This roasted half chicken recipe creates the most delicious, golden brown, juicy result you've ever tasted. It has crisp skin lightly seasoned with garlic and thyme and tender, succulent meat. Best of all, this half roasted chicken is elegant enough for a special occasion but easy enough for a stress-free weeknight meal.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I'll send you recipes & tips every week!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Roast Chicken Recipe
Have you ever wanted to make a simple and elegant roast chicken but didn't need to serve a crowd? This mouthwatering oven roast half chicken is the solution you've been looking for!
This recipe is very easy and includes instructions for cutting your chicken in half if you can't find a half chicken at the grocery store. I'll provide instructions for roasting both halves, but the same instructions work the same for a single half chicken! Just freeze the other half for another day.
This half roasted chicken recipe is also extremely delicious. It has moist, tender chicken meat and crisp, perfectly seasoned skin, making it a versatile main for any meal, whether that's an easy dinner at home or a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
It's the best for meal prep, too! Make this roasted half chicken recipe over the weekend and serve it in lunches or dinners throughout the week. You'll thank yourself for thinking ahead.
Plus, you can season this chicken any way you'd like. While I love the simple seasoning of garlic and thyme, try different herbs and spice blends to see what you like best. The instructions provided here will work with all sorts of flavor combinations!
What You'll Need for Oven Roasted Half Chicken
Two Cloves Kitchen, as an Amazon Affiliate, makes a small percentage from qualified sales made through affiliate links at no cost to you.
- Chicken You can either purchase one whole 4-pound chicken, two chicken halves, or one chicken half for this recipe. If you purchase a whole chicken, you'll need to break it down once you get home. If using one chicken half, use the same times and temperatures, but divide the butter and seasonings in half.
- Butter I recommend using unsalted butter here as the skin will be generously seasoned.
- Olive Oil This is to coat the chicken skin to make it crispy. If you'd prefer, you can use a different oil, like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or vegetable oil. I prefer the taste of olive oil.
- Salt I recommend using Diamond Crystal kosher salt. This is my favorite brand as I find it coats food more evenly, and, because it's less salty by volume than any other salt, it's harder to oversalt your food and easier to season in layers.
- Pepper Freshly ground black pepper adds a lovely, subtle bite to this dish.
- Garlic Powder When I cook a whole chicken, I use fresh garlic that I roast in the pan. You are welcome to add that to this dish, but I also recommend adding garlic powder to the skin of the chicken. It makes the bird wonderfully savory.
- Thyme I recommend using dried thyme here just because it is easy and I always have it on hand. You are welcome to use fresh thyme leaves if you would prefer. If you're not a fan of thyme, you could also use about half a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary.
How to Roast Half a Chicken
Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have purchased a whole chicken, you will need to cut the chicken in half at this time. Start by placing the chicken breast side down on a cutting board and snipping to the left or right of the backbone.
Step Two: Complete this step on the opposite side, and remove the backbone. Tip: hang on to this if you like making your own chicken stock or chicken broth! You can freeze it to use when you make your next chicken soup.
Step Three: Flip the chicken over. Place both hands flat on the breast plate (in the middle of the breasts) and, using the weight of your body, press down to break the bone in the center. You will hear it snap. Then grab your kitchen shears or a knife and cut through the skin holding the bird together. Lay the chicken on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Step Four: Loosen the skin around the breast and push about 1 tablespoon of butter underneath, flattening along the chicken to create an even layer. Be sure not to tear the skin. Repeat this step on the opposite side.
Step Five: Loosen the skin around the leg and push about 1 tablespoon of butter underneath, pressing along the chicken to create an even layer.
Step Six: Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, then season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and garlic powder in an even layer.
Step Seven: Place the baking sheet with the chicken in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken from the oven and baste with the pan juices.
Step Eight: Return the chicken to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes. Check to ensure the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit, let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes, then serve!
Recommended Equipment
Rimmed Baking Sheet or Roasting Pan
Kitchen Knife or Boning Knife to carve the chicken
Variations
Cast Iron Skillet: You can also cook your chicken halves in a large cast iron skillet. Ensure you have a skillet large enough to hold the chicken without it hanging over the side, or it will drip on the bottom of the oven, creating smoke.
Place the cast iron skillet over medium heat, add oil, then place the chicken in the pan skin side down. Crisp for about 8 to 10 minutes, then flip and finish cooking in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 to 40 minutes.
