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Home » Recipes » Chicken

Slow Roasted Chicken: A Perfect Roast Chicken Every Time!

September 8, 2021 Updated March 21, 2022 by Lisa Goldfinger 77 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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Pinterest Pin: a whole slow roasted chicken seen from above, with a few sprigs of fresh thyme on top

This Slow Roasted Chicken Recipe makes it easy to cook up a perfect roast chicken every time, with juicy flavorful meat that practically falls off the bone, golden brown skin, and luscious pan juices (to spoon over mashed potatoes!) 

a whole roasted chicken in a black roasting pan with sprigs of thyme on top

With garlic and spices slathered all over the chicken, and the gentle heat of a 300ºF oven for three hours, this chicken gets meltingly tender, soaking up all the incredible flavors of the garlic and spice mixture into every delicious bite! 

The Best Way to Roast A Chicken

Every home cook needs a great roast chicken recipe in their repertoire. Roasting a whole chicken is not hard to do, yet if you get it wrong, you can end up with rubbery drumsticks, dried out breast meat and soggy skin - a very sad situation.

There are so many ways to roast a chicken it's almost dizzying. Some recipes focus on super crisp skin, others have a special two-sided cooking technique designed to keep the breasts moist, some include vegetables for a full roasted dinner in one pot.

Out of all the roasted chicken recipes that I've seen and tried, this slow roasted chicken is one of the easiest methods I know, and it's fail proof. You get a perfect roast chicken every time! 

Here’s what I love about this slow roasted chicken recipe:

  • The prep time is only 15-20 minutes
  • The lemon, garlic, fennel and thyme create amazing flavor
  • Though the cook time is long - 3 hours - there's no basting or fuss. You just set it and forget it. 
  • As the chicken roasts, the house fills up with a heavenly aroma
  • Because the oven heat is so low - 300ºF/150ºC - there's no risk that the chicken will dry out or that the garlic and herbs on top will burn. With this method, even the white meat is juicy and tender. 

How To Slow Roast A Whole Chicken In The Oven

Here's how to do it: coat the chicken with the garlic and spice mixture, inside and out; stuff the cavity with more garlic, a sliced lemon, and fresh thyme; tie up the legs; and roast the chicken in a 300ºF/150ºC oven for three hours. 

  • Start by Preheating the oven to 300ºF. While it's heating, make the garlic and spice mixture: Whisk the olive oil, garlic, fennel, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Spoon it over, under and inside the chicken, and use your hands to spread it evenly over every surface of the chicken, making sure there's plenty on top of the breasts, which will soak up all those delicious flavors. This is the perfect combination of flavors for an incredibly delicious roasted chicken. 

a wooden cutting board topped with sliced lemon, a bunch of fresh thyme, several garlic cloves, a glass bowl with salt and spices, and a glass bowl with olive oil and garlic. the next photo shows a raw chicken being rubbed with olive oil, garlic and spices

  • Stuff the cavity of the chicken with lightly crushed garlic cloves, the sliced lemon, and the fresh thyme. 
  • Truss the chicken: Tie the chicken's legs together with kitchen twine. This will help the chicken cook evenly (more about trussing below).
  • Roast the chicken in the oven for three hours. No need to baste it or to even check on it. Just set the timer and when you come back, you'll have a perfect roast chicken!

raw chicken coated with spice rub, showing the cavity filled with fresh thyme, lemon slices, and garlic cloves, the next photo shows the whole chicken in the pan from above, with the legs tied together

a whole slow roasted chicken in a black roasting pan, seen from the side

  • Wait 15 minutes before carving. When you take the chicken out of the oven, it needs a little time to cool down a bit and redistribute its juices.

How to Slice and Serve A Whole Slow Roasted Chicken 

This slow roasted chicken cooks up so tender and easy to slice, I often cut it up right in the roasting pan. Transferring it to a cutting board works well too! Here's my favorite way to slice and serve a roast chicken.

  • First cut the chicken into eight pieces: two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, and two wings. Then cut each breast crosswise into five or six slices. That way everyone can have a thigh or a leg plus a couple of pieces of white meat. 
  • Arrange the chicken pieces on a platter or, even easier, in the same pan you used to roast it. Nestle the pieces into the pan juices, put the lemon slices around (they're delicious by the way), and sprinkle some thyme leaves around, or chopped parsley, for color.
  • For the perfect roast chicken dinner, serve this chicken with mashed potatoes and a leafy salad with bright citrusy dressing.

a whole slow roasted chicken cut into pieces in a black ceramic roasting pan with slice3s of lemon and sprigs of thyme strewn around.

