Best Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Garlic Butter

Finding a reliable weeknight dinner that actually makes your kitchen smell amazing can feel impossible. You know the drill – you’re tired from a long day, the kids are asking what’s for dinner every five minutes, and you’re staring into the fridge hoping for inspiration to strike.

This oven roasted chicken with lemon rosemary garlic butter is exactly what you need in your back pocket. It’s simple enough for a Tuesday night but impressive enough that your family will think you spent hours in the kitchen, plus the herb and garlic aromas will have everyone gathering around the table before you even call them for dinner.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want to use a whole chicken that weighs between 4-5 pounds, which is perfect for feeding a family of four to six people. You can choose between conventional, organic, or free-range chicken – all will work well, though free-range tends to have a bit more flavor. Make sure your chicken is completely thawed if you bought it frozen, and try to take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking so it comes to room temperature. Don’t forget to remove the giblets and neck from the cavity before you start cooking, as these are often tucked inside the bird when you buy it.

Options for Substitutions

This roasted chicken recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Whole chicken: If you can’t find a 4-5 pound whole chicken, you can use chicken pieces like thighs and drumsticks. Just reduce the cooking time by about 20-30 minutes and check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
• Fresh rosemary: Don’t have fresh rosemary? Use 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary instead of the fresh sprigs, but add it to the butter mixture rather than stuffing it in the cavity.
• White wine: You can replace the white wine with chicken broth, or even just water with a splash of lemon juice. The wine adds flavor but isn’t essential for the recipe to work.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter works fine too – just reduce the added salt in the recipe by about half to avoid over-salting.
• Fresh lemons: While fresh lemons give the best flavor, you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch. Use about ¼ cup bottled juice and 1 tablespoon of dried lemon zest instead.
• Onions: Yellow, white, or even red onions all work well here. You can also use shallots for a milder flavor – just use about 4-5 large shallots instead.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when roasting chicken is not letting it come to room temperature before cooking, which leads to uneven cooking with a dried-out exterior and undercooked interior – take your bird out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before roasting.

Another common error is overcrowding the cavity with too many aromatics, so stick to just the halved garlic head, lemon halves, and a couple rosemary sprigs to allow proper air circulation.

Don’t forget to pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning, as any moisture will prevent the skin from getting crispy, and always use an instant-read thermometer to check that the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.

For extra flavor, gently loosen the skin over the breast meat and rub some of that lemon-garlic butter mixture directly onto the meat before roasting.

What to Serve With Oven Roasted Chicken?

This lemon rosemary chicken pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables like carrots, Brussels sprouts, or potatoes that can cook right alongside the chicken in the same pan. The garlic butter and lemon flavors work great with creamy mashed potatoes or rice pilaf to soak up all those delicious pan juices. For a lighter option, try a simple arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette that complements the citrus notes in the chicken. Don’t forget some crusty bread to mop up every bit of that flavorful sauce from the bottom of the pan!

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Your roasted chicken will keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in foil. I like to carve it up and store the pieces separately so it’s easier to grab for quick meals throughout the week. The lemon and herb flavors actually get even better after a day or two!

Freeze: This chicken freezes really well for up to 3 months. I recommend shredding or cutting it into portions before freezing in freezer-safe bags or containers. Label with the date and you’ll have protein ready for soups, salads, or quick dinners whenever you need it.

Warm Up: To enjoy your leftover chicken, gently warm it in a 350°F oven covered with foil for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also use the microwave on medium power, but the oven keeps it from drying out. If you’re using it cold, it’s perfect for chicken salad or sandwiches!

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	70-80 minutes
Total Time	85-100 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2100-2500
• Protein: 220-270 g
• Fat: 120-150 g
• Carbohydrates: 35-45 g

Ingredients

For the chicken and seasoning:

• 1 chicken (4 to 5 lb) at room temperature, giblets and neck removed
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
• Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

For roasting:

• 2 onions, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• 3 lemons (2 halved, 1/2 lemon thinly sliced)
• 2 whole sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Seasoned Butter

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
• kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 425°F and place a rack in the lower third.

In a bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter with the finely grated lemon peel, 3 minced garlic cloves, minced rosemary, kosher salt, and ground pepper.

Mix until well blended to create a flavorful herb butter.

Step 2: Season and Stuff the Chicken

• 1 chicken (4 to 5 lb) at room temperature, giblets and neck removed
• kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
• lemon halves (from 3 lemons: use 1/2 lemon here)
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise (use 1/2 head here)
• 2 onions, quartered (use 2-3 quarters here)
• 2 whole sprigs fresh rosemary
• herb butter from Step 1

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and rub half of the prepared herb butter mixture (from Step 1) underneath the skin, and the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken.

Season the chicken all over with additional kosher salt and black pepper.

Generously season the cavity as well, then stuff it with one lemon half, half a head of garlic (cut side up), 2 to 3 onion quarters, and the whole sprigs of rosemary.

Next, truss the chicken legs with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the body to ensure even roasting.

Step 3: Set Up the Roasting Pan

• chicken, trussed and stuffed (from Step 2)
• remaining onion quarters (from 2 onions)
• remaining garlic (from 1 head garlic, halved crosswise)
• lemon halves and thin slices (from 3 lemons)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Position the prepared chicken breast-side-up in a roasting pan.

Surround it with the remaining onion quarters, remaining half of garlic head, halved lemons, and lemon slices for extra flavor.

Pour the dry white wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

These aromatics and liquids will infuse the chicken with moisture and flavor and help build a delicious base for pan juices.

Step 4: Roast and Baste the Chicken

• chicken and aromatics from Step 3

Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the breast is firm and starting to brown in spots.

Using tongs, carefully turn the chicken breast-side-down, baste it with the pan juices, and roast for an additional 20 minutes until the skin is lightly browned.

Then, turn the chicken breast-side-up again, baste once more, and if the wine has evaporated, add 1/2 cup of water to prevent burning.

Continue roasting for about 20 more minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 155°F to 160°F and the juices run clear.

I like to check in the last 10 minutes and spoon the flavorful pan juices over the chicken for extra moisture and taste.

Step 5: Rest, Carve, and Serve

Transfer the roasted chicken to a cutting board and loosely tent it with foil.

Let it rest for about 10 minutes to keep it juicy.

Remove any aromatics and vegetables from the cavity before carving the chicken into serving pieces.

Serve the succulent roast chicken with the roasted onions, garlic, lemons, and a drizzle of pan juices.

For a bright finish, I like to squeeze a little of the roasted lemon over the meat just before serving.