My garlic butter roast chicken recipe shows you exactly how to make this simple but beautiful dish that yields tender and juicy meat beneath a crispy golden skin that’s flavored with garlic, rosemary, and thyme.

Garlic butter roast chicken in roasting pan.

This post may contain affiliate links. Our disclosure policy.

There are some nights when all I want is roast chicken and this garlic butter roasted chicken recipe is the one I return to again and again.

And since I usually have a whole chicken on hand for recipes like chicken cacciatore or Italian baked chicken and potatoes, it means I don’t have to run out to the grocery store.

It’s easy to make with minimal ingredients and is especially great alongside scalloped potatoes or Greek potatoes with lemon and oregano, and Italian green beans.

My wife and kids devour this roasted chicken and ask me to make it frequently!

Want To Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and we'll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients shown: Whole chicken, butter, garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

Preheat your oven to 450f and set the rack to the middle level. Also, mince 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, and slice one head of garlic in half.

Garlic butter roast chicken recipe process shot collage group number one.

Drizzle the 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil all over the chicken. Use your hands and get it all over.
Season the inside of the chicken with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the outside with another 1 1/2 teaspoons. Season all over with 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper and rub in the herbs and the garlic as well. Try to get the seasonings under the skin as well as on top. Place the cut head of garlic inside the chicken’s cavity. Note: Use garlic powder instead of garlic if you intend to make a pan sauce or gravy. The fallen garlic pieces will burn in the bottom of the pan.

Recipe process shot collage group number two.

Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the chicken.
Roast the chicken “breast” side down for 30 minutes.

Recipe process shot collage group number three.

Flip the chicken over to “breast” side up.
Baste with the pan juices. Return chicken to the oven and continue cooking until the temperature reaches ~160f in the deepest part of the breast (about 30 more minutes).

Recipe process shot collage group number four.

For more color broil the top for the last 1-2 minutes if desired. Here in pic 8 above, the chicken is perfectly cooked with the breast reading 159°F. Set the chicken onto a carving board and tent with foil for 10-15 minutes before carving and eating. The juices will settle and the internal temp will continue to rise to about 165°F which is considered the proper temperature for safe to eat chicken breast.

Roast chicken being sliced with fork and knife.

Top tips

Really dry your chicken. I can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure your chicken is dry. Drying the chicken helps to ensure that it roasts instead of steams. This helps prevent rubbery chicken. Simply dry the chicken with paper towels on both the outside and the inside.
Double down on the garlic. This recipe is for GARLIC butter roast chicken with a strong emphasis on garlic. That’s because I use it on top of the chicken (along with the herbs) and on the inside. Placing a whole head of garlic (with the top removed) into the cavity of the chicken ups the garlic factor immensely resulting in outstanding flavor. As noted in the process shots above, use garlic powder instead of minced garlic if you intend to make a pan sauce. The minced pieces will fall off and get too burnt in the pan to make a sauce.
Crispy golden skin. The best way to achieve a roast chicken with beautiful color is to broil the top for the last 1-2 minutes. This helps crisp up the skin and creates a beautiful golden color. Just watch carefully!
Let it rest. To ensure the chicken is as juicy as can be, it’s important to let it rest after leaving the oven. Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes and tent it with foil to keep it warm. At this point, your kitchen will smell so incredible and you may be tempted to dive right in, but patience is key here.

Our favorite chicken recipes

Chicken is such a versatile ingredient and can be used in so many dishes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this incredible bird.

If you’ve enjoyed this Garlic Butter Roast Chicken recipe, give it a 5-star rating.

Watch us on YouTube, follow along on our Facebook Page, and become a Patreon member to receive access to exclusive full-meal videos and content.