Learn all about how to cook a roast chicken the easy way! This juicy, extra moist whole chicken recipe will become your go to every time. Flavored with butter, lemon, parsley, and thyme then seasoned with paprika and other seasonings! Learn all about how to make it here…
Zero Waste Whole Chicken Recipe: Why We Love Roast Chicken
Roast chicken has become a normal part of our meal rotations for the last several years. Not just because it’s juicy and delicious! I love cooking whole chicken for what it can give!
This is a very easy, zero waste meal. You basically throw it all in a pot and the oven does all the work. However you get so much out of it you would think it would take hours of hands on time!
Here’s everything we make with one whole chicken…
- Whole roast chicken dinner (usually a meal with the roasted breast meat and vegetables)
- A breakfast meal like chicken egg burritos and/or (depending on size) a lunch meal like this chicken salad from the pickings
- 6-8 quarts of bone broth from the bones and innards
Only about two hours of hands off time and you get so much goodness! The broth alone makes cooking a whole chicken worth it. Here’s how to make it…
How to Make Chicken Bone Broth
After the chicken has been thoroughly picked, place your chicken in a large stockpot or a crockpot (my preferred method for a more hands off approach). You can add any leftover vegetable scraps and the chicken innards as well.
Allow the crockpot to cook the broth on high for 8-12 hours or overnight. If you are using a stockpot you will want to bring it to a simmer and cook for about 8 hours supervised during the day.
After the broth has simmered, carefully use a ladle to spoon it into glass jars. Tighten the lids and allow to cool on the counter top. The hot broth will create a slight seal on your jars (this is not the same as canning or processing). Your jars will need to be kept in the refrigerator but because of the seal they will keep for up to three months!
You can get the full recipe for bone broth here!
What You Need for Roast Chicken
The ingredients and equipment for cooking a roast chicken are very simple! Here’s what you’ll need….
- Large roasting pan with a lid or a Dutch oven
- Whole chicken, completely thawed
- 2 sticks salted butter
- Handful fresh parsley
- 1 lemon
- Thyme
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder or one clove fresh garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
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How to Cook Whole Chicken (the Extra Juicy Way)
Cooking a whole chicken is the easy part, roasting it to juicy perfection is a bit harder!
It has taken me a few years to perfect my juicy roast chicken recipe! I’ll share everything I know here….
How to Make Juicy Roast Chicken
- Butter!!
Lots and lots of butter! My recipe here calls for two sticks and you can even go as far as to add a third to drizzle the top if you’re feeling extra generous.
- Cook with the lid on until the very end.
Keeping the moisture in makes a huge difference in getting a juicy chicken. Trusting the process and only opening the lid when needed during cook time will help your meat retain moisture.
- Don’t overcook it!
The internal temp of chicken needs to be 165 degrees F to kill bacteria. You don’t want to cook your chicken far above this to avoid drying it out! At 160 (breast temp) remove the roast chicken from the oven. Allow the chicken to rest for five to ten minutes to come up to 165 and you will have a perfect, juicy chicken every time!
Adding Vegetables and Herbs
One of my favorite things about making roast chicken as a meal is the versatility of it. You can add whatever vegetables, herbs, and seasonings you have on hand. As long as you use the method for juicy whole chicken, you will get a delicious meal every time with most any combinations of flavors!
Petite yellow potatoes are a great way to add a side to the roast chicken without adding any extra dishes! The potatoes can be cooked right in with the chicken. As they cook along side the juice and herbs of the chicken, they absorb the flavor and the result is amazing!
To add the yellow potatoes simply cut them into fourths. In a large bowl, drizzle generously with olive oil and add salt, thyme, black pepper, and any leftover chopped parsley. Mix until well combined and then pour the potatoes down the sides of the roast chicken. You can cook the potatoes right along side the chicken, making it the perfect hands off meal!
Storing Roast Chicken
It is easy to store roast chicken either with the carcass attached or the pulled meat. Here is how to store both ways…
Storing the Whole Chicken
If you do not have time to pick the chicken and there is still a good deal of meat left on the bones you can leave the whole chicken in the pot it was roasted in. Place the lid on the roaster and place in the refrigerator up to 24 hours until you can properly pick and store the meat.
Storing Pulled Chicken
Once the chicken has fully cooled, you can pick any remaining meat from the bones and place it in an air tight container with a lid. Be careful to make sure all the smaller bones are discarded and not kept in with the meat.
Storing Chicken Bones
If you are unable to make your bone broth immediately, you can still keep the bones for later. Place all the bones and innards in a gallon ziplock bag. Place them bag in the freezer and use up to six months later when you are ready to make broth.
How to Use Whole Chicken for Various Meals
As already stated, one of my favorite things about cooking a whole chicken is that it creates so many more opportunities for other meals!
Along with bone broth here are some of my other favorite ways to use my roast chicken…
- Chicken and egg burritos
- Chicken salad
- Tacos or nachos (depending on the amount of chicken)
- Bbq chicken or bbq chicken flatbread
- Chicken Rice and Vegetable Soup
- Chicken noodle soup
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Extra Juicy Roast Chicken
Equipment
- Large roasting pan with a lid or a Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 Whole chicken completely thawed
- 2 sticks salted butter
- handful fresh parsley
- 1 lemon
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder or one clove fresh garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Remove the innards from the cavity of the chicken. The innards can be saved for making bone broth.
- Place the whole chicken in the pan with the backbone down.
- Cut one stick of butter down the middle and place in between the chicken skin and the breast meat. Place the other stick inside the cavity.
- Place the parsley in the cavity.
- Rub all the seasonings on top of the skin and in between the skin and the breast meat.
- Cut the lemon into thin strips and place on top of the skin, in between the legs, and inside the cavity.
- Place the lid on the roasting pot and cook at 350℉ for 1½ hours. Remove the lid and cook another ½ hour or until the internal breast meat reaches 160℉.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. To properly carve your chicken, begin by slicing down the breast meat, cutting in thin, even strips. Finish by removing the legs with the bones in.
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