This tender, juicy Butter Roasted Chicken is seasoned with fresh herbs and lemon, then basted with butter for a crispy golden brown skin. It’s easy to make with only four ingredients!
I’ve roasted many chickens in my time. Many.
First, because it’s one of the most delicious meals you can serve your family. And you can change the seasonings to suit your family’s tastes.
And second, because it’s just so easy. Season the chicken, pop it in the oven, and come back later to serve dinner.
I had really never thought that there might be a better method for roasting a chicken until I tried making a butter basted chicken. Since I started using this method, it has become my favorite way to make a juicy, flavorful roast chicken.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Whole Chicken, Fresh Herbs, Lemon, Butter
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I made this for my family and I will be making this again! It was succulent, delicious and I ended up making the best chicken salad I have ever made with all the leftovers. Thank you for sharing this simple way of roasting a chicken because its been one of those dishes that has always scared me. No more fear because of your recipe!“
— Sharon Rozario
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 202 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
Ingredient Notes
- Whole Fresh Chicken – If you can find it, a smaller chicken is best for this recipe. Look for one that is around 4 pounds. I used to find 3-pound chickens, which I really like, but those are rare these days. Chickens today are bred to have so much breast meat that it makes the poor little things top-heavy, and the smallest ones you can find are usually about 4 pounds. Although I have seen some labeled “organic” that are somewhat smaller.
- Fresh Herbs – my favorite combination is tarragon, thyme, rosemary, and sage.
- Lemon – One whole, fresh lemon.
- Butter – Butter is a feature of this roasted chicken recipe. It creates a beautiful, browned skin and adds a huge amount of flavor.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Butter Roasted Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare the Chicken for Roasting
- Whatever size bird you choose, just take it out of its package, remove all the “gunk” from the inside (you know, the giblets and the stuff that makes you go “ewwww”), and dry the skin really well with a paper towel.
- Then, salt and pepper the chicken liberally, both inside and outside.
- Now take your fresh herbs and stick them…well, you know where they go… and push those lemon wedges in there, too. At this point, you can truss the chicken if you want to. I like to do it so that it cooks more evenly, but you don’t have to!
How to Roast and Baste the Chicken
In my opinion, this is the ideal way to baste a chicken. It produces a golden brown chicken with crispy, buttery skin.
- Place the chicken on its left side in either a roasting pan or a cast iron skillet. Place the entire stick of butter on top. Place the pan in the preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, baste the skin all over with the accumulated pan juices, and turn the chicken over on its right side.
- Put it back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan, baste the chicken and turn it with the breast side down.
- Put the pan back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the pan, baste the chicken and turn it breast side up.
- Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the juices run clear at the thigh and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Be sure to baste several more times during the final cooking to create a beautiful golden brown, crispy skin.
Pro Tip
My best tip for roasting chicken is to use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh being careful not to let the thermometer tip touch a bone when reading. Chicken is done when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165F.
Rest Before Serving
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
How to Store Leftovers
To store any leftover chicken, wrap it tightly in plastic or foil. Like most leftover foods, roasted chicken can be kept for about three days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you won’t use your leftovers within three days, freeze them instead of refrigerating. Leftovers make delicious chicken salad and wonderful sandwiches.
More Popular Chicken Recipes
Questions About Butter Roasted Chicken
If you don’t have the same herbs I used in the recipe, you can certainly substitute something else. Dill and basil are both very good. You can also use a different type of citrus. Try orange for a nice change.
Yes, of course. You can roast the chicken earlier in the day (or the day before) if you plan to serve it for dinner and gently reheat it covered with aluminum foil in a low oven (175-200 degrees) for about 20 minutes. Keep in mind that the skin won’t be as crispy when reheated.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Butter Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 4 pounds
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh herbs – my favorite combination is tarragon thyme, rosemary and sage
- 1 lemon quartered
- ¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the giblets from the chicken and dry it the skin well.1 whole chicken
- Thoroughly salt and pepper the chicken both inside and out.Salt and pepper
- Place the herbs and lemon wedges inside and truss if you wish.Fresh herbs – my favorite combination is tarragon, 1 lemon
- Place the chicken on its side in a roasting pan or a large cast iron skillet. Sit the butter on top.¼ cup butter
- Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, baste the skin all over and turn the chicken on its other side.
- Cook for 15 more minutes, remove from oven, baste the skin all over and turn the chicken breast side down.
- Cook for 15 minutes, remove from oven, baste the skin all over and turn the chicken on its back (breast side up).
- Return to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes or until juices at the thigh run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165F. Be sure to baste several more times during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh being careful not to allow the thermometer tip to touch a bone when reading. Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- To store any leftover chicken, wrap it tightly in plastic or foil. Like most leftover foods, roasted chicken can be kept for about three days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you won’t use your leftovers within three days, freeze them instead of refrigerating.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on August 16, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
This was very good, but do you have any suggestions as to how to keep the chicken upright in the baking pan (I used a steamer basket, LOL!)? Also, mine didn’t come out as browned as your photo, so again I’d appreciate any suggestions. But my picky eater son complimented me on this!
Great to know you enjoyed the recipe, Elizabeth! As far as keeping the chicken upright, trussing will definitely help with that. It keeps the bird in a more compact shape and makes it easier to handle as well.
I made this for my family and I will be making this again! It was succulent, delicious and I ended up making the best chicken salad I have ever made with all the leftovers. Thank you for sharing this simple way of roasting a chicken because its been one of those dishes that has always scared me. No more fear because of your recipe!
Thanks Lana.
I’m so glad it turned out well for you!
You know, there are few things better than a well roasted, nicely seasoned chicken. Meets everyone’s expectations, and then some. Serve with some nice bread and a salad, and call it a feast!
Miss P
Yes, a nice roasted chicken is as good for a family meal as it is for company. Especially when it has a half a stick of butter basted all over it :-)
Hi! Just made this recipe for a friends bday tonight and it was an absolute hit! The bird was juicy and extremely flavorful! I actually really enjoyed the periodic basting…every spoonful of melted butter just heightened the anticipation to dig in to this succulent bird! Paired it with panzanella salad for a slightly lighter meal. Thank you!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Carol! It’s one of my favorite ways to roast a whole chicken.
Made this tonight and have to say it was the best roast chicken I’ve ever made and possibly the best I’ve ever eaten!
So glad you enjoyed it!