On those nights when you don’t feel like cooking, you need an easy meal with easy clean up. This oven roasted chicken with roasted root vegetables fits the bill! This simple sheet pan meal is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or for when you need to dress it up a bit! Plus, the flavor is amazing!
Once upon a time, there was a chicken named Stanley. Stanley was – as chickens go – a good chicken. He spent his days doing chicken things and was content to chase hens all day long.
Meet Stanley.
Stanley didn’t know it, but he had a higher purpose in life. This oven roasted chicken recipe.
Yes, poor Stanley’s purpose was to end up on a dining room table herbed and oiled along side roasted root vegetables.
It was a good purpose and one Stanley really lived up to.
What is a Sheet Pan Meal?
Well, pretty much exactly what it says. It is a meal that is cooked entirely on a sheet pan. I reckon a deep baking dish would work as well.
I know from experience you can make this oven roasted chicken and the roasted root vegetables in a deep baking dish or a large sheet pan provided the sheet pan has sides with a decent depth.
In other words, it’s like a one-pot meal for the oven instead of the stove.
Why Use a Whole Chicken?
Technically you don’t have to. You could absolutely make oven roasted chicken breast or even oven roasted turkey this way.
For me and very likely for you too, using the whole chicken is the most cost effective.
I mean we used Stanley in this post so it was really cost effective, but for you, chicken breast is far more expensive than a whole chicken. Where you’ll pay upwards of $3.00/lb in most places for chicken breast, you can typically get a whole chicken for around $1.00/lb give or take.
That makes this oven roasted chicken and root vegetables a much more frugal meal.
Plus, the vegetables used are typically fairly cheap too!
What Vegetables Can I Make the Roasted Vegetables With?
I have long said that it is your kitchen, you decide what happens there. That means you can use just about any other vegetables that you want without changing the taste too much.
A few others that would make great additions are Brussel sprouts, green beans, celery, broccoli and even cauliflower!
As long as the seasonings are correct, this really is a pretty foolproof chicken recipe.
What to Do With Chicken Giblets?
If your whole chicken came with the giblets stuffed into the neck, don’t toss them! It may not seem like it , but they are edible and usable! For those that are trying to reduce waste at home, this is the perfect example of something that is normally thrown away but has a great use.
You can freeze them for later or chop them up to make a giblet gravy recipe like this later on.
Or if nothing else, your dogs will adore them! They can be eaten by dogs raw or you can cook them a bit if that makes you squeamish.
Can I Freeze Roasted Chicken and Vegetables?
Yes! In fact, before I moved onto the truck with my husband, this was one of his favorite meals that I would freeze and send with him!
To freeze, allow it to cool completely. Cut the meat off the chicken – be sure to get that tasty skin – and add to a quart sized freezer bag. Add a large spoonful of vegetables and flatten the bag as best as you can.
Remove as much air from the bag and freeze.
It can be a bit of a chore to get the veggies in a bag without making a mess, but I have found that these freezer bag stands really help with that.
To be honest, this is one of the simplest chicken recipes I have ever made. It’s easy, but it has a flavor that tastes like you spent hours slaving over it.
Little will your family know that you popped it all on one pan and into the oven in less than 20 minutes. It’s cheap. It’s delicious and I am certain it is about to become a family favorite for your family too!
Oven Roasted Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken rinsed and patted dry
- 3-4 large carrots chopped
- 3-4 large potatoes chopped
- 2-3 sweet potatoes chopped
- 1/2-1 lb asparagus ends removed
- 1 large white onion quartered with layers separated
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. rosemary
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp sage
- 1/4-1/2 c. chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove innards from the chicken if you still have them. Reserve for another use. Rinse and chop vegetables. Set aside1 whole chicken, 3-4 large carrots, 3-4 large potatoes, 2-3 sweet potatoes, 1/2-1 lb asparagus, 1 large white onion
- Wash and pat the chicken dry. Then, in a small mixing bowl, combine the other spices.1 whole chicken, 2 tbsp. rosemary, 1 tbsp thyme, 1 tsp. Salt, 1 tsp Black Pepper, 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 3/4 tsp Onion Powder, 1/2 tsp sage
- Place chicken breast side up on sheet pan, spread vegetables around the chicken on all sides. Brush all with olive oil then sprinkle herbs evenly over the entire sheet pan. Add a small amount chicken broth to the bottom of the sheet. Be careful not to add too much broth.4 tbsp. olive oil, 1/4-1/2 c. chicken broth
- Tent sheet pan with foil and bake at 400°F for 60 minutes. At 1 hour, remove the foil and bake another 15-30 minutes or until the chicken has reached 165° internally and is golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Nutritional information is calculated automatically and may not be correct. Please calculate based on your own serving sizes.
- Do not add too much chicken broth. The amount you will need will vary based on the size of baking dish or sheet pan you use. Too much will cause the vegetables and bottom of your chicken to be soggy.
- You may add other vegetables without changing the taste of the recipe. Other additions may include: celery, Brussels sprouts, and green beans.
- You may need more olive oil to cover the entire chicken and vegetables. The amount will be based on the size of your chicken and how many vegetables you use.
- Set the giblets aside and cook them later. You can chop them and add them to a chicken giblet gravy if you wish. Otherwise, dogs love them.
