By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 4, 2026
Serves 12
159 cal · 95 min
Simple Roast Chicken
Recipe GLPRb3b39f2b14f3c4
A classic whole roast chicken with aromatic garlic, bay leaves, and bright lemon flavoring. The bird is started at high heat to develop color, then finished at a gentler temperature until the juices run clear. Perfect for a family meal, with crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
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Ingredients
1 whole chicken, 4 to 4.5 pounds
2 garlic cloves, crushed or bashed
2 bay leaves
3.5 ounces butter, softened
1 lemon, halved
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the chicken in a large roasting pan.
Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the crushed garlic cloves and bay leaves.
Rub the softened butter all over the outside of the chicken, covering the breast, legs, and thighs. Squeeze the lemon juice over the buttered chicken and place the lemon halves inside the cavity.
Season the chicken generously inside and out with salt and black pepper.
Roast the chicken at 425°F for 20 minutes until the skin begins to brown.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue roasting for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. You can also check doneness by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a knife—the juices should run clear with no pink.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring moist, tender results.
Comments
Every ingredient is a staple at every Charlotte grocer, and a whole chicken costs less per pound than breasts or thighs—this feeds 12 for under $15 total, roughly $1.25 per serving. The 95-minute stated time is honest: about 15 minutes hands-on prep and 80 minutes roasting, which means you can truly set it and forget it on a weeknight. It reheats beautifully, the leftovers shred into a dozen other meals, and there's nothing fussy about it.
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