Seasonings: Try this simply seasoned half roast chicken with additional spices to see which ones you like! Spices like paprika and chili powder add a nice smokiness, or you can add any dried herb you'd like, such as rosemary, basil, oregano, dill, sage, crushed fennel seed, or even poultry seasoning blend.
Lemon: Feel free to add a halved lemon to the pan when cooking the half roasted chicken for extra flavor. The lemon juice will add some freshness and brightness to the dish. You can also squeeze the roasted lemon over the chicken after its cooked, but it will decrease the crispiness of the skin.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Absolutely. You'll want to first remove the backbone, then press down on the breastplate the break it in half. Use kitchen shears to cut through the skin, then place both halves of the chicken on a baking sheet or roasting pan, season, and roast!
You can also roast just one half of the chicken and freeze the other half for later.
When preparing half a roasted chicken, it is best the start the chicken at a higher temperature to crisp the skin, and finish at a slightly lower temperature to ensure the meat is cooked through without drying it out.
The cook time for roasting a half chicken takes the same amount of time as roasting a butterflied chicken: 50 minutes to an hour.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: Store leftover roast chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: If freezing your chicken, I recommend picking the meat from the bones and freezing for up to 2 months for use in soups or stews.
Reheating: You can reheat your chicken in the microwave at 30-second intervals until heated through. I like to place the chicken in a pan over medium-high heat with a bit of oil to get the skin a bit crispy again.
You can reheat it in the air fryer, too! Place chicken pieces in the air fryer basket and cook at 390 degrees for about 6 minutes or until 165°F and crisp.
How to Serve this Roast Half Chicken
I love serving an oven roast half chicken with...
Potatoes Try this chicken with some spicy, lemony Calabrian potatoes or these easy and crispy air fryer fingerling potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes These sauteed sweet potatoes are a quick favorite. We also love this butternut squash!
Salad A simple Greek green salad is delicious with this dish, or you can try this arugula caprese or cucumber and beet salad.
Roasted Vegetables These spicy roasted vegetables or this asparagus and Brussels sprouts would both be great pairings!
Thanksgiving Sides If you're making this chicken for a holiday, try some sides like sage and bacon stuffing and Thanksgiving fruit salad!
Sauteed Cruciferous Veg This garlicky cruciferous crunch is a blend of cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts is something I love making with roast chicken.
Lemon Herb Vinaigrette Try serving the chicken with this flavorful lemon vinaigrette!
Roasted Garlic Love roasted garlic as much as I do? You can make roasted garlic in the air fryer or try this delicious roasted garlic butter in place of regular butter!
Expert Tips
- Confirm your chicken is fully cooked. When roasting a half chicken, you can ensure the chicken is cooked by cutting between the leg and the thigh to see if the juices run clear. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the thickest part of the thigh has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Invest in good kitchen shears. If you want to roast half a chicken but only have whole chicken available, you'll need to cut out the backbone, which requires strong and sharp kitchen shears.
- Make sure the skin is dry. The importance of dry skin can't be underestimated when you roast a half chicken. You'll want to pat the chicken all over with paper towels to ensure it is dry before adding the olive oil for the crispiest skin.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment 💬 and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! You can also tag us @twocloveskitchen on Instagram or follow us on Facebook!
More Chicken Dinners to Try
📖 Recipe
Roasted Half Chicken
Equipment
- Kitchen Shears
- Rimmed Baking Sheet or Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken or 2 (2-pound) chicken halves, see note 1
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt see note 2
- black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you have purchased a whole chicken, you will need to cut the chicken in half at this time. Start by placing the chicken breast side down on a cutting board and snipping to the left or right of the backbone.
- Complete this step on the opposite side, and remove the backbone. Tip: hang on to this if you like making your own chicken stock or chicken broth! You can freeze it to use when you make your next chicken soup.
- Flip the chicken over. Place both hands flat on the breastplate and, using the weight of your body, press down to break the bone in the center. You will hear it snap. Then grab your kitchen shears or a knife and cut through the skin holding the bird together.
- Lay the chicken on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Loosen the skin around the breast and push about 1 tablespoon of butter underneath, flattening along the chicken to create an even layer. Be sure not to tear the skin. Repeat this step on the opposite side.
- Loosen the skin around the leg and push about 1 tablespoon of butter underneath, pressing along the chicken to create an even layer.
- Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, then season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and garlic powder in an even layer.
- Place the baking sheet with the chicken in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken from the oven and baste with the pan juices.
- Return the chicken to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes. Check to ensure the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit, let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes, carve, then serve!
