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My Best Basic Herb-Roasted Chicken is a dinnertime favorite in our house. With crispy skin, tender juicy meat, and fresh herb flavor in every bite, it’s a recipe your whole family will love!
Best Basic Herb-Roasted Chicken: The Recipe We Need Right Now
When the skies turn gray and the temperature plummets, it’s time to bring on the comfort food! And nothing is quite as comforting, or as delicious, as a home roasted chicken.
I make variations on this herb-roasted chicken all year round, sometimes two at a time so I’ll have leftovers. In winter, hardly a week goes by when I don’t make a basic herb-roasted chicken. It’s the best main dish for a cozy family or company dinner, and there are so many other uses for a beautiful roast bird.
Leftover herb-roasted chicken is terrific in salads, soups, sandwiches, tacos, and so many other dishes. If you need a little inspiration, check out my recent post on 7 Rotisserie Chicken Recipes for Busy Nights.
Roasted Chicken or Rotisserie? Both Are Good. One is Best.
Some of you might be wondering why you should bother roasting a chicken at home when you can pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store?
If you’re short on time, a rotisserie chicken can be a lifesaver. When I’m on a writing deadline, I’m a big fan of pre-cooked chicken.
But in my opinion, my herb-roasted chicken is ten times better.
The skin is perfectly crispy, never soggy. And I can count on a fresh from the oven herb-roasted chicken to flavorful and melt-in-the-mouth tender. That’s not something I can always say about a rotisserie chicken. Who knows how long that poor birdie has been sitting under the warming lights before you bought it? Or how dried out it’s become in while it waited?
And for me, there’s something incredibly satisfying about roasting a chicken at home. That mouthwatering smell lets everybody in the house know that something special is about to be served and that somebody went to the trouble to do it.
To me, a roast chicken made at home says love. It’s as simple as that.
Tips for a Perfect Herb-Roasted Chicken Every Time
A good herb-roasted chicken is one of those basic recipes that any home chef should know how to make. But while just about anybody can roast a chicken, not everybody knows how to do it well.
The making of a delicious roast chicken at home isn’t difficult. But over the years, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to make sure that my herb-roasted chicken is the best chicken I’ve ever had, every single time.
There’s No Substitute for Time
My recipe for roast chicken doesn’t require a lot of hands-on cooking time. However, it does require a lot of resting time. When I want to serve a roast chicken, I actually start the day before.
I rub kosher salt and fresh ground pepper over the skin of the bird and inside the body cavity, then put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking. The salt will not only infuse the chicken with flavor, it’ll also pull the liquid out of the skin.
A salt rub and a long rest gives you delicious, perfectly crisp skin every time.
Other Tips for the Best Roast Chicken
You really do want to use kosher salt for this recipe. The larger size and flaky shape of kosher salt mean that it weighs less and isn’t as salty as regular table salt. So, really. Use kosher salt here. Otherwise, you could end up with an unpleasantly salty bird.
After your chicken rests overnight, you’ll brush it with some melted butter, sprinkle it with herbs, and a little more salt. Don’t worry! It won’t be too much. But the butter can end up making the skin soggy, so that last bit of salt will keep the skin crisp.
A lot of chicken recipes roast at 350 degrees or so. That’s really too low to get a good, crisp skin on the chicken. My roast chicken cook at very high heat for a fairly short time. This ensures tender meat and a beautiful, crisp, mahogany-colored skin. You’ll start it breast side up, and flip it over partway through the roasting process.
All ovens are different and chickens come at different weights, so cooking times will vary. That’s why a good electronic thermometer like this one is a must!
Insert the probe into the chicken at the thickest part of the thigh. If the thermometer reaches 165 degrees, your chicken is done. If it doesn’t but the bird back in the oven for five more minutes and check again. Be sure to check the temperature of the breast too!
Best Basic Herb-Roasted Chicken: The Taste of Home
Nothing is cozier and more welcome than a gorgeous herb-roasted chicken on a winter day. Or any day! Make one for your family this week!
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Best Basic Herb Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole young chicken, 3 to 4.5 lbs
- 3 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- 2 T butter
- 1 T fresh, minced herbs of your choice
Instructions
- Remove the neck or any entrails from the chicken (may wish to reserve them for another use, such as making stock). Rinse the chicken with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix together 2.5 teaspoons of kosher salt and ½ tsp pepper. Rub seasoning over the skin of the chicken and inside the body cavity. Place the chicken a rack in roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Put prepared chicken in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 24 hours.
- When ready to roast the chicken, remove from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 425.
- Brush 2 T of melted butter over the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle the minced herbs over the chicken, as well as the additional ½ tsp of salt.
- Roast chicken in preheated oven with the breast side up for 35 minutes. Flip the chicken over on the roasting rack so the breast side is down and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
- Check interior temperature of the bird by inserting a cooking thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and the breast. If the interior temperature is 165 or more, the chicken is done. If not, return to oven for an additional 5 minutes and check again, repeating as necessary.
