This super simple roast chicken with Southern giblet gravy recipe is a must-have. The combination of flavorful spices will make your mouth water. Follow these tips from this tried-and-true recipe to get juicy, tender meat without much effort!
Good & Faithful Roast Chicken Recipe
A wise man once said, “if you can cook a good roast chicken, you can take on the world.” That wise man may have been me, but who’s counting? The moral of the story is, everyone should have a good and faithful roast chicken recipe in their arsenal. This is the perfect recipe to start with if you don’t.
Key Ingredients
Homemade Adobo Spice Brine
- Kosher salt: Provides seasoning and enhances flavor.
- Garlic powder: Adds a rich garlic flavor to the brine.
- Onion powder: Imparts a mild onion essence to the brine.
- Ground black pepper: Adds a subtle heat and depth of flavor.
- Dried oregano: Contributes a herbal and earthy note to the brine.
- Ground turmeric: Offers a warm color and subtle earthiness.
Roast Chicken
- Whole chicken: The main protein source for the dish.
- Clarified butter: Adds richness and helps in browning the chicken skin.
- Canola oil: Provides a neutral-flavored cooking medium for searing the chicken.
- Adobo seasoning: Adds a complex, savory, and slightly tangy flavor to the chicken.
Chicken Stock
- Chicken carcass, backbone, giblets (neckbone, liver, heart, tail): Used to create a flavorful stock base.
- Celery: Adds aromatic notes and depth to the stock.
- Onion: Enhances the overall flavor of the stock.
- Carrot: Contributes sweetness and color to the stock.
- Whole black peppercorns: Adds a subtle spiciness to the stock.
- Garlic: Infuses a mild garlicky essence into the stock.
- Thyme and rosemary sprigs: Bring herbaceous aromas to the stock.
- Bay leaves: Provide a mild herbal flavor.
- White wine vinegar: Helps extract flavors from the ingredients and adds a hint of acidity.
- Water: The main liquid component for making the stock.
Giblet Gravy
- Unsalted butter: Used for sautéing and creating a roux.
- Onion: Adds flavor and texture to the gravy.
- Garlic: Enhances the overall savory profile of the gravy.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour: Used to create a roux for thickening the gravy.
- Chicken stock: Forms the base of the gravy, providing flavor and richness.
- Bay leaves: Imparts a subtle herbal note to the gravy.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: Season the gravy to taste.
Tasty Recipe Video:
I was taught to use everything, so I love a good zero-waste recipe. And in this recipe, that means using the innards and the backbone. Even though I cut out the backbone to spatchcock the chicken, you can reserve it to make homemade stock later.
This roast chicken is the quintessential family meal and is packed with flavor. Just follow these tips to get the perfect, crispiest, juiciest, all-in-one roast chicken every time.
How to make the perfect roast chicken?
Whether it is a Sunday dinner, weeknight meal, or a romantic occasion, a classic roast chicken is always suitable. To achieve a perfect roast chicken, there are a few key steps that I take every time:
- Dry. Pat the bird dry to get rid of excess moisture. And if I have time, I throw it in the fridge for a few hours to dry it out even more.
- Spatchcock. Split the chicken open to remove the chicken’s backbone so that it lays flat and cooks evenly.
- Season. Every crevice of the bird should have visible flavor. Season for the gods.
- Temperature. Keep an instant-read thermometer close by. You’re looking for 150 F for the breast and 170 F for the thigh. Always test by inserting the thermometer at the thickest part of the thigh but NOT touching the bone.
What is spatchcocking?
Spatchcocking comes from the phrase “dispatch the cock” and means to split the whole bird open, breaking its backbone, and pressing its breast to flatten it. Spatchcocking has several benefits starting from even cooking, faster-cooking, juicier meat, easy to spruce, and tastier gravy.
What is giblet gravy?
A classic gravy made with the innards or giblets (neck, liver, heart, gizzard) from the chicken or turkey. This giblet gravy recipe was super common in my house growing up, especially during the holidays and is the perfect flavor enhancer to pair with the roast chicken.
When purchasing a whole chicken, they have come with a pack of innards or giblets on the inside. You may be inclined to throw them away but think again. This organ meat is packed with flavor and is the perfect addition to gravies and stuffings. Way to use the entire chicken!
Now it’s your turn!
Preparing the best roast chicken is one thing but eliminating waste while doing it is a whole nother ball game. What’s great about this recipe is that you can use everything.
If you enjoy the recipe, please share it with your friends and family. And don’t forget to give me some five-star love down below. And if you have any comments or questions, leave them below too, and I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.
More Yummy Chicken Recipes
- Salt & Pepper Chicken Thighs
- Crispy Fried Chicken with Pepper Jelly Molasses
- Rosemary Garlic Brick Chicken
- Flamin Hot Cheetos Fried Chicken
Ingredients
Homemade Adobo Spice Brine
- 4-5 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon per pound
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Roast Chicken
- 4-5 pounds whole chicken air-chilled
- 4 tablespoons clarified butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
Chicken Stock
- 1 chicken carcass, backbone, & giblets neckbone, liver, heart, tail
- 2 stalks celery halved
- 1 onion quartered
- 1 carrot peeled & halved
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 4 cloves of garlic halved
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 3 quarts water
Giblet Gravy
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt & ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Adobo Spice
- Add all ingredients to a food processor on a blend until combined. Divide spices into half for seasoning.
- Take one tablespoon of seasoning and mix with the clarified butter.
Roast Chicken
- Remove innards from the chicken and set aside. Butterfly the chicken placing the chicken on a cutting board breast side down. Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut out the backbone of the chicken. Set backbone to the side.
- Turn the chicken over breast-side up. Place your hands on top of each in between the breast. Applying downward pressure to the breastbone to flatten the bird. Transfer and position the chicken in the center of a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and dispose of the towel. Turn chicken breast-side down and liberally season the back cavity.
- Turn the chicken breast-side up and poke chicken skin with a skewer. Use a hand to separate the skin and add clarified butter under the skin.
- Liberally season the top of the bird with the rest of the seasoning mix.
- Transfer chicken (uncovered) to the refrigerator for 1-hour to 24 hours.
- Preheat over 475 degrees F. Remove chicken from the fridge and set at room temperature for 45 minutes. Add chicken to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer reads 150 F for the breast and 170 F for the thigh.
- Cook for 30 mins, might turn down – testing
Giblet Gravy
- Remove giblets and bones from cheesecloth then remove any meat from bones, discard skin/fat/bones and finely chop meat.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan then add onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until onions have softened. Sprinkle in flour while stirring the onions. Allow the flour to cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown while stirring continuously.
- Stir in chopped giblet meat and cook, stirring frequently. Use a whisk it slowly whisk in broth until all the flour is dissolved. While whisking scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Bring the gravy to a boil then reduce to low and add in bay leaves. Cook until thickened and season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
Nutrition
Equipment
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
**The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
