This Whole Roasted Chicken is a simple weeknight dinner the entire family will love. Made with just a few healthy ingredients- it’s paleo, whole30 & tasty!

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my policy and more about affiliate links.

Roasting a whole chicken is hands down one of my favorite dinners! It is so easy to do, budget friendly, and tastes amazing!

If you’ve never cooked a whole chicken – don’t worry, I’ve outlined all the best tips for you in this post!

Ingredients for a whole chicken:

There’s really no ‘wrong’ ingredient for a whole chicken – but we like lemons, celery, carrots, onions and herbs. You can sub in more or less veggies/herbs depending on your taste.

How to Roast a Whole Chicken

• There really is no ‘wrong’ way to roast a whole chicken. As long as your stuffing it with veggies + spices and coating it in spices/olive oil.. you’ll be good.
• I’ve found that my favorite way to roast a chicken is by using celery, carrots, thyme, rosemary, garlic, onions, lemon, salt and pepper.
• Simply preheat your oven, pat your chicken dry, dress it up, roast and that’s it! The prep time is under 10 minutes!

Tips for Cooking a Whole Chicken

• Don’t be afraid. People seem to be so grossed out or nervous about cooking a whole chicken… it’s really not that different than regular chicken breasts!
  • If you’re really grossed out by it (I mean, I get it.. sticking your hand in a chicken is weird and unpleasant), you can wear disposable gloves
• Make sure to clean out the inside of the chicken. Many chickens will come with the insides pre-cleaned. Sometimes they leave the organs inside in a little bag or pouch. You want to toss those (this is where those gloves come in handy.)
• Always pat your chicken dry before spraying, stuffing and seasoning it – This allows the skin to get really crispy + full absorb the flavors
• Have patience. – An hour or two in the oven might seem like a long time, but it is SO worth it.

Benefits of cooking a whole chicken

• Save $$- Whole chickens are ridiculously cheap. In fact, the ones I bought were almost 75% less than the price of a package of chicken breasts.
  • You guys know me, and you know I’m always looking for ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget. Let’s be real – meat is expensive, especially when you buy free range/organic. Whole chickens are extremely affordable.
• Easy to cook – In addition to being extremely cheap – they’re actually super easy to cook. Taking out the giblets and organs may seem really icky.. but I promise it’s not as bad as it seems and many chickens come without them!
  • If you’re really grossed out by it, grab some disposable gloves, and just get it done.
• Great leftovers – In addition to being cheap and easy to make, they’re SO versatile.
  • I get 2 meals out of this.. because after we eat the meat that’s on the chicken, I throw all of the bones back into the crockpot, fill it with water and make the easy crockpot bone broth EVER

How long do you cook a whole chicken for?

• The cook time for a whole chicken depends on the weight of the bird. This 3 lb chicken only required about 1 hour.
• A good rule to stick by is 20 minutes per lb, and cook to 165 degrees for the internal temperature.

Substitutions for this whole roasted chicken recipe:

• Spices – You can sub any spices/herbs you like in this recipe. Thyme, Rosemary and Sage are all great!
• Veggies- You don’t need to use vegetables in this recipe, but I think they add great flavor
• Low Fodmap – Omit garlic/onions

If you don’t have time to roast the chicken in the oven, you can also follow this recipe for Whole 30 Lemon Rosemary Crockpot Whole Chicken. (The crockpot does all the work!)

Make sure you also visit this Easy Crockpot Bone Broth recipe so you can use up those scraps!

Recipes to pair this whole roasted chicken with:

• Healthy Green Beans Almondine
• Paleo Maple Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Rosemary Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Crispy Dijon Roasted Potatoes

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

One Hour Whole Roasted Chicken

This Whole Roasted Chicken is a simple weeknight dinner the entire family will love. Made with just a few healthy ingredients- it's paleo, whole30 & tasty!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword easy roasted whole chicken, whole roasted chicken recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 342kcal

WW Freestyle Points 1

Author The Clean Eating Couple

Ingredients

• 3 lb whole roasting chicken
• 1 cup carrots quartered
• 1 onion quartered
• 1 cup celery quartered
• 1 lemon sliced in segments
• 2-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chicken stock

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400
• Pat chicken dry, and place in a baking dish or roasting pan. 
  
• Stuff chicken with carrots, onion, garlic, celery & lemon. Leave extra vegetables and lemon around the chicken in the dish. Pour chicken stock into base of the baking dish.
  
• Spray the chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper
  
• Cover the chicken with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  
• Remove foil from chicken + bake for an additional 30 minutes uncovered
  
• Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature - it should be 165. Allow to cool + enjoy!

Notes

Tips for Cooking a Whole Chicken

• Don't be afraid. People seem to be so grossed out or nervous about cooking a whole chicken... it's really not that different than regular chicken breasts!
  • If you're really grossed out by it (I mean, I get it.. sticking your hand in a chicken is weird and unpleasant), you can wear disposable gloves
• Make sure to clean out the inside of the chicken. Many chickens will come with the insides pre-cleaned. Sometimes they leave the organs inside in a little bag or pouch. You want to toss those (this is where those gloves come in handy.)
• Always pat your chicken dry before spraying, stuffing and seasoning it - This allows the skin to get really crispy + full absorb the flavors
• Have patience. - An hour or two in the oven might seem like a long time, but it is SO worth it.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

One Hour Whole Roasted Chicken

Amount Per Serving (6 oz chicken + vegetables)

Calories 342 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 76mg25%

Sodium 711mg31%

Potassium 558mg16%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 5710IU114%

Vitamin C 22.9mg28%

Calcium 55mg6%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Share it! Make sure to tag @thecleaneatingcouple or use #thecleaneatingcouple!