This Simple Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lemon stars incredibly juicy meat and crispy, golden skin. Ready in just over an hour and made with only five ingredients, it’s easy enough for weeknight dinners and perfect for meal prep. Plus, discover my tips for roasting the perfect chicken and delicious ways to use the leftovers!
Table of Contents
There’s something magical about pulling a golden, crispy-skinned roasted chicken out of the oven. The aroma of garlic, lemon and rosemary wafting through your kitchen is pure heaven. Whether it’s a Sunday family dinner or meal prep for the week ahead, roasting a chicken is one of those classic recipes that feels both effortless and impressive. And so here we are: Simple Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lemon.
My recipe is all about tender, flavorful chicken with perfectly crisp skin, all without any complicated techniques. I’ll walk you through everything from seasoning to basting (hello, flavor!) so you can roast the perfect bird. Plus, I’ve included tips on how to serve it, what to do with the leftovers and how to store it, so you’re covered from start to finish.
While some recipes call for a long list of herbs, veggies and aromatics, I’ve kept this simple roast chicken recipe straightforward with just five key ingredients:
- Whole chicken: Grab a 4- to 5-pound chicken. If your bird is a bit larger or smaller, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Cooking for a bigger crowd? You can easily roast two side by side!
- Butter
- Garlic
- Fresh rosemary: If you’re out of fresh herbs, dried rosemary will work in a pinch—just reduce the amount by half since dried herbs are more concentrated.
- Lemon
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
As simple as a roast chicken is to prepare, there are some definite do’s and don’ts when it comes to poultry perfection:
- DO dry off the skin of the chicken as thoroughly as possible. Extra-dry skin = extra-crispy skin.
- DON’T skip the step of tying the chicken legs together. It keeps them closer to the body of the chicken and guarantees more even cooking. If you don’t have kitchen twine, use unflavored (I repeat, unflavored!) dental floss.
- DO baste the chicken every 15 to 20 minutes. Basting is the real secret to roast chicken success.
- DON’T carve the chicken immediately after removing it from the oven. Just like a roast turkey, it needs time to rest so the juices collect and the chicken remains moist.
Kelly’s Note: You can use any roasting pan, baking dish or cast iron skillet for this recipe—just make sure it’s big enough to hold the chicken with some room to collect all those delicious juices.
- Preheat your oven. Set it to 450ºF and make sure your rack is in the center of the oven for even cooking.
- Prep the chicken. Remove the giblets, trim any excess fat and give your bird a quick rinse before drying it thoroughly. Place in your chosen pan.
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Once it has melted, remove it from the heat and immediately add the garlic and rosemary sprigs. Let the butter sit for 5 minutes.
- Stuff and season. Pop the garlic and rosemary inside the chicken cavity, brush the chicken all over with the melted butter, and season generously with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper—season the inside, outside and even under the skin if you can. Add the lemon halves to the cavity.
- Tie the legs with kitchen twine. Keep it simple with a loop around each leg and knotted in the center.
- Roast for about 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. Rotate the pan each time you baste. Check out the next section for my tips on cooking times and internal temp to make sure your chicken is perfectly cooked.
Once your chicken is perfectly roasted, it’s time to carve! Follow my step-by-step guide on how to cut up a whole chicken to easily carve the cooked bird into perfect portions. The technique is the same—just be a bit gentler with the tender meat.
Pro Tip: For the crispiest skin, it’s best to roast your whole chicken uncovered. Covering it with foil traps moisture and steam, which is great for tenderness, but not so much for crispiness.
If the skin is getting too brown too quickly, you can loosely tent the chicken with foil toward the end of the cooking time. Just make sure to uncover it for the final 10 minutes to let that skin crisp up again.
Best Time and Temperature for Roasting Chicken
I find that roasting chicken at 450ºF strikes the perfect balance between juicy meat and crispy skin. To check for doneness, always use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165ºF in the thickest part of the breast. Be sure to avoid touching the bone, as this can give you an inaccurate reading.
Remember to adjust the cooking time if your chicken is larger or smaller than 4 to 5 pounds. A general rule of thumb is 20 minutes per pound, but always rely on your thermometer to ensure it’s fully cooked.
From classic to creative, here are some of my favorite sides that will turn this simple meal into a well-rounded, healthy dinner:
Or, sneak some veggies onto your plate with these delicious, kid-friendly veggie tots: cauliflower tots, butternut squash tots or broccoli tots.
One of the best things about roasting a whole chicken is the leftovers. Here’s how to make the most of them:
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the chicken in portions—just be sure to label and date your containers.
- Reheating: To keep the chicken moist when reheating, cover it with foil and warm it in a 300ºF oven. Or, if you’re in a hurry, a quick zap in the microwave will do the trick (just add a splash of broth or water to avoid drying it out).
- Meal prep magic: Leftover roast chicken is perfect for adding to soups, salads, sandwiches, casseroles and more! My favorites include Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, and even sheet pan nachos!
Ready to roast a chicken like a pro? Preheat your oven, grab the garlic and baste on with your bad self.
Ingredients
- 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon, halved
Equipment:
- Kitchen string
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF with a rack in the center.
- Remove the giblets from the chicken then trim the excess fat from around the chicken cavity then rinse and thoroughly dry the chicken. (The drier the chicken, the crispier the skin.) Place the chicken in a roasting pan, baking dish or cast iron skillet.
- Add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Once it has melted, remove it from the heat and immediately add the garlic and rosemary sprigs. Let the butter sit for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the garlic slices and rosemary into the cavity of the chicken then brush the melted butter all over the chicken. Season the chicken liberally all over (including inside the cavity) with salt and pepper. Place the two lemon halves inside the cavity.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. (Keep it simple with a loop around each leg and knotted in the center.)
- Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting it every 15 minutes by using a spoon and tilting the pan to collect the juices then spooning them atop the chicken, until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. (When testing the temperature with a meat thermometer, insert it into the breast but do not touch the bone for the most accurate reading.) Rotate the pan after every time you baste the chicken to guarantee even cooking.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Kelly’s Notes
- It’s important to baste the chicken every 15 minutes to ensure even browning of all the skin.
- The total cooking time will depend on a variety of factors, including the weight of your chicken and how heat circulates within your specific oven.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a comment below with your star rating!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
My Grandson helped me make this recipe. His comments were: “The flavor reminded me of the ocean” because of the lemon. It was very good and easy to make. We all enjoyed the chicken very much.
Love this, Patrick! I’m so glad you and your grandson enjoyed the recipe. :)
This is without a doubt the best roasted chicken I’ve ever had. I use my meater reader thermometer and it comes out crispy and juicy every time. The only problem I have is my smoke detector going off every 15 minutes when I baste it! Delicious!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Carol!
Easy, breezy, and delicious!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jenny!
Fussy partner loves this recipe. And she’s not the only one! Simple and so tasty with a Freeranger. (Do try the brand,)
I’m so glad you and your partner have been enjoying the recipe, James!
This recipe looks delicious. Thinking about cooking the chicken on a spit rather than roasting in the oven. Do you know how long we will need to cook the chicken on a spit. Chicken is just under 2kg.
Hi Suzanne – I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure.
We loved the chicken…just delicious. Use extra fresh lemon and garlic and pan juices to the lemon rice I made as a side dish. Can’t stop eating it. Now you know what to do with the juice. It’s a 5 STAR
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Angela!
Beautiful moist chicken made this 3 times now as it’s just lovely.
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Cheryl!
Absolutely delicious!!
Have followed this recipe a couple of times now and each time has been awesome, simple but incredibly effective
I cooked at 170 degrees celsius in a standard, pre-heated fan assisted oven for 1hr 35 (1.6kg chicken) leaving it to rest as directed
Any recommendations for what to do with the delicious juices left in the pan? Will they keep long? I’m not looking to make a gravy for the roast, as I tend to serve this with salad or chips
Hi Paul! You could use it as a salad dressing! Brighten it with a little lemon juice and toss with salad. Or, another idea is to toss it with cubed bread before baking into croutons.
Good one!
I made this chicken tonight for my family for Easter, it was the BEST roast chicken we’ve ever had! I roasted in a pan on my bbq, basted regularly and rested it upside down on the breast so the juices drip down and keep it moist. AMAZING, thank you!
Awesome! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Lauren!
This recipe looks delicious and all the reviews rave about it so excited to try but wanted to know could I use olive oil instead of butter.?
Hi Lisa – Olive oil’s smoke point would make the chicken much more likely to burn, so I wouldn’t recommend it :)
Absolutely delicious! However, the oven at 450 was WAY TOO HOT (yes, I use an oven thermometer). Resulted in all the butter smoking like crazy and filling my entire house with smoked butter! Vastly better to lower the oven temp and roast it longer. Otherwise, scrumptious. Now, to clean my oven.
Thanks for your comment, Vickie! Glad you enjoyed it!
A friend of mine suggested a variation of this recipe using chilies and limes, or oranges and a complementary herb. He also told me that he scaled up the “stuffing” with two to three lemons and used this method for his turkey.
That sounds so good!
I’m going to try this in my cast iron skillet…I see in your pictures that you did too? I’ve only ever made a roast chicken in a shallow roasting pan. It’s probably all the same, but I love tryin new methods. Thanks for the recipe!
You are so welcome, Sacha! I’m looking forward to hearing your results!
Great simple recipe thank you. We both enjoyed a very tasty chicken dinner. You suggest ‘unsalted butter’ which I used but why not salted butter and less salt seasoning ?
So glad you enjoyed it! You can go either way :) I like using unsalted butter so I can better control the quantity of salt.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe my partner cooked it for me tonight (his first roast) and it was delicious
You are so welcome, Sara! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
I used to think making roasted chicken was hard or it would be dry. Found your recipe and it is so full of tips and easy to follow. Never made a full chicken when I was raising children. Now, it’s just hubby and I and I will make this once every two months as a Sunday dinner. Thanks so much
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Evelyn!
This recipe is awesome! My sister in law made it for me after having my third baby shes the best. Anyway I asked for the recipe cause I liked it so much!! One little thing though…I’ve always been told that the breast reaches temperature before the thigh so you have to measure the temperature of the thigh to make sure it’s done or else it may end up undercooked. Anyway I am sooo making this for supper!
I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Sarah!
The BEST roast chicken I have ever made. I used an organic 5 lb. chicken and opted to stuff smashed garlic cloves inside with the rosemary and lemon in order not to risk burned garlic, and I used about 6 T of butter. If you opt for basting every 10-15 minutes it lets heat escape and can alter the cook time, especially if you’re not using a thermometer (which you should always do with meat). I basted about every 20 minutes, lowered the heat to 350 after 30 minutes, and covered the wing tips with foil before it went into the oven. I moved the cooked bird to a cutting board and let it rest for about 15 minutes while I made pan gravy with the drippings right in the skillet I cooked the chicken in. My husband is not a big chicken fan, but he raved about how succulent and juicy this was. It will go on my GO TO list for an easy, delicious meal. Thanks for the recipe Kelly!
Woohoo! My mouth is watering :) So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Susan!
Can I season it & keep in the freezer for later roast
Hi Jeannie! I’ve never tried that but it should work. You’ll want to adjust the cooking time and make sure to thaw the chicken correctly.