How To Make Roasted Chicken (Homegrown)

Learn how to roast a broiler chicken, or roasted chicken, as we know it. Our family-favorite Rotisserie-style, whole-roasted chicken is so juicy, flavorful, and super easy to prep! It’s the ultimate roast chicken recipe to keep on hand for quick weeknight dinners and effortlessly feeds a large family! It works for homegrown whole chickens (see tips for cooking with homegrown broilers) or storebought and is seasoned simply and baked all in one dish!

I don’t know why I haven’t roasted chicken as much before! It would’ve made my weeknight dinners so much easier! I tend to get fancy with chicken recipes and make deep-fried Chicken Breast Sandwiches or Grilled Chicken Thighs, but oven-roasted chicken is way easier!

All you have to do is oil the bird, season the skin, place the whole chicken in a casserole dish, and bake! It’s easy preparation, and no stuffing or fancy ingredients are required! Some roasted chicken recipes call for rubbed butter and fancy fresh herbs arrayed over a bed of vegetables, but it doesn’t have to be this elaborate. Simple can be very flavorful and a much easier approach to weeknight dinner!

Making roast chicken like this is a game-changer! It has been on rotation when we’re craving comfort food, and it couldn’t be easier to make! It even cooks juicy with a homegrown chicken! Now that we cook whole chicken like this, we plan to raise more meat birds and stock up the freezer with more whole chickens.

Whole roasted chicken is a favorite meal any time of the week! Make it a complete meal that takes no effort by throwing in some whole potatoes or a pan of veggies while the chicken bakes, and call it dinner! I’m so excited to show you how to make a perfect roasted chicken with my easy step-by-step tutorial!

It’s really the perfect convenience food for a stay-at-home mom as you can just throw it into the oven and get other tasks done! It’s so simple to make a oven roasted whole chicken, you might think its too good to be true!

What is a Broiler Chicken?

A broiler chicken is not a “broiled” chicken. Instead, it’s a young chicken raised specifically for meat production. There are many different breeds of broilers to raise. Commercial broilers generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks of age to harvest, and other slower-growing breeds can take anywhere from 8-14 weeks. Homesteaders typically get them as chicks and raise them to the required age (depending on breed).

One year, we raised and processed around 96 broilers. This is an all-day event involving our whole family. After the plucking and cleaning, we vacuum seal the meat birds to store them in the freezer and use them throughout the year. Harvesting them at their peak age makes for moist and succulent meat. Avoid roasting a whole chicken that is over a year old; it won’t be as juicy and can be dry and stiff.

Which Kind Of Broiler Chicken Should I Use?

We like raising chickens for meat. The type of broilers you use will determine how long you need to raise them. Some chickens grow fast, and others take longer to grow before harvesting. Cornish Cross Chickens, Big Red Broiler, and Freedom Ranger Chickens are the top three meat chicken breeds. We like Freedom Ranger broilers as they grow at a moderate rate of 5-6 pounds in 9-11 weeks. If you don’t have broiler chicken, no worries; a store-bought whole chicken will work. Grab a 3-4 pound chicken at the store and proceed with the recipe.

Roast Chicken Ingredients:

Learn how to roast a chicken the simple way with basic ingredients. I particularly like these seasonings for a super flavorful meal, but you make it versatile and switch up the spices to your liking.

• Whole Chicken—with the skins on! When chicken is roasted with its own skin and fat, the juices stay locked in the meat during cooking, making it juicy. Use a 3 to 4-pound chicken; anything less or more must be cooked accordingly. When roasting a whole chicken, a good rule of thumb is to roast the chicken at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound. I like crispy skin, so I typically roast chicken recipes at 400°F.
• Sunflower Oil—or any type of cooking oil—helps the seasonings stay on the skin and makes the chicken crispy. Alternatively, you could use coconut oil or softened butter, but oil is much cheaper and easier to use.
• Seasonings—I like to use basic seasonings, but I use a lot of them for good flavor, and any leftovers go into the cavity. This makes a delicious roast chicken; trust me on this! We use salt, pepper, sage, garlic powder, dried parsley, celery seed, paprika, dry mustard, and crushed bay leaves. Fresh herbs tend to wilt and burn quickly, so use dried.

