this chicken is so delicious, with the most perfect dry rub and a crispy skin. it’s also slowly cooked to perfection.
There’s nothing quite like a whole roasted chicken. It’s different than simply roasting drumsticks or chicken legs (or any singular part of the chicken). It’s very easy to do, yet it seems fancier and more impressive than your average chicken dinner simply because it’s a whole chicken. It looks beautiful on the table too, definitely prettier than a pile of drumsticks or perhaps even worse, chicken thighs.
It’s got the comfort food factor, for sure, and it allows everyone in the family to eat their preferred type of chicken meat, both dark and light. So, as you can tell, you really can’t go wrong with roasting a big chicken! I think it’s especially good during isolation because you make it all at once and (hopefully) have meals for 2 days (admittedly that depends how many mouths you’re feeding).
My whole roasted chicken recipe is very easy to throw together, you’re mainly relying on a few spices you probably always have on hand. It’s also, incidentally, quite healthy– I mean, it’s really relying on a few spices, a good amount of healthy fats with the oil, and some bone broth. The mix of spices includes paprika, allspice, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh garlic, creating this perfect smoky dry rub that gives you a rotisserie-style chicken taste without having to turn to some store-bought plastic-wrapped sugar-filled chicken.
One of the important factors in creating this chicken is that you cook it slowly, on low, in the oven. If you don’t have the time, then feel free to roast it at a higher temperature, but I’ll often make this whole roasted chicken on a Sunday when I’m home all day anyways. I’ll take out it out every hour and pour some of the chicken drippings back over it. When I make it Sundays that means we either have a delicious, fresh-out-the-oven chicken for Sunday night dinner, or else, we have fresh meat for lunches for the week ahead– I’ll mix the chicken with my big salads or have it with whatever other veggies I have prepped.
Let me know if you try making this easy whole roasted chicken, and if you love the taste, hit me @Grainfreee on Instagram!
easy whole roasted chicken: ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 tbsp of paprika
- 1 tsp of allspice
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of cumin
- 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp of oregano
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp of toasted sesame seed oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 tbsp of chicken broth/bone broth (optional)
easy whole roasted chicken: how to
- mix all the spices together, with the minced garlic and set aside.
- prep your chicken, by cleaning it and patting it completely dry with paper towel.
- set the chicken in an oven-safe dish, and massage the spice rub all over the chicken and into the corners, making sure you get every crevice, including the bottom of the chicken.
- finish it off with the toasted sesame seed oil, pouring it on top of the chicken.
- roast in the oven at 250 slowly, for three hours or until chicken is completely cooked (if you’re short on time, simply cook this at a higher temperature, between 300-350). after the first hour, remove from the oven and add the 2 tbsp of bone broth, while basting the rest of the chicken with the broth/drippings. repeat this every thirty mins to an hour.
easy whole roasted chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken on the small side
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced/diced
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil sub extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp chicken broth/bone broth (optional for basting after)
Instructions
- mix all the spices together, with the minced garlic and set aside.
- prep your chicken, by cleaning it and patting it completely dry with paper towel.
- set the chicken in an oven-safe dish, and massage the spice rub all over the chicken and into the corners, making sure you get every crevice, including the bottom of the chicken.
- finish it off with the toasted sesame seed oil, pouring it on top of the chicken.
- roast in the oven at 250 slowly, for three hours or until chicken is completely cooked (if you're short on time, simply cook this at a higher temperature, between 300-350). after the first hour, remove from the oven and add the 2 tbsp of bone broth, while also basting the rest of the chicken with the broth/drippings. repeat this every thirty mins to an hour, as desired.