This is the best Christmas chicken recipe that shows you how to roast chicken in easy, simple, and quick steps. This Christmas roast chicken is packed full of flavor, tender and juicy inside, with golden brown crispy skin. It is herby, aromatic, and delicious.
Prep the chicken - If there are giblets in the chicken cavity, remove them. Pat the whole chicken dry with a kitchen towel.
Make the Marinade - In a small bowl, add the butter, parsley, thyme, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Mix till well combined. This is the chicken marinade.
Marinate chicken - Apply the marinade inside and all over the chicken. Slice one onion and one Orange into 4 each. Put the sliced onion and orange slices in the chicken cavity.Put the whole chicken in the fridge to marinate for 2 - 12 hours.
Roast - Bring the chicken out. Line the baking tray with sliced onion, and oranges (add carrots, and celery if you have).
Place the marinated whole chicken on the vegetables lined baking tray. Put the tray in the oven and bake at a temperature of 200C for 80 - 90 minutes.It is cooked if the internal temperature at the thickest part when checked with a meat thermometer is at least 165F/75C. It is not safe to eat if the temperature is below this.
Serve- Take out the cooked chicken and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving it and serving.
To Roast It in Air Fryer
If you don't have an oven, or the oven is busy with other foods, you can roast christmas chicken in the air fryer. Simply follow the steps below:
After marinating the chicken, place the whole chicken breast side down in the air fryer basket.
Set the air fryer to a temperature of 180C and air fry for 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes, flip over the chicken with a thong and air fry for another 10 minutes.
Bring out the chicken from the air fryer, and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving it.
Notes
Pat the chicken dry before you apply the seasoning/marinade.
Remember to apply the marinade inside and on all parts of the chicken.
You can increase or reduce the pepper quantity according to your preference.
Substitute garlic powder for garlic granules.
You can line the baking pan with some other vegetables like celery and shallots.
Check and be sure chicken is done before removing it from the oven.
Let the roasted chicken rest for 15 minutes before serving.
How long to roast chicken is 40 - 45 minutes per kg. So for a 2kg chicken, how long to roast it will be 80-90 minutes.How long to cook a whole chicken in the oven at a temperature of 200C is 40 - 45 minutes per kg (2lb).It is cooked if the internal temperature at the thickest part when checked with a meat thermometer is at least 165F/75C. It is not safe to eat if the temperature is below this.