden brown and the chicken drumstick wiggles easily rather than stiff/resistant. All ovens and birds are different, so use those visual cues.
- Transfer chicken to a large cutting board to rest for 15-30 minutes. If you want a crispier veg, you can turn the oven to 425F or 450F and bake the veggies for 10-15 more minutes (I prefer to skip this and just keep them warm in the oven).
Hot and fast:
- Bake at 425F for 45-60 minutes or until the skin is a dark golden brown and the tips of the wings are crispy. All ovens are different, so use those visual cues. Let the chicken rest for 15-20 minutes (on a cutting board or in the pan). You can place the veggies back in the warm oven (turned off) to keep warm.
To carve/serve:
- Once it has rested and cooled down, remove anything from the cavity and tilt the chicken to run juices out of the cavity onto the baking sheet, then transfer the chicken to your cutting board.
- Cut off the legs first, then carve the breast off of the bone and slice it into about 1-inch thick pieces (see video). Remove the parchment (if using) and scrape any drippings or fond onto the baking sheet. Place the chicken pieces back on to the baking sheet and serve with the braised greens or a simple salad. Make sure to scoop or pour any juices in the pan over the chicken/veggies.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Halve 1.5 lbs potatoes (or quartered if large)(store in cold water)
- Halve 1 lb carrots lengthwise
- Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper (leave on a baking sheet in the fridge uncovered up to 48 hours
- Roast the veg and chicken
Substitutions:
- Use any root veggies in place of or in addition to the potatoes and carrots (use all potatoes, sub with some parsnips, sweet potatoes, winter squash, etc…)
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze up to 2 months
- Veggies: up to 6 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- To reheat the chicken more evenly, slice or shred it off the bone before microwaving. You can reheat everything in the microwave or in a covered skillet.
- Use any leftover chicken in bowls, tacos, quesadillas, pasta, etc..
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