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This whole roasted chicken with potatoes is very easy to make, hearty and cozy, all time favorite for a homemade family dinner.
This post was first posted in November 2014 and updated in Oct 2018.
Roasting a whole chicken might seem like a lot of work, but I assure you this Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes is so worth making.
Since I’m not experienced with cooking a whole turkey, I decided to just share with you a roast chicken with potatoes recipe, that I enjoy making very often. I made this for a family dinner last week and I even managed to take pictures of it. Everyone enjoyed the perfectly seasoned and cooked meat and it took me less than 2 hours to make.
Homemade roasted chicken versus rotisserie chicken:
I know that some people feel like roasting a chicken at home is absolutely unnecessary, since you can get a whole rotisserie chicken for not a lot of money, but believe me, this homemade chicken tastes absolutely delicious.
It is moist and tender, and I’ll share with you how I make that skin perfectly crisp and edible.
Yes, if you are short on time, rotisserie chicken is a great, delicious, quick and inexpensive choice. But if you have the time to roast your own chicken you should definitely do it.
Tips to make roasted chicken with potatoes:
For meals like this Whole Roast Chicken With Potatoes, I like to make some garlic -thyme butter, and rub it under and over the bird’s skin. I also like to stuff the inside of the chicken with lemon slices, shallots (or onions) and thyme, to keep is moist and add more flavors on the inside.
My mom used to make roast chicken the exact same way, and this recipe has been tested many times. I also cook potatoes in the same pan at the same time I roast the chicken. It really saves time, potatoes absorb some of the juices that chicken releases and you only wash one pan.
I think that roasted chicken is so much easier to make than a huge turkey, so if you have some time and would like some homemade juicy chicken meat, you should definitely try this recipe.
What ingredients do I need to make Roasted Chicken with Potatoes?
- Whole young chicken
- salt
- black pepper
- thyme
- garlic
- shallot
- lemon
- oil
- butter
- potatoes
- parsley
- chicken stock
How do I cook Chicken With Potatoes?
The most quick and easy way to cook a whole chicken with potatoes is to roast them together in one pan. In this recipe I often use sheet pan for roasting, but the last time I roasted it in my dutch oven and it worked pretty good.
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Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C).
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Wash and dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper the inside and outside.
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Prepare garlic-thyme butter: In a skillet over medium heat, heat up olive oil, then add shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add in butter, thyme, parsley and lemon zest.
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Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, gently separate the skin from the meat, without tearing through the skin.
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Using your fingers, gently spread garlic -thyme butter under the skin and over the skin of the chicken.
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Place slices of lemon, 2-3 shallots and 1-2 garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together.
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Prepare potatoes- peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and parsley. Add in shallots and garlic. (Shallots and garlic are totally optional, you can only roast potatoes).
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Grease a baking dish or line with aluminum foil and grease over the foil. Place chicken in the middle. Add potatoes, shallots and garlic. Pour chicken stock over potatoes. Alternatively use a Dutch oven or a Braiser to roast the chicken.
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Roast chicken with potatoes for 1 hour at 375 F. Take out of the oven and carefully flip chicken around. Roast for 15 more minutes, until browned and turn chicken again. Broil for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye on the chicken and potatoes, making sure they don’t burn.
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The top should be nicely browned, not burned. Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the chicken, type of oven used, type of pan used, etc. Thermometer inserted into the breast meat should read 165 F. (74 C).
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Take out of the oven and let chicken cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
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Cut, serve and enjoy.
How long to roast a whole chicken on the oven for?
It depends on the size of the chicken and oven temperature. The rule usually is to roast for 20 minutes per pound at 350 F.
I like to roast whole chicken at slightly higher temperature 375 F.
For crispy skin, broil for 3-5 minutes at the end.
More chicken recipes:
Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes
Ingredients
Chicken
- olive oil for baking dish
- one 3 1/2 pound chicken
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon, (I used zest for the thyme garlic butter)
- 2-3 shallots
- 1 garlic clove chopped
Potatoes
- 2 lb potatoes, (yukon, red)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp thyme, (fresh or 1/2 tsp dry)
- 1 tsp parsley, (fresh or 1/2 tsp try)
- 10 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
Garlic thyme butter
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp minced Thyme
- 1 tbsp minced Parsley
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot -minced
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C).
