This Roasted Chicken Recipe Tastes Like Thanksgiving Without All the Work by Donna John

While scrolling through Facebook, I saw a post from country singer Martina McBride that had a photo of her hand-written Thanksgiving shopping list. Instead of turkey, she was serving roasted chickens. Now why haven't I ever thought of that, especially when it's just a few of us and not the entire family? That night, I threw some traditional turkey seasonings together and roasted a chicken for a trial run. Delicious! The chicken had all the Thanksgiving feels and aromas without the long thawing time, cooking time and refrigerator full of leftover turkey.

This roasted chicken recipe will not be only on the menu for Thanksgiving, but in my regular dinner rotation. The whole baked chicken was seasoned beautifully, the skin was crispy and the meat moist and juicy. You will need to raid your spice rack for this gluten-free, high-protein dinner recipe. (Check out the health benefits of protein and the health benefits of chicken.)

Here is what you need to grab from your pantry, spice rack and fridge: a whole chicken, butter, olive oil, kosher salt, ground paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, ground sage, black pepper, dried rosemary, parsley flakes and optional ground cayenne if you want a little spice on your bird.

The chicken baked up in about an hour, but your baking time will depend on your oven and the size of your chicken. I used a food thermometer to ensure it didn't undercook or overcook. If you want the chicken to cook faster, you could spatchcock it. (Learn more about how to spatchcock a chicken.)

This juicy baked chicken tastes like Thanksgiving – without all the work. Serve the roasted chicken for dinner with your favorite side dishes. 

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes (ovens vary)
Total Time: 55 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 to 4 pounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Seasoning Blend

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Combine all the seasoning blend ingredients in a small bowl.
   
2. Coat the chicken all over, inside and out, with the seasoning blend. (If you have time, coat the chicken and let it sit for a few hours or even overnight in the fridge. Adjust any of the seasoning amounts to suit your tastes. I like to add more ground sage.)
   
3. Place the chicken into a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and melted butter. (If you want, you could put some chopped celery, onion and/or fresh herbs in the chicken cavity.)
   
4. If you are inserting a food thermometer, insert it now into the thickest part of the breast.
   
5. Bake in a preheated 450-degree F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to cook until chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Let the chicken rest before cutting. Serve. Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. Shred or chop and use in recipes or reheat in the microwave.
   

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