There are dinners that solve tonight’s problem, and dinners that also make tomorrow a little easier. Roast chicken does both. You get a proper sit-down meal, your kitchen smells amazing, and you’ve got a great base for tomorrow’s dinner too.
That last part matters.
I’ve talked before about using leftovers as meal prep. Making extra at dinner is one of the easiest ways to give yourself a head start which is why, around here, we always roast two at a time. An easy roast chicken is perfect for that: serve some tonight, then use the rest in a salad, tacos, soup, or a bowl with whatever vegetables you’ve got.
Start with a simple roast chicken
You don’t need a complicated marinade or a cabinet full of spices. Salt, pepper, a little olive oil, and whatever herbs you’ve got will get you started. We roast two chickens at least once a week (I snapped some pics while Cez was cooking these the other night) and we turn the leftovers into all kinds of things.
The basic method below is for one unstuffed, fully thawed chicken. If you roast two, double the ingredients and check the temperature of each bird separately. Two chickens sharing a crowded pan can take longer.
What you’ll need
For one 3–4 pound whole chicken:
- 1 whole chicken, fully thawed, giblets removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A few sprigs of thyme or rosemary
- 1 onion, peeled and halved, optional
You’ll also need a roasting pan or a sturdy rimmed sheet pan and a food thermometer. A whole chicken can look gorgeous on the outside before it’s cooked through, so the thermometer earns its drawer space.
How to roast a whole chicken
1. Get the oven and chicken ready. Cez says you’ve got to heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it breast-side up in the pan. Skip rinsing raw chicken; it can spread germs around the sink. Wash your hands and clean anything that touched the raw bird. I always put foil down on my pan to make clean up easier. Next spread a little oil or spray to keep the chicken from sticking.
2. Season it. Rub the skin with olive oil, then season the inside and outside with salt and pepper. Scatter chopped herbs over the top. If you’re using the onion (and we strongly recommend it) tuck the halves into the bird.
3. Give it space. If you’re cooking two, use a large enough pan that they aren’t pressed together, or divide them between two pans.
4. Roast until it’s cooked through. Put the chickens into the oven and immediately turn the temp down to 375. This allows a sear of that outside skin but doesn’t overcook it. A 3–4 pound unstuffed chicken generally takes about 75–90 minutes. Treat that as a planning estimate; the thermometer decides when dinner is ready. Check the thickest part of the breast and the innermost parts of the thigh and wing, without touching bone. Each spot needs to reach at least 165°F. If you’re cooking two birds, check both.
5. Rest, then carve. Let the chicken rest for about 10–15 minutes before carving. Spoon some of the pan juices over the meat when you serve it.
Make dinner easy on yourself
A roast chicken works with almost any side dish as far as I’m concerned. A green salad is our go-to. We also love potatoes, rice, or a vegetables we already have in the fridge. Choose something you can manage while the chicken cooks.
If you’d rather roast the vegetables with the chicken, there’s a roasted chicken with root vegetables recipe in the archives. Carrots, potatoes, squash… very good fall dinner territory.
What to do with leftover roast chicken
Here’s where the extra chicken earns its keep. Before you put everything away, take the remaining meat off the bones. Store some in slices and shred some, so it’s ready for whichever meal you make next.
Chicken salad for lunch. Toss chopped chicken with mayo, celery, and whatever crunchy things you like. If you want a different flavor, try our curry chicken salad. Put it on toast, scoop it onto greens, or eat it with crackers. Count the storage time from when the chicken was first cooked, even after you turn it into a salad.
Tacos or quesadillas. Warm shredded chicken with a splash of broth and some salsa. Tuck it into tortillas with cabbage, avocado, cheese, or whatever’s already open. For quesadillas, a little chicken and cheese between tortillas is plenty; crisp them in a skillet and serve salsa on the side.
A bowl that uses up the fridge. Start with rice or another cooked grain. Add chicken, vegetables, and a sauce you actually like. Change the sauce and the same chicken feels like a different lunch. You can use our quinoa bowl as a starting point and add chicken to your portion.
Chicken soup. Soften chopped onion, carrot, and celery in a pot. Add broth and simmer until the vegetables are tender, then add cooked chicken and noodles or rice. If you’re using cooked rice, stir it in toward the end. Heat the chicken through to 165°F before serving.
Chicken Broth. Cez always turns the chicken bones into a delicious broth that we use to make soups, stews and the best beans you’ve ever had.
