Simple and Easy Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken is a classic that, when done right, is juicy on the inside with crispy skin on the outside. This recipe is carnivore-friendly and serves as an amazing meal prep.

I have been making this roast chicken for years. Because it serves as the best dinner and easiest meal prep for other meals, it’s become a major staple in my kitchen. This particular recipe is carnivore-friendly, but there are plenty of variations to try. It’s so versatile and so simple to make.

When I make this for dinner, I always have leftovers. After getting all the meat off the bones, I not only have plenty of shredded chicken for other meals, but I also have plenty of bones to save for broth. Nothing goes to waste. I always put the bones in a freezer safe bag and store them until I want to make bone broth next. Here’s a recipe for a standard broth. And if you’re here because you’re eating animal based, then here’s a carnivore-friendly bone broth for you.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS WHICH MEANS I MAKE A SMALL COMMISSION AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.

Ingredients for roasted chicken

Whole chickens:

First of all, I think it’s important to source all meat from local farms. Shortening the chain between farm and table is always going to increase the quality of your ingredients. And then roasting the whole chicken versus specific cuts like breast or thigh is most ideal for a few reasons.

I find it to be extremely affordable to buy an entire chicken. It also stays super juicy with the skin still on which gets crispy and delicious in the oven. But most importantly, consuming the whole animal is much healthier for our bodies and more sustainable in that fewer animal parts go to waste.

Unsalted butter:

Unsalted versus salted is a heated debate in some circles. I, for one, prefer control over the salt that I use. The salt I add to my butter is so much tastier and more mineral rich than any salted butter from the store can offer me.

High-quality salt:

When such few ingredients are at play, I always opt for using the highest quality versions I can buy. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Redmonds Real Salt – I use this as a generic salt. It’s free of micro-plastics and mined in the US.
• Maldon Flaky Salt – This is a great finishing salt. It adds a nice little crunch and delicious bursts of salty goodness.
• Infused Salt – I’m not affiliated with this brand, but I have their rosemary infused salt. It’s so good on slices of medium-rare chargrilled steak.
• Makai Pure – I’d love to be sponsored by them because I constantly rave about this salt. You may be familiar with it’s brand, Celtic Sea Salt, but this is their lesser-known product that can only be purchased through their umbrella brand website, Selina Naturally. It’s extremely high in minerals, mined in the US, and the flavor is off the charts.

Supplies needed

The supply list is very short on this one. I like to put two chickens to one sheet pan and line that with aluminum foil. I just prefer easier clean up, but you can go without the foil. Another optional but handy supply I always have on hand is food grade gloves. Other than that, you may also want a bowl to mix your butter and salt together, and that’s it!

• Sheet pan
• Aluminum foil
• Food grade gloves
• Medium-sized bowl

Making roasted chicken

While the oven is preheating to 375F/190C, I take that time to prepare all my ingredients. The sheet pan gets covered in foil, and the butter and salt get combined. I put a few sheets of paper towels next to the sink, so I can decrease my chances of cross-contamination in my kitchen.

Prep the chicken

I like to cut open my chicken in the sink to contain the raw juices. With the sheet pan and paper towels nearby, I’ll place each chicken on the pan. Subsequently I pat the top and bottom of each one down with paper towels.

After the chickens are on the sheet pan, I like to clean my hands. I’ll sprinkle salt all over the surface – top and bottom. Unless you used tongs to move the chicken around when salting, you may need to wash your hands again at this point. This next part is when I like to use gloves.

Butter the chicken

Taking about a tablespoon in your fingers at a time, gently massage it between the breast and the skin. After doing this on both sides, I usually have just enough left to coat the surface of the top of the chicken.

Get roasting

Bake in the oven, breast side up, for an hour and fifteen minutes. This time at this temperature is a sure method of getting perfectly roasted chicken. If you’re new to cooking with chicken and want to be more precise, use an instant read thermometer to determine the temperature. Stick it in the thickest part of the chicken, and when it has reached an internal temperature of 165F/74C it’s finished.

Non-carnivore variation of roasted chicken

An equally simple and delicious way to make this is by drizzling olive oil over the surface of the chicken before sprinkling equal parts salt and pepper. They come out golden brown with a little more bite and flavor from the pepper. The chicken meat is still tender and juicy. Below are a few variation ideas to season the chicken and a few different fats to try. Which combination seems best to you?

There are many more ways to season and increase the flavor of your roasted chicken, but even at its simplest with just butter and salt, it’s still a delectable treat.

What variations did you choose? Comment below.