Notes
- You can also use one 2-pound half chicken. Use the same times and temperatures, but half of the butter and seasonings recommended.
- Be sure to generously coat the chicken with salt and pepper. You can taste the chicken for seasoning once it is cooked and add more to taste as needed.
- Fridge: Store leftover roast chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: If freezing your chicken, I recommend picking the meat from the bones and freezing for up to 2 months for use in soups or stews.
- Reheating: You can reheat you chicken in the microwave at 30-second intervals until heated through. I like to place the chicken in a pan over medium-high heat with a bit of oil to get the skin a bit crispy again.
- You can reheat it in the air fryer, too! Place chicken pieces in the air fryer basket and cook at 390 degrees for about 6 minutes or until 165°F and crisp.
John B says
Excellent recipe!!! The butter under the skin took it over the top!!! Skin was nice & crispy!!! WOW.......Try using fresh basil & thyme into the melted butter, put in fridge (or freezer) until solid and repeat instructions above and you will cook like a Superstar!!! Thanks a million for the idea!!! Try this people!!!! YOUR FAMILY WILL THANK YOU!!!
Genevieve says
This is so kind. I'm happy you enjoyed the recipe, John!
Inga says
Thank you very much for the recipe and recommendations on temperatures, resulting in perfect juiciness of the meat. Previously tried other recipes and couldn’t reach the preferred result.
Will be in my cooking books now, thanks!
Genevieve says
Thank you!
Emily says
I used Herbes de Provence, salt, and olive oil, but otherwise used the same method- times and temps and such- to make a half chicken. I was using a yard bird…from my yard…which tends to be tougher or stringier. However, using this method it turned out PERFECT! My husband and I both agreed- probably the best roasted chicken I’ve ever made. I used the pan drippings to make a gravy and served it with rice. Delicious meal!
Genevieve says
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed this method, Emily!
Nancy Dilauro says
absolutely perfect
Genevieve says
Thanks Nancy!
Apryl says
This is delish! Garlic, Thyme and Lemon are my favorite flavors on chicken. This is perfect for a weekday dinner. I made it with a side of red baked potatoes.
Genevieve says
Sounds delicious! Thanks Apryl!
Jens says
I see lemon in the picture but doesn’t show up in the recipe.Lemon slices on the side? Is that it?
Genevieve says
Hi Jens, this info is included in the post: Lemon: Feel free to add a halved lemon to the pan when cooking the half roasted chicken for extra flavor. The lemon juice will add some freshness and brightness to the dish. You can also squeeze the roasted lemon over the chicken after its cooked, but it will decrease the crispiness of the skin.
Hope that helps!
Dottie Mims says
I made thus for dinner tonight. I followed all directions. It turned out delicious. I served Mushroom rice as a side . This was so easy. I will certainly make it again.
Genevieve says
So glad you enjoyed it, Dottie!
Loshane says
Thank you so much!! Just looking out for an easy, fulfilling weeknight meal, I'm happy to say that my family love your recipe! I didn't know that the butter could make the skin so crispy and juicy! Can't wait to try again 🙂
Genevieve says
So happy to hear this, Loshane! I'm glad you all enjoyed it.
Isabel says
This turned out really great and delicious. Didnt expect it turned out really crispy by roasting.
Genevieve says
This is great to hear! I'm so happy you enjoyed this, Isabel.
Valentina says
This roasted half chicken is just the right amount of food for us, as we're not big fans of leftovers. Pushing butter under the skin was a first for me, and I was really pleased by how it turned out. Will definitely make this again.
Genevieve says
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Valentina! I love that butter trick. Makes the chicken juicy and the skin crispy!
Lirio says
I recently made this roasted chicken recipe for our dinner, and it was a hit! It was easy to make, delicious, and flavorful. Actually, my mom was asking for the recipe already. This is a must-try!
Genevieve says
Thank you so much, Lirio! Glad to hear it was a hit.
Jordan says
Now that my last kiddo has gone off to college, I am trying to learn to cook for 2. Roasting half a chicken is a fantastic idea. I love dark meat and my husband likes white, so it works out perfectly. Great recipe with fantastic results!
Genevieve says
Yesss, perfect solution when one person likes the white meat and one likes the dark. It turns out that way at our house too. So glad you enjoyed this, Jordan!
Holly Coppedge says
It's just my husband and I now so I love the idea of only roasting half of a chicken. It turned out juicy with crispy skin just the way I like it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Genevieve says
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Holly!