Giangi's Kitchen

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Roasted Chicken, or oven-baked chicken, is one of my favorite dishes to prepare.

The preparation is minimal. What is there not to love about that? The stove is clean. Most of all, the oven does it all.

A dish that is a fail-proof dinner.  The perfect Sunday night dinner as the family gathers around to close a week and welcomes the week ahead.

Sunday night dinner at our house is sacrilegious and welcome. This roasted chicken recipe has and continues to grace our table often. 

I love the simplicity of this recipe.

Feel free to improvise if you do not have all the ingredients I used with my recipe. Below I have a few substitution suggestions for you.

A beautiful golden chicken coming out of the oven, presented on a beautiful platter, makes everyone welcome and look forward to the dinner ahead.

Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed to make this oven Roasted Chicken

This is a quick introduction. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.

Chicken: A four-pound chicken will satisfy a family of 6 for dinner. Make sure the wings are still attached and the breasts are even.  

Garlic: It always gives a great flavor to all your meats. If you like garlic, do not be shy to add as you like.

Leek: The great vegetable that is in the onion family. It looks like an overgrown green onion but has a milder and more delicate flavor than onions. Use the white base and part of the light green. You can discard the deep, thick green upper stalk. 

Yellow onion: softer in taste and caramelizes nicely.

Lemons: Make sure that they are juicy.

Fresh thyme: GIves the chicken a subtle flavor. 

Chicken stock:  Sodium-free is my choice as I do not want to add extra sodium to my diet. 

Salt and pepper: Use generously

Olive oil: use a good quality oil 

Equipment needed

I only recommend what I use and love.

Sharp knife for slicing the leeks and lemons

Roasting pan where you will be baking your chicken. Make sure that your chicken fits perfectly in it and that you have room to add m

Serving platter to present your beautiful tender chicken. 

Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to create this excellent Roasted Chicken recipe

This recipe takes no time in the preparations, and since the oven does all the heavy lifting, you will, I am sure, enjoy this recipe. 

Rule of thumb when cooking a chicken in the oven, 30 minutes at 375F per pound.

I always like to check the chicken and remove any remaining feathers.

• First of all, preheat your oven to 375F
• After rinsing your chicken, generously season with salt and pepper the cavity and insert a couple of peeled garlic cloves. Add more if you use more. 
• Slice the leek, white, and light green parts and place them in your roasting pan. Spread them evenly.
• Evenly place the rest of the garlic and the sliced onions with the leeks rounds.
• Deposit the whole chicken, breast side up, over the onions and leeks.
• Drizzle the olive oil over it and rub gently all over. Be ver generous and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the sliced lemon, fresh thyme, and chicken stock around the chicken and place it in the hot oven.

I do not thigh the leg drums together; this will allow it to bake faster.

Occasionally baste the chicken with the juices that are accumulated in the pan. Add more chicken stock if it becomes dry.

Poke the chicken between the leg quarter and the breast once in a while to allow all the juices to run out of your oven-roasted chicken.

Once you poke your chicken and no longer juices are running, your chicken is close to be ready.

Substitutions and variations

Sometimes we do not have all the ingredients on hand, and a trip to the store is not in the cards.

This dish is so simple that you will likely have all the ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator.

Below are some of my substitutions:

• Leek can be substituted with shallots. If neither is on hand, the yellow onion will do as well.
• Thyme can be substituted with rosemary.
• Chicken broth with vegetable broth.
• Lemons can be substituted with oranges or grapefruits. 
• Adding some white wine will give it a nice deep flavor

• . 

What to serve with your roasted chicken?

Chicken is an open, clean canvas that it can be served with so many different grains or vegetables. 

Pasta, rice, and couscous are always the perfect side dish.

Roasted vegetables are so much fun, and you can prepare them alongside the roasted chicken in the oven. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries .

or Roasted Carrots with Orange Brown Butter and Sage

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Mint Peas

What can you prepare with leftover chicken?

Chicken leftovers never last longer than a day, as there are a million different ways you can enjoy them besides the usual sandwich.

A quick chop and add them to mixed green and a light vinaigrette.

Chicken and Potatoes Tortilla

Rice with Chicken

And, of course, you can cut up all the pieces and add them to your Vegetable Chicken soup. 

Storage and re-heating instructions

Store in a glass container for up to a couple of days in the refrigerator. 

If you do not foresee preparing the rest of the chicken right away, you can also freeze the leftover.

Re-heating:

Place the remaining chicken in an oven-proof container, and add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth and butter.

Cover with aluminum foil and place it in a preheated oven at 350F for about 20  minutes. 

If you enjoy this delicious roasted chicken recipe, look at my other recipes.

Penne Pasta, Peas and Bacon

Caramel Apples with Semolina Pudding

Salmon with Basil Mushroom Sauce

Equipment used to create this recipe

Visit my Amazon Storefront for my selection of favorite kitchen essentials. I only recommend equipment that I use and love.

Please read my privacy policy for more info. I only recommend the products that I love and use. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Originally published on March 5, 2020. Updated on April 28, 2023.