Three Tips for making the best whole roasted chicken:

  • Let the chicken come to room temperature before roasting it. If you put a cold chicken in the oven, it will lower the oven temperature; the chicken won't cook as evenly; and your recipe timing will be off. A half an hour out of the fridge is plenty of time for the chicken to come to room temperature. 
  • Pat the skin dry with paper towels. The drier the better if you want the chicken skin to brown. A wet chicken will create a steamy oven which can result in soggy skin. Some chefs recommend salting the chicken and putting it in the fridge overnight, uncovered to dry it out completely before roasting it. Some even recommend using a hair dryer! Or you can buy an air chilled chicken, which is low-moisture. Personally, I'm very happy with the paper towel method. 
  • Truss the Chicken (tie the legs together). The key here is to tie the ends of the legs together, which helps the chicken cook evenly. When the legs are tight against the breasts, both are less likely to dry out. Also, trussing the chicken closes up the cavity and prevents hot air from circulating in there and drying out the breasts.

A whole chicken cut up into serving pieces, nestled into pan juices with sliced lemons strewn around

Here's the Slow Roasted Chicken Recipe. If you try this, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

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A whole roasted chicken in a black roasting pan with sprigs of thyme on top.

Slow Roasted Chicken: A Perfect Roast Chicken Every Time


★★★★★

4.9 from 24 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This low and slow cooking technique is an easy, no fail recipe for making a perfect whole roast chicken in the oven, with meltingly tender flavorful meat, golden brown skin, and luscious pan juices.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3½–4 pound chicken
  • 8 medium garlic cloves, divided
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons of ground fennel seed (even better if you freshly crush 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds with mortar and pestle)
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 1 whole bunch of fresh thyme

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300ºF (not convection) and arrange a rack in the center position. Remove the chicken from the fridge so it has time to come to room temperature before you roast it (see notes below).
  2. Squeeze 3 of the garlic cloves through a garlic press or finely mince them, and put them into a small mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, fennel, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
  3. Remove the giblet pouch from the cavity of the chicken (if there is one); rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat it very dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan.
  4. Coat the chicken with the garlic and spice mixture, spooning it on, under and inside the chicken, and using your hands to spread it around evenly, making sure there's plenty on top of the breasts.
  5. Lightly crush the remaining 5 garlic cloves (see notes below) and stuff them into the cavity of the chicken. Set aside a few sprigs of fresh thyme to use as a garnish and stuff the rest into the chicken, along with the sliced lemon. Tie the chicken's legs together with twine (see notes below) and roast it in the oven for 3 hours, undisturbed.
  6. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest in its juices for fifteen minutes before carving. Cut it into eight serving pieces and then cut each breast crosswise, into 5 or 6 thin slices, if you like. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or, even easier, serve it right in the roasting pan. Nestle the chicken pieces into the pan juices, scatter the cooked lemons around, and garnish with reserved thyme sprigs.

 

Notes

Three Tips for making the best roast chicken:

  1. Bring the chicken to room temperature before roasting it. If you put an ice cold chicken in the oven, it will lower the oven temperature; the chicken won't cook evenly; and your timing will be off. Make sure the chicken is out of the fridge for a half hour to 45 minutes, before roasting it.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. The drier the better if you want the skin to brown.
  3. Truss the Chicken (tie the legs together). When the legs are tied together, they're held tight against the breasts and both the legs and breasts are less likely to dry out. Also, trussing closes up the cavity of the chicken, which prevents hot air from circulating in there and drying out the breasts.

How to lightly crush and peel garlic: Place an unpeeled garlic clove under the flat side of a large kitchen knife and pound the top side of the knife with the heel of your hand (VERY CAREFULLY, AVOIDING THE BLADE), to lightly crush the garlic. The skin will come off easily.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Roast
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: How to roast a chicken, oven roasted chicken, roasted whole chicken

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken, Cooking Techniques, Fall Favorites, main course, Most Popular Recipes, North America, The United States

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Patty

    March 25, 2023 at 10:51 am

    I never cook chicken uncovered and was afraid it would be dry. No indeed! One of the best chicken dishes I have ever had.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Neveen

    March 23, 2023 at 12:33 pm

    This recipe has become a staple in our house. It’s fall-off-the-bone tender and oh so flavorful. Generally, I roast in a pan with a rack to keep the chicken separate from the juices. It’s still very tender but it gives me some flexibility to use the chicken in other recipes (eg, enchiladas, tacos, sandwiches, etc.). I plan to make it as described and will report back after. I’m sure it’s equally delicious and flexible.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Rita

    March 13, 2023 at 5:31 pm

    This has to be the best roast chicken. I have 4 sons that are all grown up now so I am learning to cook for 2. My husband was so impressed. I did use butter instead of oil and I make a wonderful gravy so I can make us a nice Hot chicken sandwich.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Michele Hixon

      March 31, 2023 at 5:15 pm

      Just making it now. When you say to spoon the garlic mixture 'under and inside the chicken' Is it supposed to be under the skin? Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Lisa Goldfinger

        March 31, 2023 at 5:32 pm

        Hi Michelle, no, not under the skin - just all over the outside and inside of the bird. I hope you enjoy!

  4. Marion

    March 11, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    I'm disappointed, after 2 hrs the chicken had cooked and reached a temperature inside of 200° so I immediately took it out of the oven...why did it cook so quickly? The oven was at 300°

    ★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 22, 2023 at 10:23 am

      I'm not sure why your chicken cooked so quickly. It could have to do with the size of the chicken, the heat of your oven... How was it when you ate it? Was it super tender and juicy after just 2 hours? It's also possible that another hour at 300 would have further tenderized the chicken without overcooking it.

