How to Cook a Whole Chicken: Best and Simplest Way Ever

Bake a whole chicken in about an hour.

In just about an hour, you can fill your home with pleasing aromas and have a small feast ready for your family or even a few guests. Prepare a whole chicken for a classic, home-cooked meal. Add some vegetables to the roasting pan for a side dish with minimal effort. This is a low cost, easy and delicious option for dinner.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Whole chicken
• Shallow roasting pan
• Salt
• Butter
• Rosemary
• Olive oil, optional
• Onion, optional
• Garlic, optional
• Carrots, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Unwrap the chicken and remove the giblets. Rinse thoroughly and pat semidry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and then smear the outside with about 3 tablespoons butter. Put a little butter in the bottom of the baking pan and add the chicken, breast-side up. Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary for extra flavor.

3. Place the pan in the center of oven and cook about 65 minutes. For chickens larger than 3.5 pounds, add 8 to 10 minutes per pound. If you want a vegetable side dish, chop carrots, onions and garlic. After the chicken has been in the oven about 20 minutes, add the vegetables to the pan, along with about 1 cup of water. Drizzle with a little olive oil.