How to Cook Chicken in the Oven (Juicy Whole Roast Chicken)

Cut three peeled carrots into 1-inch pieces. Quarter six medium Yukon gold potatoes - or cut larger potatoes into about six pieces each. If you are using baby potatoes you can leave them whole. Coarsely chop one medium yellow onion into 1-inch sections.

Cut one whole head of garlic in half parallel to the base. No need to peel it. Set one half of the head aside for stuffing the chicken cavity in step 4. The rest of the garlic goes in the bowl with the vegetables.

Place the carrots, potatoes, onion, and the remaining half head of garlic into a large mixing bowl. Add two sprigs of fresh rosemary, drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.

Toss roughly with your hands or a silicone spatula until everything is coated in oil and seasoning. Set the bowl aside while you handle the chicken. The vegetables will go around the chicken in step 6.

A 5 to 5.5 pound whole chicken is the sweet spot - big enough to feed 4 to 6 people, small enough to cook evenly. Look for pink-colored meat in the package. Organic is a good signal of quality if you can find it. If your chicken was frozen, thaw it fully in the refrigerator overnight before roasting.

Reach into the cavity and pull out the gizzards. They are usually packed in a small bag, sometimes tucked up near the neck instead of the main cavity. Discard them (or save for gravy if you cook with them). Now pat the chicken thoroughly dry on the outside and the inside with paper towels. Dry skin is what gets you crispy skin.

Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan, breast-side up. Season inside the cavity with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.

Stuff the cavity with one halved lemon, the reserved half head of garlic, and two sprigs of fresh rosemary. As the chicken roasts, the lemon and aromatics steam from the inside, perfuming the entire bird with citrus and herb flavor without anyone having to baste.

Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Brush it all over the top and sides of the chicken with a basting brush. Work fairly fast - while the butter is still wet, sprinkle the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

It is going to look like a lot of salt for one chicken. Trust the amount. The bird is large and the salt is what creates that signature crisp, salty top layer of skin everybody fights over. Flip the chicken and season the back the same way. The back has some of the juiciest dark meat, so do not skip it.

Pour the seasoned vegetables out of the mixing bowl and spread them evenly around the chicken in the roasting pan. They will roast in the rendered chicken juices and turn into the best part of the meal.

Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken so they do not burn during the long roast - same trick you would use on a Thanksgiving turkey. If you have kitchen twine, tie the drumsticks together with a quick loop. Trussing is optional, but it gives you a cleaner shape and a more even cook.

Insert an oven-safe probe thermometer into the deepest part of the chicken thigh, or into the base of the breast if you prefer. Set the oven rack to the lower third of the oven so the chicken roasts in the center of the heat.

Preheat the oven to 425 F and roast the chicken for 80 to 90 minutes. If you see the breast browning much faster than the rest, shape a small piece of foil into a triangle and lay it directly over the breast as a heat shield. Pull the chicken when the thigh hits 165 F, or when the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the body.

Transfer the chicken from the roasting pan to a serving platter using two firm spatulas - or a special bird lifter if you have one. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Resting lets the juices redistribute back into the meat so they end up on your plate instead of all over the cutting board.

Skip the foil tent during the rest if you want to keep that crispy skin. Foil traps steam and softens the skin. While the chicken rests, scoop the caramelized vegetables out of the pan and arrange them around the bird on the platter. Carve, serve, and watch this disappear faster than any rotisserie ever did.