      Reply
  5. Juli

    March 05, 2023 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Susan!

    You absolutely blew our minds with this! It also reheated into leftovers amazing well.
    Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with the world! We will never make a roast chicken any other way!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 22, 2023 at 10:24 am

      You are so welcome Juli, Thank you for making my day with your stellar review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chicken.

      Reply
  6. DeFernandeze Hill

    March 02, 2023 at 9:12 am

    Making this today.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 02, 2023 at 11:25 am

      Great - I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Heidi Weiland

    March 01, 2023 at 10:45 am

    It was simply scrumptious! The new favorite in our house!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 01, 2023 at 11:11 am

      I am so glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  8. Nathalie Carles

    February 25, 2023 at 1:12 pm

    MADE THAT CHICKEN TWICE ALREADY, IT IS SO DELICIOUS THANK YOU FOR THAT SIMPLE BUT EFFICIENT RECIPE.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      February 26, 2023 at 7:50 am

      You're welcome - and thank you for the 5-star rating and rave review. I'm so happy you enjoyed the chicken!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Horgan

        March 27, 2023 at 7:56 am

        I want to make this today but I’m confused by the “NOT Convection oven” comment. Do you mean no fan and just conventional heat?

      • Lisa Goldfinger

        March 27, 2023 at 9:36 am

        Hi Lindsey - yes, exactly what you say. The convection fan setting on an oven amplifies the heat and will overcook the chicken.

  9. Rod Ferris

    February 12, 2023 at 4:55 pm

    1 roasted the 2.26 Kg chicken at 120°C/250°F for 3 hrs. And I rented it for ½ hr. The result was the best “dry roasted chicken I’ve ever made.
    I usually bake the smaller roasters we get at the fresh counter (they are usually 1.5-2 Kg ) à la française, Poulet au Pot. But these bigger boned chicken which come frozen can handle the dry roasting. The skin is more thick and it crisps up and stays crisp.
    Just a genius recipe.
    Also I suggest buzzing all the garlic and more in the 4 cup processor with all the salt and pepper and a good quantity of fennel seed. And a little more EVVO. And even pop some under the breast skin. This is a show stopper!!

    Reply
  10. Erin Galbreath

    January 21, 2023 at 11:17 am

    Just when you thought you knew all there was about roasting a chicken! We tried this recipe last night and it was delicious and oh so moist. It tasted even better today. I'll never make roast whole chicken any other way!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      January 25, 2023 at 2:37 pm

      Hi Erin - I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe so much! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Susan

    January 14, 2023 at 7:30 pm

    This is absolutely the BEST and ONLY way I will ever roast a chicken again! Our chicken was 6 lbs and we ended up cooking it almost five hours. It was fall-apart amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      January 15, 2023 at 8:58 am

      Hi Susan - You are so welcome. Thank you for coming back to leave a 5 star rating and comment. I'm happy to know that you were able to get such great results with a larger chicken and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much!

      Reply
    • Juli

      March 05, 2023 at 1:52 pm

      Susan!!!!

      Yin absolutely blew our minds with this recipe! It was amazing for leftovers, which I made into a drop biscuit pot pie.
      Thank you so much for sharing this with the world! We will never toast a chicken any other way!!!

      Reply
  12. Marsha

    December 23, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    Making the chicken now for 2 days from now. Any suggestions for reheating whole bird?

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      December 24, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Hi Marsha - I suggest that you preheat the oven to 350ºF. Put the chicken in a pan and cover it with a double layer of foil. Heat it in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. If you're also reheating the gravy, add a quarter cup of water to the pan before you reheat. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
      • Shannon

        January 05, 2023 at 9:04 am

        The chicken I have is about 7 lbs. Would you double the cooking time?

      • Lisa Goldfinger

        January 05, 2023 at 9:37 am

        Wow, that's a large bird! The rule of thumb is to cook a chicken until the internal temperature of the thigh's thickest portion reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a thermometer, I suggest that you start tp check the chicken for doneness after 5 hours and then again every half hour or so, depending on how close it is to being done. If you don't have a thermometer, you can check for doneness by cutting into it and seeing if the juices run clear. If the juices are pink, it needs more time. Enjoy!

  13. Dave Penk

    December 13, 2022 at 9:20 pm

    The best roast chicken recipe I’ve ever made!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      December 14, 2022 at 7:57 am

      That's so great to hear Dave. You Made my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed the roast chicken

      Reply
  14. Gloria

    December 12, 2022 at 1:30 pm

    Sounds yummy. I only have an orange do you think that would work. Also I have 7.31 lb chicken so I will leave it longer.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      December 12, 2022 at 3:43 pm

      Hi Gloria - I think an orange will be different but good! As for the large chicken, I would test for doneness after 3 hours and go from there. I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
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