Last Updated on 6 April, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
This classic roast chicken recipe provides a mouth watering aroma, tender meat and crispy skin. It takes no time to prepare and uses simple easy-to-get ingredients, such as rosemary, garlic, onion and lemon inside the cavity to flavour the meat. Try serving with my Crispy Semolina Potatoes or Smashed Potatoes. The roast chicken also pairs well with Mashed Potato with Garlic and Thyme.
Roast dinner on a Sunday is a tradition for many. But why stop at Sunday? Any night of the week is great for a Classic Roast Chicken. Serve with traditional roast vegetables and gravy or it also works well with salad for a fresh summer option.
Other Family Favourite Chicken Recipes
- Crispy Fried Chicken – good old crunchy crumbed and fried chicken pieces
- Chicken Breast with Stroganoff Sauce – a twist on the classic beef strips cooked in the stroganoff sauce
- Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders – a slightly healthier version of the traditional fried chicken
- Barbeque Honey Soy Chicken – a healthy barbequed chicken breast fillet marinated in a honey soy sauce
- Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken – the famous ‘Marry Me Chicken’ recipe, Tasteful Pantry style
Roast Chicken Process
Ingredients
- whole chicken
- unsalted butter, softened
- salt
- pepper
- sweet paprika
- lemon, halved or quartered
- sprigs of rosemary
- onion, peeled and quartered
- garlic, whole and peeled
Method
- Preheat the oven and place a roasting rack inside a large pan, ready for the seasoned chicken.
- Wash the chicken and remove any yucky inside parts. Pat dry with paper towel.
- Using your fingers, very carefully lift the skin from the breast and thighs away from the meat – trying not to rip any holes as you do so.
- In a small bowl, mix the butter, salt, pepper and paprika. Make sure the butter is soft so it will easily spread on the chook. Using your hands, spread ¾ of the butter mix under the skin – across both breasts and thighs. If the chicken is cold, the butter will become hard when you start inserting the blend under the skin. It’ll just take a bit of work to get the butter off your fingers and onto the chicken. But don’t stress if it is not even. Wipe the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken.
- Place the chicken on the roasting rack, breast side up. The lemon, rosemary, onion and garlic are used to flavour the chicken meat, but you can also serve the onion and garlic with the chicken.
- Use the remaining rosemary sprig to close the cavity. Poke the stem through the skin on both sides. This step may not be necessary if the stuffing ingredients stay inside the cavity. In which case, also place the 4th sprig of rosemary into the cavity, with the others.
- Roast the chicken. Check at the 50 minute mark to see if it is cooked. The temperature of the chicken breast should be 165F or dig into the thickest part of the thigh meat and the juices should run clear.
- Let the roast chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Calories and Nutritional Information
The figures used in the roast chicken recipe are estimates only. If you require precise figures, please check the numbers yourself as they will vary with different food brands, oil content, fat absorption, etc. If there are optional extras or serving suggestions, these may not have been included in the nutrition and calorie figures.
Feedback and More
Have you given the classic roast chicken recipe a go? I’d really love to know how it was. Select a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Cheers, Elby!
If you liked this recipe, check out some of my other classics. Also, follow The Tasteful Pantry on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for all the latest recipes and info.
Classic Roast Chicken
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg whole chicken
- 30 grams unsalted butter - softened
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ lemon - halved
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 1 onion - peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic - whole and peeled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C | 180°C fan forced. Place a roasting rack inside a large pan.
- Wash the chicken and remove any giblets. Pat dry with paper towel.
- Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and thighs away from the meat – trying not to rip any holes as you do so.
- In a small bowl, mix the butter, salt, pepper and paprika. Using your hands, spread ¾ of the butter mix under the skin – across both breasts and thighs. Wipe the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken.
- Place the chicken breast side up on the roasting rack. Fill the chicken cavity with the lemon, 3 sprigs of rosemary, onion quarters and the garlic. Depending on the size of the cavity, you will likely need to cram the ingredients in.
- Then use the remaining rosemary sprig to close the cavity, by poking the stem through the skin on both sides. This step may not be necessary if the stuffing ingredients stay inside the cavity. In which case, place the 4th sprig of rosemary into the cavity with the others.
- Bake the chicken. Check at the 50 minute mark to see if it is cooked. The internal temperature of the chicken breast should be 74°C (165°F) or dig into the thickest part of the thigh meat and the juices should run clear.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Crispy Semolina Potatoes or Smashed Potatoes.
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
