Simple Roasted Whole Chicken

This simple roasted whole chicken recipe uses five ingredients — salt, pepper, lemon, garlic, and a pasture-raised whole chicken — to produce the juiciest, most flavorful roasted bird you've ever made.

Developed by Allie Kennedy, co-owner of P&K Family Farms and pediatric occupational therapist, this recipe is designed to let a quality pasture-raised chicken speak for itself without marinades, sauces, or complicated techniques. Roast at 375°F for about an hour, broil for crispy skin, rest for fifteen minutes, and serve.

Before you start, there are two things that will make or break your roasted chicken:

Use a meat thermometer. I can suggest a cooking temp and time, but no oven, altitude, or kitchen is the same. Checking the temp early is the most surefire way to prevent overcooking. An overcooked pasture-raised chicken is a genuine tragedy — the bird deserves better and so does your dinner.

Truss the legs. Kitchen or butcher's twine does the job perfectly. Depending on how your chicken lays, you can truss the legs one on top of the other or side by side. Either way, this prevents the chicken from drying out by minimizing airflow through the cavity and creating a more even piece of meat. It takes thirty seconds and makes a real difference.

Step 1 — Preheat your oven to 375°F. If you have a convection oven, choose that option and adjust the temp as you would for any other recipe.

Step 2 — Prep the bird. Pat it completely dry with paper towels. Dry skin is critical for crispy skin later. Season the skin and cavity generously with salt and pepper. Don't be shy — a whole bird can handle more seasoning than you think.

Step 3 — Stuff the cavity. Cut the top off the head of garlic and cut the lemon in half. Place all three pieces into the cavity. The garlic and lemon steam inside the bird while it roasts, infusing the meat with flavor from the inside out.

Step 4 — Truss and tuck. Place the chicken in a baking dish. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine — this helps prevent the bird from drying out while cooking. Tuck the wing tips behind the bird to prevent burning.

Step 5 — Roast. Place on the middle rack and bake for approximately one hour. A meat thermometer should read 165°F when inserted into the deepest part of the thigh. Another option is to cut between the breast and leg — if the juices run clear, it's done. Check the temp early. You can always cook it longer. You can't uncook it.

Step 6 — Crisp the skin. Remove from the oven, brush the skin with olive oil, and place back in the oven on high broil until the skin is crisped and golden to your liking. Watch it closely — broilers work fast. This step takes 2-5 minutes.

Step 7 — Rest. Remove from oven and tent loosely with foil for at least 15 minutes. This is non-negotiable. The juices need time to redistribute throughout the meat. If you carve too early, all that flavor runs out onto the cutting board instead of staying in every bite.

Step 8 — Carve and serve with your desired sides. We love roasted lemon and garlic potatoes alongside.

Step 9 — Save the carcass. Don't throw it away. Every bone, every scrap of cartilage and skin goes into your next batch of collagen-rich chicken stock. One bird, three meals: dinner tonight, leftovers tomorrow, and stock for the rest of the week.