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Simple Roast Chicken Recipe
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Maggie's Simple Roast Chicken

Nana Ruth's no-fuss method: herb butter, crispy skin, vegetables roasted underneath, and the patience to leave it alone. The Sunday dinner that started everything.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken recipes, main dishes, roast chicken, sunday dinner
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 5 servings
Calories 385 kcal
Author Maggie

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds, patted very dry
  • 3 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika regular, not smoked
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 3-4 sprigs fresh
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary crumbled, or 2 sprigs fresh
  • 4 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 pound baby potatoes halved
  • 3 carrots peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion cut into thick wedges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil for vegetables

Instructions

  1. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Remove anything inside the cavity. Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels — the skin should feel like paper. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Mix softened butter with garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, thyme, and rosemary. Mash with a fork into a paste. Rub olive oil all over the chicken, then rub the herb butter everywhere — over the breast, legs, thighs, and under the breast skin. Season generously with salt and pepper. Tuck smashed garlic inside the cavity.
  3. Toss potatoes, carrots, and onion wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Set the chicken directly on top, breast side up.
  4. Roast for 1 hour without opening the oven. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer — you're looking for 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh. If not there yet, give it another 10-15 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and let rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan vegetables and drippings spooned over everything.

Recipe Notes

Dry the skin thoroughly — this is the single most important step for crispy skin. Save the carcass for homemade chicken stock. Leftovers keep 3-4 days refrigerated or freeze shredded chicken for up to 3 months.