Find the exact measurements in the printable recipe card below. There is no guessing game or eyeballing ingredients here; I have all the proportions below for the perfect roasted chicken recipe every time!

How To Roast A Chicken (Broiler):

You can undoubtedly use store-bought chicken with great results, but it’s slightly different from homegrown chickens. Firstly, you don’t want to use roosters or old hens; those are good for soups or chicken broth because their meat is very tough. Young hens or specific meat birds (broilers) grown to their peak age are best for processing and then freezing whole. We used whole Freedom Ranger chicken broilers that we plucked and removed the neck and giblets from; skip this step if using store-bought chicken.

1. Prepare your pan: use an oven-safe 3-quart pan like a glass 9x13 Pyrex dish. Any large roasting pan (chicken roaster), dutch oven, cast iron, or disposable holiday pan will work to roast your chicken. When baking with glassware, never place a cold pan into a hot oven or pour cold liquid into a hot Pyrex; it can burst from the heat contrast.
2. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels so that the oil adheres better. Put the chicken into a pan.
3. Rub the oil all over the chicken: wings, legs, and breast, even the back. All the sides should be fully coated in oil to help crisp up the skin.
4. Pat in the seasonings and massage them into the skin. About 1/3 of the spice rub will be leftover; sprinkle it into the cavity. Adding spices to the cavity makes a really flavorful bird! This may look like a lot of spices but it works and itsn’t too salty.
5. Roasting the chicken is easy! Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Place the chicken into the oven, and roast the chicken for 1 to 1.5 hours or until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C) when inserted with a meat thermometer.

Pan Roasted Chicken Tip: if you marinate your whole chicken in a glass pan overnight in the fridge, take it out to bring it to room temperature, or place it into a cold oven and allow it to preheat with the oven so it doesn’t burst.

How Long Do You Bake a Whole Chicken Per Pound?

Wondering How Long To Roast A Whole Chicken? Roasting a whole chicken generally takes 20 minutes per pound when baked at 350°F. So, for a 3-pound bird, you’d need to bake it for 60 minutes. Whole roasted chicken is best when cooked at a temperature of 375°F, so it gets a crispy skin. Always roast whole chicken uncovered; if it’s getting too brown, cover it with aluminum foil. I like to insert my meat thermometer into the thickest part (the middle of the thigh near the bone) to get accurate results.

Storing and Freezing Leftovers:

If there are too many leftovers from a cooked roast chicken, you can refrigerate or freeze them. It’s best to de-bone and remove the meat from the bones when it is still at room temperature. Put the pulled meat into a container or freezer bag and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it. To freeze, vacuum seal shut and freeze for six months or three months if using freezer bags. Add leftovers to soup, casseroles, and salads!

Our Favorite Roast Chicken Sides:

We love to serve roast chicken with creamy mashed potatoes, gravy (from the pan drippings), and a vegetable side. While the roasted whole chicken bakes away in the oven, I’ll work on the sides and have it ready to plate by the time the chicken is done! Here are more ideas and roast chicken sides that you can make! Remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy for a weeknight supper; you can serve roasted chicken with a side of vegetables, and that’s it!

• Steam or boil vegetables from a bag of frozen veggies—super easy and fuss-free! Vegetable sides like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or green beans are all delicious!
• Rice dishes and dinner rolls make great sides!
• Give me some Homemade Sourdough Bread and Ketchup, and I can eat roast chicken like this with no problem!
• Add some Canned Dill Pickles, Sauerkraut, or sliced avocados as a quick side if you’re in a pinch.
• Throw some whole russet or sweet potatoes into the bottom rack of the oven when roasting chicken, it’ll be ready to eat around the same time and takes no effort to prepare! You could also do this with acorn or butternut squash!

How To Cook a Whole Broiler Chicken: