The Cozy Cook

Book cover graphicThe Cozy Cookbook is here! Order Now!

Ina Garten’s Roast Chicken

Ina Garten’s Roast Chicken is a perfect recipe for whole, oven roasted chicken and vegetables with plenty of gravy to go around! Your family will love this dinner!

Be sure that you make my easy homemade chicken stock with your roast chicken leftovers!

A brown roasted chicken on a wooden cutting board with carrots and onions, and parsley in the background.

I couldn’t be more excited to share this recipe with you. If you struggle to make roast chicken, I truly have all of the answers for you right here. Struggle no more, and see how easy it really is!

Here’s what you need, and let’s do this. 

PSST! Be sure to read the info in this post prior to skipping to the recipe. You’ll be glad you did!

Ingredients needed to make roast chicken lying on a blue surface.

Do not Rinse!

Instead, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. 

  • Rinsing a whole chicken under water in the sink runs a high risk of splashing germs and bacteria all around your sink, counter tops, and dish towels.
  • See this resource for more info.
  • Be sure to wash your hands well every time you handle the chicken.

Stuffing a Chicken

  • Ina Garden stuffs her roast chicken with two lemon halves, a head of garlic cut crosswise, and a bunch of thyme.
  • Lemon and rosemary are a good choice as well.

A raw chicken on a white surface with thyme, lemon, and garlic for stuffing the chicken with.

Trussing the Chicken

  • Tying the chicken legs with kitchen twine (or “trussing”), is totally optional. Some are actually against it as it can prevent excess air flow from circulating around the breast. (I usually do it just to keep the legs in place.)

 

  • Tuck the tip of the wing underneath the body to prevent it from cooking too quickly/burning.

A raw chicken on a cutting board with circles showing how to tie the legs and tuck in the wings.

Let the Chicken Sit at Room Temperature

  • If time allows, let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This is important for even cooking. Placing cold chicken on the roasting pan can dry out the outside before the inside has a chance to finish cooking.

A raw chicken on a wooden cutting board with a green pastry brush spreading melted butter over the top.

Position the Chicken on Top of the Vegetables in the Roasting Pan

  • This allows for more even cooking as the bottom of the chicken won’t be sitting in its’ own juices as it cooks.
  • The vegetables also add additional flavor to the chicken drippings, which we’ll be using to make gravy.

Don’t Use a Turkey Roasting Pan

  • Use a roasting pan that fits the size of the chicken. Otherwise, the surface area of the pan will be too large and the moisture will evaporate quickly, leaving you with little to no drippings and dry vegetables.

What Temperature to Roast a Chicken

  • 425° is a great temperature for roasting chicken and is what Ina Garten recommends. This temperature allows the chicken to roast perfectly evenly without needing to adjust the heat at any point.
  • I like to baste the chicken halfway through (spoon the juices onto the top of the skin), and rotate the pan 180° when I put it back in the oven.

How Long to Roast Chicken

  • An easy rule of thumb for roasting time is about 15 minutes per pound.
  • This chicken was just under 6 pounds and took exactly 1 + 1/2 hours to roast perfectly at 425°.

How to Know When it’s Done

  • Press a thigh into the body of the chicken to extract some juice. The juice should run clear.
  • Place a meat thermometer into the thigh or thickest part of the breast. The internal temperature should read 165°.

A brown roasted chicken in a roasting pan with carrots, onions, and fennel.

Let it Rest (without foil)

  • Let the chicken rest, *uncovered* for a full 15-20 minutes prior to cutting into it. Otherwise the juices will run all over the place instead of getting reabsorbed back into the chicken. We’re going for juicy chicken, not dry!
  • Some recipes advise that you cover the chicken with foil as it rests, but that causes moisture to build up in the foil and will make your crispy skin wet. We don’t want soggy skin.

Overhead view of a cooked roasted chicken on a wooden cutting board surrounded by vegetables.

The Chicken Drippings

This nearly 6 lb. chicken left me with 1 + 1/3 cups of chicken drippings to make gravy with.

