If you want a meal that will fill you up, is pretty healthy, and can provide plenty of tasty leftovers, then pick up a whole chicken at your local grocery store and get ready to roast that bird! Roasting a chicken is one of those things that seems like a lot more work than it actually is. In fact, cooking a whole chicken is quite simple, doesn’t take a huge amount of prep or work (the most time-consuming part is cooking it in the oven), and is a perfect family meal. So the next time you feel overwhelmed by dinner, pick up a chicken at the grocer and follow these steps for a perfect home cooked meal.

How to Cook a Whole Chicken

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Once that’s done, let’s get ready to prep the bird. Start by softening 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave and set aside. Unwrap the whole chicken and take out the giblets. They’ll be in a small bag inside of the chicken’s cavity. Next, rinse off the chicken in cool water and place in a roasting dish.

Prep the Bird

Take the softened butter and spread over the bird’s skin – don’t be afraid to get dirty. Use your hands to spread the butter all over the breasts and wings, making sure you don’t miss any parts. This is especially important as it will help the skin to brown and crisp up during cooking (and that equals deliciousness). Sprinkle salt liberally all over the chicken, and follow up with a sprinkle of pepper. Don’t worry about over-salting the chicken, as the salt helps draw out the water in the meat and will contribute to a juicier chicken.

The next step is to add some aromatics. This will help season the chicken, but will keep it light and will keep the flavors from overwhelming the meat. Half a lemon; squeeze a little bit of the lemon juice on top of the chicken; then, take both halves of the lemon and stuff them inside of the chicken’s cavity (right where you found the giblets!). Take a head of garlic, break or cut it in half, and toss that in as well. If you’re feeling especially festive, take a sprig of thyme and throw that in there too.

Time to Cook

Now you’re ready to put it in the oven. Use a meat thermometer to get it perfectly. We’ve talked before about the benefits of using a meat thermometer, and it still holds true – it’s the best way to ensure that you don’t overcook or undercook your meat, so use one. Cook the chicken until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you still feel more comfortable with a time frame, this should take somewhere between an hour to an hour and a half. As always, check the meat to make sure it’s fully cooked and the juices run clean when you cut into it.

Once the chicken is done cooking, serve with any number of sides: roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, white rice, quinoa… there’s really no limit to what pairs well with roasted chicken. Do you have any tips on how to cook a whole chicken? Have any favorite side dishes that you like to pair with roast chicken? Share with us in the comments!

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