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Overhead close up shot of a plate of roasted chicken garnished with thyme sprigs and lemon wedges

The Easiest Roasted Chicken

This Whole Roasted Chicken is the easiest, most flavorful method to roast a whole chicken. I rub it generously with salt and pepper, stuff it with lemons and thyme, and roast it over a bed of root vegetables for extra flavor. It couldn’t be simpler or more foolproof, and it’s so versatile!

Course Chicken, Main, Main Course
Keyword easy roasted chicken, easy whole roasted chicken, meal prep chicken, roasted chicken recipe, the easiest roasted chicken, whole roasted chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 4
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

  • 1 (3.5 lb.) Organic Sprouts whole chicken
  • 1½ - 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • ¾ - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • several sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 cup cubed red potatoes
  • 1 cup peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup cubed parsnips
  • 1 cup cubed celery root
  • tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425℉. Rinse your chicken under cold water and dry very well with paper towels. You want the chicken to be as dry as possible so it develops a crispy crust! Season the inside of the cavity with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Rub the outside of the chicken generously with the salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon and thyme. I like to stuff in half of the lemon, a couple sprigs of thyme, the other half of the lemon, and then the remaining thyme.

  2. Truss the chicken using butcher’s twine. It’s super easy. This video shows you how to do it! Trussing your chicken ensures it will cook evenly. There are a ton of different ways to do it, but that’s my favorite way.

  3. Place the root vegetables in a heavy, large, oven-safe skillet, like a cast iron. Alternately, you can use a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Toss the vegetables in the olive oil and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables in a single, even layer. Place the trussed chicken on top of the vegetables and pour the chicken broth over the vegetables. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes, or until outside of the chicken is golden brown and crispy, the meat feels firm when pressed, the juices run clear, or if you have a thermometer, the meat near the inner thigh (between the leg and the breast, reads 165℉.

  4. Let chicken rest for 10-15 minutes or so before carving. This ensures a super juicy bird! At this point, I discard the root vegetables. They really serve just as a bed to roast the chicken on, and they provide a lot of flavor to the bird. Serve!

Recipe Notes

*I discard the vegetables after the chicken is finished cooking - they just provide a lot of extra flavor to the bird as it's cooking, rather than roasting it on a rack or by itself in a pan!