Want to wow your family, your guests, or just… yourself? Then look no further than this easy Maple Butter Roast Chicken! Whole roasted chicken with a sweet and buttery “glaze” is baked with a succulent medley of cold-weather veggies and tangy tomatoes. So good!
AN EASY WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN DINNER
I love cooking with chicken, don’t you? It’s so versatile! From bone-in thighs with crispy skin, to the perfect air-fried chicken tenders, chicken has a lot to offer.
But if you’ve tried my EASY Roast Chicken Recipe, then you know that one of my all-time, absolute favorite ways to prepare chicken is simply to roast one whole bird, with a blend of amazing flavors.
In the Fall especially, whole roasted chicken is just so homey and amazing to bring to the table – and this one with maple syrup, butter, and roast veggies is so seasonally on point!
HOW TO CLEAN AND PREPARE A WHOLE CHICKEN
It’s actually very easy to clean and prep a whole chicken. First, if your chicken includes a package of giblets inside, remove that. You can toss them, or save them for another use. Then, place the chicken in your prepared baking dish, season it, and tie the legs together. It’s also a good idea to tuck the wings underneath the back of the bird to prevent scorching. Done!
Some folks wash their chicken with water before cooking, but I generally don’t recommend this. It’s not really necessary and it increases your risk of food poisoning because the water can splash on your counter, arms, clothing, etc.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken:
- A Whole Chicken: You’ll need a 3 to 3.5 pound whole broiler-fryer chicken.
- Butter: 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened.
- Pure Maple Syrup: You can substitute sugar-free or keto maple syrup.
- Fresh Garlic: Mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press.
- Fresh Thyme and Oregano Leaves: Remove any stems and chop the leaves lightly.
- Salt and Pepper
- Lemon: Cut the lemon into 4 wedges
- Fresh Thyme and Oregano Sprigs: No need to stem or chop, just rinse and pat dry.
For the Vegetables:
- Tomatoes: I like cherry tomatoes, but you can substitute whatever tomatoes are freshest and cut them into bite-sized pieces, if needed.
- Potatoes: Any waxy potato in bite-sized pieces will work, but I prefer baby potatoes.
- Onion: You can use any type of onion, cut into wedges.
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets: If you don’t have one or the other, you can use all broccoli, or all cauliflower.
- Olive Oil
HOW TO MAKE MAPLE BUTTER ROAST CHICKEN
This whole roasted chicken recipe couldn’t be easier to make. With just a bit of prep you can pop it into the oven and let your chicken cook. By the way, this makes your house smell amazing while roasting.
- Prep the Oven, Pan, and Chicken. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Remove any giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the breast-side up on a rack set over a jelly roll pan, or inside a roasting pan.
- Make the Seasoning Mixture: In a mixing bowl combine softened butter, maple syrup, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Dress the Chicken: Using your fingers, or the handle of a wooden spoon, carefully loosen the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs. Rub half of the butter mixture under the skin, spreading it all around and to the thighs. Rub the rest of the butter mixture on top of the skin. Add a bit of salt and cracked black pepper inside the cavity; then fill the cavity with lemon wedges, thyme sprigs, and oregano sprigs.
- Truss and Roast the Chicken: Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken. Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Prep and Add the Veggies: In the meantime, combine all the veggies in a mixing bowl and add olive oil; toss to coat. Remove the chicken from the oven and add the vegetables to the pan.
- Finish Roasting: Lower the oven temperature to 350˚F. Continue to roast the chicken for 1 more hour, or until internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Stir veggies halfway through cooking. Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
HOW TO THE ROAST VEGETABLES
It really doesn’t get much simpler than roasting veggies! Just choose your veggies, cut them up, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then roast until they’re tender and browned — so simple! I’ve already written a whole post on it, if you’d like more specifics! Roasted vegetables really are a super-simple, super-special side dish, so go all out!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH MAPLE BUTTER ROAST CHICKEN
- Appetizer Ideas: I love to start off a meal like this with something a bit luxurious as an appetizer. These scrumptious Caprese Stuffed Mushrooms are absolutely perfect! It’s almost like a luscious, decadent, low-carb bruschetta. Yum!
- Bet on Bread: I find that whole roast chickens often create a lovely pan sauce all their own, so it’s nice to serve up a homemade quick bread to soak up that yumminess. Try my Soda Bread in a Skillet, or Light Skillet Cornbread, for the perfect rustic touch. An easy flatbread would also be amazing on the side.
- Chocolate? Check! A nice dessert is always appropriate, right? Try this wonderful Chocolate Pumpkin Bread! It’s such an easy and rewarding bake for cold weather!
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT LEFTOVER WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN
- To refrigerate, simply cover the leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
- To freeze, remove the chicken meat from the bones and discard the bones, or save them for broth. Wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap, or store in freezer bags, pushing out as much air as possible before sealing. Freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze roasted vegetables separately, in airtight containers or freezer bags, for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, first thaw the chicken and/or veggies separately in the refrigerator (if frozen). Reheat in the oven, covered, at 350˚F until just heated through. Do not overcook.
More Whole Chicken Recipes
ENJOY!
Tools Used in this Recipe
Maple Butter Roast Chicken with Vegetables
A whole roast chicken flavored with savory herbs, sweet maple syrup, and butter. A medley of winter vegetables are roasted alongside.
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Servings: 6
Calories: 501 kcal
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
-
1
whole broiler-fryer chicken,
3 to 3.5 pounds -
6
tablespoons
unsalted butter,
softened -
¼
cup
maple syrup -
3
cloves
garlic,
minced -
½
tablespoon
fresh oregano leaves,
chopped -
½
tablespoon
fresh thyme leaves,
chopped -
1
teaspoon
salt -
1
teaspoon
fresh ground black pepper -
1
small
lemon,
cut into 4 wedges -
4
fresh thyme sprigs -
4
fresh oregano sprigs
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450˚F.
Remove giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken. Thoroughly pat dry chicken with paper towels.
Place the chicken breast-side UP on a rack set over a jelly roll pan or inside a roasting pan. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine softened butter, maple syrup, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Using your fingers, or the handle of a wooden spoon, carefully loosen the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs.
Rub HALF of the butter mixture under the skin, spreading it all around and to the thighs.
Rub the rest of the butter mixture on top of the skin.
Add a bit of salt and cracked black pepper inside the cavity; fill the cavity with lemon wedges, 4 thyme sprigs, and 4 oregano sprigs.
Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together.
Tuck the wings under the body of the chicken.
Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, combine all the veggies in a mixing bowl and add olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
Remove chicken from oven and add the vegetables to the pan.
Lower oven temperature to 350˚F.
Continue to roast the chicken for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚F. Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Start checking at the 55-minute mark.
Stir veggies halfway through cooking.
Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 to 12 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes
- To cut down on the carbs, leave out the potatoes and use Sugar Free Maple Syrup.
- Leaving out the potatoes and onions, and using sugar free maple syrup, will amount to 10 carbs per serving.
Nutrition Facts
Maple Butter Roast Chicken with Vegetables
Amount Per Serving
Calories 501
Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 13g65%
Cholesterol 112mg37%
Sodium 519mg22%
Potassium 932mg27%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 1008IU20%
Vitamin C 93mg113%
Calcium 71mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
