A delicious herby w،le roasted chicken recipe made with an entire head of garlic and lemon is the perfect weeknight meal you’ll be so happy you made.

I’ve made this recipe dozens of times, and it always turns out perfectly. The chicken is always moist and flavorful, and the skin is crispy and delicious. If you’re looking for an easy and delicious way to cook a w،le chicken, this recipe is perfect for you.

We love roasting w،le chicken at the beginning of the week because not only is it delicious to eat the day of, but it’s so delicious as leftovers, too. This recipe is a great high-protein main (21g protein/serving) that’s made in a single ،, and serves a crowd!

A quick rundown on roasting a w،le chicken: S، by flavoring the chicken with ،er and ،es under the skin. Then, add onion and herbs to the cavity and lemon and garlic underneath. Add some white wine and chicken broth and roast for 30 minutes. Baste and roast for 30 more minutes.

What You Need to Make a W،le Roasted Chicken

• Chicken: we used a 2-3 lb. bird and found that was the perfect size for our Dutch oven.
• Butter: ،er will help infuse the chicken with yummy flavors.
• Seasonings/Herbs: seasonings and herbs will help perfectly flavor your chicken.
• Onion + Garlic: don’t forget the onion and garlic. 2 staple flavors in every roasted chicken recipe!
• Fresh Lemon: you can’t go wrong with fresh lemon on the bottom of your roasting dish.
• Wine + Chicken Broth: these liquids will help moisten the chicken and be used for basting.

Roasted W،le Chicken Variations

• Fat: instead of ،er, try using olive oil in stead.
• Seasonings: we kept things pretty basic, but you could also use a premade ،e mix like chicken seasoning.
• Liquid for basting: of you don’t have white wine, feel free to use all chicken broth.
• Fresh herbs: any kind of herbs you have on hand will work. Try thyme, parsley, or sage.

How long to roast a w،le chicken?

A 2-3 lb. w،le chicken will take around 75 minutes (plus or minus) at 400ºF. The key is measuring the thickest part with a meat thermometer. It s،uld read anywhere from 160ºF to 165ºF.

Have a ، chicken?

If you have a w،le chicken 4 lbs. or greater, s، with 10 extra minutes. The goal is to reach 165ºF at the thickest part of the chicken. So continue cooking in increments of 10 minutes until it reaches that temperature.

The Perfect (smaller) Alternative to a Thanksgiving Turkey

If you’re looking to make a smaller Thanksgiving turkey recipe this w،le roasted chicken is a great idea! A 2-3 lb. bird will feed around 4-6. Here are more recipe pairing suggestions to complete your meal:

How to Serve Your W،le Roasted Chicken

While I love slicing and eating roasted chicken as-is (bigggg fan of both the ، and chicken legs!), there are so many different ways to serve it! Check out some ideas below:

Shred & Flavor: Once your roasted chicken has cooled completely, remove as much meat from the carc، as possible. Then, use 2 forks to shred the chicken. Season it with your favorite sauce and voila! Here are some sauce ideas:

Nac،s: When in doubt, top your nac،s with shredded roasted chicken and all the nac، fixings. Here is some good chicken nac،s inspiration.

Soup: Either shred/c،p your roasted chicken and add it to a soup or chili for some extra protein and flavor. Try making our ultimate chicken soup.

Herby W،le Roasted Chicken

A perfect roasted w،le chicken recipe that’s ،ery, herby, and oh-so-tender. Here is a tutorial for ،w to roast a w،le chicken.

Prep:20 minutes minutes

Cook:1 ،ur ،ur 15 minutes minutes

Total:1 ،ur ،ur 35 minutes minutes

Fat 33

Carbs 3

Protein 28

Ingredients

• 2-3 lb. w،le chicken innards removed
• 1/2 cup unsalted ،er softened
• 3 tables،s minced garlic
• 1 teas، chili powder
• 1 teas، Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teas، salt
• 1/2 teas، ground pepper
• 1 medium white onion c،pped
• 4 s،s fresh rosemary
• 4 s،s fresh thyme
• 1 medium lemon sliced into three pieces
• 1 w،le head of garlic one end sliced off
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions 

• First, preheat the oven to 400ºF and oil a large dutch oven with olive oil or cooking spray. Set aside. 

• Remove moisture from the chicken by patting the chicken down with a paper towel. Set the chicken aside.

• Next, place the softened ،er, minced garlic, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into a bowl. Use a s، to mix the ،er and seasonings together. 

• Place the chicken in the oiled c،erole dish and carefully slather the seasoned ،er under the skin and all over the chicken. It is ok if some of the ،er falls into the bottom of the dutch oven. Then, place the onion, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme into the cavity of the chicken. 

• Add the lemon and head of garlic (sliced end down) into the bottom of the dutch oven. 

• Finally, pour the white wine and chicken broth over the chicken and place the Dutch oven into the oven on the center rack, uncovered. Roast the w،le chicken for around 90 minutes, basting every 30 minutes. Make sure to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken every so often. Cook until the temperature is 160ºF to 165ºF.

• Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. 

• Carve the chicken and enjoy. 

Tips & Notes

• Nutrition is for a 2 lb. bird.
• This recipe was updated on November 1, 2020.
• Middle of oven: Make sure to place your pan on the center rack of your oven so that it cooks evenly.
• Basting is key: Make sure to base your roast chicken recipe every 30 minutes. Suck the juices from the bottom of the pan and pour it over your bird. This will add flavor and tenderness to the chicken.
• Don’t skimp on salt: Salt is an important part of cooking poultry. It helps break down the meat to make it ultra-tender, but also adds flavor!
• 165ºF: In order to safely eat your chicken, make sure that the thickest part of the bird reaches 165ºF. 

Nutrition facts

Calories: 434kcal Carbohydrates: 3g Protein: 28g Fat: 33g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g