- Wash and dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper the inside and outside.
- Prepare garlic-thyme butter: In a skillet over medium heat, heat up olive oil, then add shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add in butter, thyme, parsley and lemon zest.
- Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, gently separate the skin from the meat, without tearing through the skin.
- Using your fingers, gently spread garlic -thyme butter under the skin and over the skin of the chicken.
- Place slices of lemon, 2-3 shallots and 1-2 garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together.
- Prepare potatoes- peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and parsley. Add in shallots and garlic. (Shallots and garlic are totally optional, you can only roast potatoes).
- Grease a baking dish or line with aluminum foil and grease over the foil. Place chicken in the middle. Add potatoes, shallots and garlic. Pour chicken stock over potatoes.
- Roast chicken with potatoes for 1 hour at 375 F. Take out of the oven and carefully flip chicken around. Roast for 15 more minutes, until browned and turn chicken again. Broil for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye on the chicken and potatoes, making sure they don't burn.
- The top should be nicely browned, not burned. Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the chicken, type of oven used, type of pan used, etc. Thermometer inserted into the breast meat should read 165 F. (74 C).
- Take out of the oven and let chicken cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Cut, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Roast chicken is one of my favorite dinners! Especially when there are potatoes involved. It’s just hard to stop eating it! Yours looks fantastic, Mira.
Thanks Mir!!!
That garlic butter sounds amazing and that chicken looks perfect.
Looking forward to trying it!
I hope you enjoy it Dannii!
I’m soo glad you shared this recipe with us Mira because have you noticed how those rostisserie chickens have gotten a lot smaller at the grocery store? They are tiny now. I need 2 to feed my family. But if I use your recipe, I can just buy one chicken at a fraction of the cost and it looks incredibly tender. What a lovely Sunday meal. And you don’t always feel like running to the grocery store and sometimes they actually run out of chickens! Have a splendid week =) Love love love that garlic thyme butter…..ready to smother my leftover turkey in it as well.
Thanks Laura! I agree on the rotisserie chickens. Glad you like this simple roast chicken recipe! Have a great week and happy Thanksgiving!
Mira this looks amazing! My family makes turkey for Thanksgiving, but the big bird is quite unwieldy and hard to finish eating unless there is a small army coming. I like your idea of making roast chicken for Thanksgiving – I’ll have to try that next year! The seasonings on this look delicious.
Roasted whole chicken is something that I haven’t challenged yet. But you’re right, it’s definitely easier to bake a whole chicken than a giant turkey. I’m not very good at making a huge dish for a lot of people, this one seems perfect for the coming holiday! 🙂
Thanks Maggie! Chicken is much easier and safer to me, definitely great for the holidays! I loved the african chicken of you blog!
This is a great recipe! I have such problems w/grocery store rotisserie chix. They claim they’re sugar free, yet glucose is listed throughout the ingredient list. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I am careful. Also, I follow LCHF (low carb hi fat). If I leave out the potatoes, will it be OK? Could add celery. Thanks!! ?
Hi Lori, hope you like this recipe. I also follow low carb diet, but the recipe is an old one, from the time I used to eat potatoes. You can make green beans, mashed cauliflower or any other low-carb vegetable to go with the chicken.
You are right, store bought rotisserie chickens often have brown sugar or glucose in them used as “preservative”. Not too good for people who can not have sugar…
Great recipe! Will be making it again!
How long would you roast this with the potatoes if you a have 6-7 lb chicken
First, make sure you cut the potatoes into larger pieces so they don’t overcook while roasting the chicken. The rule is usually 20 minutes per pound at 350 F, or until thermometer inserted into the breast reads 165 F.
Do you put a cover to cook?
I did not, but if you feel that the top is starting to brown quickly, you can cover at some point and keep checking the chicken
Hello I intend to make this tonight but I have questions. Do you chope shallots and garlic? And what are shallots to you? I’m french so shallots are ” french échalotes” and shallots in canada are green onion.. Lol confusing!!!
Yes, shallots are chopped, but onion can be used, too. They are small elongated onions, with milder flavor. Not green onions like in Canada 🙂