Roasting a whole chicken isn’t really a science — it’s more of an art form or process. As long as you know the basic temperature and roasting time, you can play with seasonings and spices as much as you want. Before you get started, though, you’ll want to gather all your ingredients for the desired flavor.
First, rinse your chicken, making sure to remove any excess plastic or packing tissue and the bag of giblets. Place the chicken into a roasting pan sprayed with cooking oil.
Next, pour on a generous amount of cooking oil. This will help the seasonings stick and create a crispy skin. Then, sprinkle on your seasonings. I used salt, pepper, garlic, onion, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, and paprika. You don’t need to measure anything — just sprinkle on what looks right to you.
Put the chicken into the oven and roast for about 20 minutes per pound. A 5 pounds chicken should take about 100 minutes/ an hour and forty minutes to cook through.
When the chicken is close to being done, insert a meat thermometer. We are looking for 180 degrees in the thickest part of the breast meat (be careful not to touch the bone). This will ensure you’re not slicing into pink chicken flesh.
Once the chicken has finished roasting, allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve your chicken with whatever sides you’d like, and be sure to save the bones for broth!
