As the great Toby Ziegler once told C.J. Cregg (The West Wing), the way to roast a perfect chicken is "Stick a lemon up it and throw on some rosemary. A little salt." We make roasted chicken 'round here once every few weeks and I have to say, the simplicity of this two-sentence recipe results in some really delicious bird.

If you've never roasted a chicken before, please don't fear, it is quite possibly one of the easiest (and most impressive!) dishes that you can make. It's literally two minutes of work followed by…well…that's it. After it's in the oven, you're pretty much finished. We like to roast chickens on days when the schedule is packed. Throw in some root veggies in the roasting pan and you've got the easiest dinner on the planet.

Roast chicken on a white platter with lemons, parsley, rosemary, and salt

What do I need for this roasted chicken recipe?

Grab four ingredients...that's right, just four! That's truly all you need for this best roast chicken recipe.

A whole chicken.
A lemon.
Fresh rosemary.
Coarse ground sea salt.

Should I roast my chicken covered or uncovered?

For tender meat and a crispy skin, your chicken needs to roast uncovered. Cooking the bird uncovered also allows it to cook a little faster. If parts of the chicken are beginning to brown before it is cooked through, you can tent the dark parts loosely with foil so that they don't burn.

Cooked poultry with browned, crispy skin on a white platter with fresh herbs and a halved lemon

When is roasted chicken done?

An instant read thermometer should register 165°F at the thickest parts of the bird for the chicken to be considered cooked through. Check the temperature at the thickest part of the breast, as well as the inner part of the thigh. Be sure that the temperature probe isn't touching bone, as that will give you an inaccurate temperature reading. The juices will also run clear when the chicken is done-they shouldn't be pink!

Protip: Let it rest.

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving-that gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat, so they stay in the chicken and not on your cutting board!

How long does it take to cook a chicken at 350°F?

In general, chicken needs to cook for around 20 minutes per pound.

A roasted chicken with crispy skin, with slices made through the breasts

What should I serve with this roasted chicken recipe?

We love to throw some root vegetables tossed with olive oil and seasoning in the bottom of the roasting pan before we stick it in the oven-it gives you a delicious side built right in! Other great options include:

Any of these simple vegetable sides, such as sautéed zucchini, sweet potato fries, or steamed asparagus.
Make-ahead Crockpot mashed potatoes.
You can make chicken gravy following my tutorial for how to make gravy from turkey drippings.
Drop biscuits or this soft dinner rolls recipe (or this gluten-free bread, if that's a dietary concern for you).
Honey cornbread.

What can I do with the leftovers?

While roasted chicken itself is delicious, we love roasting chickens for leftovers! I usually tear up the leftover meat for curry chicken salad with grapes, and use the chicken carcass for homemade chicken bone broth. But you can use the leftovers in any recipe that you'd use a rotisserie chicken for.

Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days until you are ready to use it.

📖 Recipe