A whole chicken may seem intimidating but in my opinion it is one of the easiest ways to cook chicken, albeit the cooking time is a little bit longer as opposed to just breasts or our leg quarters.

No major preparations need to be made ahead of time aside from having some butter out to soften and the recipe can be altered anyway you'd like.

Just be sure to tuck the wings and tie the legs close to the body so everything cooks evenly and that you have your chicken evenly covered with the compound butter so the whole chicken develops a nice golden brown crispy skin.

- Executive Chef, Todd Zimmerman

Easy Whole Roast Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

 

Ingredients

1, 3 to 4 pound whole pasture-raised Azuluna chicken

3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced

 

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Step 2

To prepare the chicken for roasting, tuck wings behind back to hold in place, and truss the legs firmly together using butcher’s twine.

Step 3

In a small bowl combine the softened butter, grapeseed oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, and mix thoroughly. 

Step 4

Rub butter all over the surface of the whole chicken, making sure to tuck some under the chicken breast skin to ensure crispy skin. 

Step 5

Roast at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. 

Step 6

Let chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.