If you've been craving the ultimate cozy dinner, this garlic butter roasted chicken is exactly what your kitchen needs! It's juicy, tender, full of herby, buttery flavor, and the crispy skin is honestly the best part. This simple, herb-loaded whole chicken feels like something you would make for a special occasion, but it's so easy you can absolutely make it on busy weeknights too!
Whether you're hosting, meal prepping, or just feeding your whole family, this golden perfection is a win every single time! I love making this garlic butter herb roast chicken instead of turkey for friends-giving because it's faster to cook and less intimidating!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
There are so many reasons this garlic butter roasted chicken will become your new go-to!
- It looks fancy but uses super simple ingredients you can grab from any grocery store
- Fresh herbs, melted butter, garlic, and spices give maximum flavor with minimal work
- The crispy skin is absolutely unreal
- Perfect for one-pan meals - just add green beans or potatoes
- Naturally gluten-free and easy to adapt
- Makes your house smell AMAZING
- Make-ahead friendly for holiday meals or big Sunday dinners
- Leftovers are a dream for soups, bowls, and salads
If you love this garlic herb butter roast chicken recipe, you will love my healthy Mississippi pot roast, 4 ingredient slow cooker pork tenderloin, healthy and easy spinach artichoke chicken bake, and lastly my sheet pan garlic and herb salmon!
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Ingredients
- Whole chicken: 4-5 pound bird works best! Juicy, tender, and perfect for absorbing all that garlic herb butter.
- Avocado oil spray: Helps the seasoning stick and encourages golden, crispy skin.
- Salt + black pepper: Essential base seasoning for rich roasted chicken flavor.
- Garlic powder + onion powder: Adds depth and savory goodness to every bite.
- Smoked paprika: Brings color and a subtle smoky warmth.
- Butter, room temperature: The heart of your garlic herb butter! Soft enough to mix easily and spread under the skin of the chicken.
- Rosemary, thyme, and oregano, destemmed and finely minced: Fresh herbs that bring aromatic magic. Half goes in the butter, the rest into the chicken cavity.
- Fresh garlic, minced: Bright, bold, and full of flavor, a must for garlic butter roast chicken.
- Optional onion & apple for cavity: Adds moisture, sweetness, and even more aroma as the chicken cooks.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pre-heat and Make the garlic herb butter. Pre-heat your oven to 400 F and set the rack to the lower mid position. In a small bowl, mix your room-temperature butter with minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. You'll be shocked at how flavorful this compound butter becomes!
- Step 2:Prep your bird: Pat your whole chicken dry with paper towels, spray with avocado oil, and sprinkle on salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
- Step 3: Stuff under the skin. Gently peel back the skin of the chicken breasts and stuff half the butter mixture under the skin on each side. This infuses the meat with buttery flavor as the chicken cooks.
- Step 4: Add cavity aromatics. Place remaining herbs, plus the apple and onion (if using), inside the chicken cavity. They help the chicken cook evenly and add amazing flavor.
Step 5: Melt and pour. Microwave the remaining herb butter for 15-20 seconds until melted, then pour it over the top of the skin. I also like to add an additional sprinkle of smoked paprika on top for color!
Step 6: Roast to golden perfection. Place breast-side up in a roasting pan or cast iron skillet and roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing!
Hint: most herb packages come in 0.5 oz containers, so you will use half of each container and then you can place the extra herbs in the cavity of the chicken.
Hint: Cover your whole chicken with foil for the first 30 minutes and then uncover it and continue cooking to keep the chicken moist. For very crispy, golden skin, leave uncovered.
What can I serve this chicken with?
This garlic herb butter roast chicken pairs with everything! But my favorites are:
- Roasted green beans
- Mashed potatoes
- Roasted carrots
- A simple side salad
- Garlic butter rice (soaks up all those pan juices!)
- You can also serve this with traditional thanksgiving sides!
Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: This garlic butter roasted chicken is naturally gluten-free! Just make sure your broth or sides are gluten-free if serving it with gravy.
- Dairy-Free: Use vegan butter to make this recipe dairy-free.
Variations
- Lemon herb chicken: Add a lemon half inside the cavity and squeeze a little juice over the top.
- Garlic butter chicken thighs: Use the same butter compound mixture with boneless skinless chicken thighs and roast at 400°F for 35-45 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
- Spicy version: Add crushed red pepper and a pinch of cayenne to your seasoning blend
- Butter-free option: Brush with olive oil and fresh herbs for a lighter roasted chicken.
Equipment
Here's all you need to make my garlic butter roast chicken:
- Roasting pan or cast iron skillet
- Paper towels
- Meat thermometer (a must for internal temperature!)
- Small bowl for mixing butter
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Destemming tool for herbs: optional but helpful!
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat gently with a splash of broth to keep it juicy.
- Save the carcass to make chicken broth!
- Leftover chicken freezes great for up to 3 months.
Christina's Dietitian Tip:
Don't toss those pan juices! They're full of flavor and can be drizzled over potatoes, green beans, or rice and they help keep leaner cuts moist. Plus, using a whole chicken gives you nutrient-rich dark and white meat, which is great for balanced meals throughout the week!
FAQ
The easiest way is to use an instant-read meat thermometer! Your chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone). This gives you juicy chicken every time without guessing.
Fresh herbs give the most incredible garlic-herb aroma and maximum flavor, but dried will work in a pinch. Use one-third the amount since dried herbs are stronger.
Yes! That's the secret to super flavorful chicken and extra crispy skin! Spreading the garlic herb butter under the skin helps the butter melt directly into the meat while the top becomes golden perfection.
For each pound of chicken, you will need to roast the chicken for aproximately 15-20 minutes.
Holiday
Looking for other holiday recipes like this? Try these:
Sides
Looking for some sides to serve this with?
Jump to: Recipe
Garlic Butter Roasted Chicken
Equipment
- Roasting pan or cast iron skillet
- Paper towels
- Meat thermometer (a must for internal temperature!)
- Small bowl for mixing butter
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Destemming tool for herbs: optional but helpful!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds
- Avocado oil spray
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 stick butter room temperature
- 0.25 oz rosemary destemmed and finely minced
- 0.25 oz thyme destemmed and finely minced
- 0.25 oz oregano destemmed and finely minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- Optional: ½ chopped onion + 1 chopped apple for cavity
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 F and set the rack to the lower mid position. In a small bowl, mix your room-temperature butter with minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. You'll be shocked at how flavorful this compound butter becomes!
- Pat your whole chicken dry with paper towels, spray with avocado oil, and sprinkle on salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
- Gently peel back the skin of the chicken breasts and stuff half the butter mixture under the skin on each side. This infuses the meat with buttery flavor as the chicken cooks.
- Place remaining herbs, plus the apple and onion (if using), inside the chicken cavity. They help the chicken cook evenly and add amazing flavor.
- Microwave the remaining herb butter for 15-20 seconds until melted, then pour it over the top of the skin. I also like to add an additional sprinkle of smoked paprika on top for color!
- Place breast-side up in a roasting pan or cast iron skillet and roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing!
Notes
Hint: Cover your whole chicken with foil for the first 30 minutes and then uncover it and continue cooking to keep the chicken moist. For very crispy, golden skin, leave uncovered. Hint: most herb packages come in 0.5 oz containers, so you will use half of each container and then you can place the extra herbs in the cavity of the chicken.
Scroll up to see substituions (dietary swaps), variations, storage tips, dietitian tip and what to serve this dish with! if you make this recipe, don't forget to leave a rating and review and make sure to tag me on socials @easyeatsdietitian
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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