Let’s get to gravy making…

A roasted pan tiled up with juices from the cooked chicken in it for making gravy.

How to Make Chicken Gravy

  • Pour the chicken drippings into a large measuring cup.
  • Top off the chicken juices with chicken broth to make 2 cups.
  • Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add 3 Tablespoons flour. Whisk for 1 minute.
  • Add half of the gravy juice/broth. Whisk until there are no lumps.
  • Add remaining liquid. Whisk for 2 minutes. The gravy will continue to thicken more and more.
  • Season with salt/pepper if desired. Done! 

A class measuring cup filled with homemade chicken gravy on a blue surface.

Need More Browning?

  • If your chicken needs a touch more color, increase the heat to 500° and use foil to cover up any parts that are already sufficiently browned.
  • Roast for an additional 5 minutes or so. Keep a close eye on it.
  • Note: This step wasn’t necessary when I prepared this chicken, however I do rotate the pan 180° halfway through for even color.

Pro Tips

  • Use a roasting pan that fits the size of your chicken for best results. Using a roasting pan that’s too large runs you the risk of burning the vegetables and losing your liquid for the gravy.
  • Use plenty of thick cut vegetables (whole carrots, quartered onions, etc.). If there are too few or if they’re cut too thin, they’ll cook too quickly.
  • Gauge how your vegetables look at the halfway mark when you rotate the roasting pan. If they’re cooking too quickly, cover them with a layer of foil (but leave the chicken exposed).

Thick slices of roasted chicken with crispy skins on a white plate.

What to Serve with Roasted Chicken

Slices of roasted chicken with crispy skins on a white plate with a spoon drizzling homemade gravy on top.

Save Your Leftovers!

  • Halt! Do not discard anything, especially the carcass/bones, once you’re done with this delicious Roast Chicken.
  • Learn how to make easy homemade chicken stock with them! Feel free to freeze your chicken carcass/bones/leftovers until you have time to make it.

Try These Next:

Get My Free Meal Plan

I’ve got a Free Meal Plan with 7 of my super popular recipes (complete with grocery list)! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!

And follow me on FacebookInstagram, and Pinterest!

Did You Make This Recipe?

I would love for you to leave a rating and a comment below! How’d you do?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A roast chicken on a board with carrots and onions.

Ina Garten's Roast Chicken

5 from 53 ratings
Ina Garten's Roast Chicken is a perfect recipe for whole, oven roasted chicken and vegetables with plenty of gravy to go around! Your family will love this dinner!

Ingredients

  • 5-6 lb. whole chicken
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 1 large bunch thyme, plus 20 sprigs
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced into large chunks
  • 4 whole carrots, sliced into 4-inch chunks
  • 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, cut into wedges
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Olive oil

For the Gravy:

  • 2/3 cup Chicken Broth
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter
  • 3 Tablespoons Flour

Instructions

Roasting the Chicken

  • Unwrap the chicken and remove the giblets and/or the neck (if included). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  • If possible, let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow for more even cooking.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Seasoning the entire chicken generously with salt and pepper.
  • Stuff the chicken with the thyme, garlic, and lemon.
  • Brush the outside of the chicken with the 2 TBS melted butter and season again with salt/pepper.
  • Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. Tuck the wings underneath the body of the chicken.
  • Place the sliced onions, carrots, and fennel bulb on the bottom of a roasting pan.
  • Sprinkle the vegetables with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Use your hands to toss to evenly coat the vegetables.
  • Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. This prevents the chicken from sitting in its own juice while it cooks and elevates the chicken for even cooking.
  • Roast (uncovered), for 1 ½ hours. Halfway through, use a spoon to drizzle the chicken with some drippings from the bottom of the pan. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and place it back in the oven.
  • The chicken is done when the juices run clear and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees. (Place a meat thermometer into the thigh to check the temperature.)
  • Let the chicken rest, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb before you cut into it!
  • Slice the chicken on a platter and serve with the roasted vegetables.

Making the Gravy

  • Pour the chicken drippings into a large measuring cup.
  • Top it off with chicken broth to make 2 cups.
  • Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add 3 Tablespoons flour. Whisk for 1 minute.
  • Add half of the gravy juice/broth. Whisk until there are no lumps.
  • Add remaining liquid. Whisk for 2 minutes. The gravy will continue to thicken more and more.
  • Season with salt/pepper if desired. Done!
  • Note: If your chicken needs a touch more color, increase the heat to 500° and use foil to cover up any parts that are already sufficiently browned. Roast for an additional 5 minutes or so. Keep a close eye on it.

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Use a roasting pan that fits the size of your chicken for best results. Using a roasting pan that's too large runs you the risk of burning the vegetables and losing your liquid for the gravy.
  • Use plenty of thick cut vegetables (Large carrots, quartered onions, etc.). If there are too few or if they're cut too thin, they'll cook too quickly.
  • Gauge how your vegetables look at the halfway mark when you rotate the roasting pan. If they're cooking too quickly, cover them with a layer of foil (but leave the chicken exposed).

An easy rule of thumb is that chicken takes about 15 minutes/pound to roast at 425 degrees.

Need more Browning?
  • If your chicken needs a touch more color, increase the heat to 500° and use foil to cover up any parts that are already sufficiently browned.
  • Roast for an additional 5 minutes or so. Keep a close eye on it.
Save Your Leftovers!
  • Save your leftovers to make easy homemade chicken stock
  • You can even freeze your leftovers to make stock another day.

Nutrition

Calories: 641kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 213mg, Sodium: 236mg, Potassium: 793mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 5530IU, Vitamin C: 18.2mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!

Recipe Source: The Food Network

 

Order The Cozy Cookbook!

Easy Recipes. Extra Comfort.

Order your copy today!

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Click the Stars to Rate This Recipe




159 comments on “Ina Garten’s Roast Chicken”

  1. Is ok to eat the vegetables that are sitting under the chicken after cooking?

  2. I’ve made this recipe from you before and it is delicious! Do you think it would be okay to add sweet/regular potatoes to the veggies?? Thanks! 

  3. Trying this tonight.  Thanks for the clear, helpful details.

  4. Chicken looks great but my vegetables were torched- like literally black. Any tips?

    • Hey Holly!! I wonder…did you use an extra large roasting pan by any chance, like much larger than the chicken, and spread the vegetables out far beyond where the chicken was? Placing them right underneath the chicken/using them to prop the chicken up protects them from the heat, and the drippings fall on them as well which keeps them moist.

  5. Has anyone used this recipe with two chickens at once (both about 5lbs). I’m assuming the time would just be longer but any input would be great! Thanks.

  6. Hi Ina, I was wondering if you have this recipe in a slow cooker version?

    • Hi Jessica, here is what I found about making this in the Slow Cooker:

      “Season and stuff the chicken as instructed in the recipe, then place it on top of three aluminum foil balls or a rack in your slow cooker to elevate the chicken. Scatter the onion around the chicken and cook on the HIGH setting for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, or on the LOW setting for 4 to 5 hours. Proceed with making the gravy, and broil the chicken briefly to crisp up the skin if desired.”

  7. A Keeper!! Absolutely delicious, my family loved this Roast Chicken recipe, thank you Ina!!

  8. This was the most juicy delicious chicken I’ve ever made. So perfect and not a lot of work.

  9. This is fabulous!  Very simple – a nice fix and forget it recipe.  After assembling and ready to bake, I learned my family doesn’t do black licorice, so we pulled all the fennel out and it was so good!  The gravy is phenomenal.  

    I’ll never buy a rotisserie chicken again!  Our grocery store regularly sells 6# chickens, so our freezer is going to be stocked up!

    • Thanks for the awesome review Mona! I used to think Rotisserie Chickens at the store were the best also, then I found this recipe. This is also a good Thanksgiving turkey alternative for smaller families or families that don’t like turkey!😀

  10. This is my go to recipe as well, but I take it out when the internal temp is 160, it will continue to cook as it rests, so the final temp will get up to 165.

As Seen On…