Super Easy Roast Chicken

4.97 from 127 votes

Learn how to roast a chicken! It's the ultimate kitchen staple. And this easy roast chicken recipe only requires three ingredients! Watch how I make it in the video above.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 35

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Roast Chicken, Roasted Chicken, Roasted Chicken Recipe

Servings: servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5-pound) whole chicken packet of giblets removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), place a baking rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven, and bring the chicken to room temperature. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Place the chicken breast side up in an oven-safe pan (I prefer cast iron). Truss the legs. Drizzle with oil and use your hands to rub it all over the chicken.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, patting the seasoning in with your hands.
Roast the chicken for 70 to 90 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Double check doneness with an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 165°F (74°C). Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

I used an almost 5-pound chicken and it took 85 minutes to cook. If you're using a smaller chicken, make sure to check the temperature early, so that you don't accidentally overcook it and end up with a dry bird.
If you don't have kitchen twine to truss the legs, not to worry. You can still roast the chicken and just the legs fall open. But I'd recommend checking on the chicken 10 to 15 minutes earlier, as it typically cooks faster.
If you don't have Italian seasoning, just sprinkle of mix of individual spices such as dried basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
If you want a fancier roast chicken recipe, check out the one in my cookbook - it's two whole roasted chickens (hello meal prep!) on a bed of fennel, pear, and onion. So delish!

Nutrition