Roasted Chicken
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 501cal
Ingredients
- 6 pound whole chicken
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil or as needed depending on size of bird
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt or to taste. You can be liberal with the salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Optional Herbs
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Remove the whole fresh chicken from it's packaging. Using paper towels, pat the chicken completely dry. Place the chicken on the baking rack.
- Remove the bag containing the neck and giblets from the chicken cavity and either discard or save it for making gravy.
- Tie the legs of the chicken together securely using butchers twine. This keeps the legs from overcooking.
- Rub olive oil all over the skin of the chicken.
- Tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken.
- Sprinkle Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper all over the chicken. Make sure to salt the cavity of the chicken. Add any optional herbs or ingredients to the chicken cavity.
- Roast the prepared chicken on the bottom rack. Once you close the door, turn the heat down to 400 degrees F. At the 1 hour mark, check the chicken using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast, the temperature should be 165 degrees F before being considered done. If it needs more time, leave it roasting and check at 10-minute intervals. The total time should be no more than 1 1 /2 hours. The exact time when your chicken is done will depend on the size of the chicken. When it's done, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving. The juices should run clear.
Notes
- You can use a whole fresh chicken or a frozen chicken for this recipe, just be sure to thaw it completely before beginning.
- Pat the skin dry with paper towels before adding the olive oil or butter, it makes a world of difference for achieving crispy skin.
- Either olive oil or softened unsalted butter will work.
- Feel free to dress up the chicken however you want by adding spices, herbs, or lemon slices to the mix.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 501cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 1315mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg
