Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Delicious Gravy is everything you want when enjoying a roast chicken dinner. A whole chicken is brushed with butter, fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper, and placed on a bed of vegetables and broth or stock, so the gravy is made in the bottom of the pan while the chicken roasts.

A whole roasted chicken viewed from overhead with lemon halves

There’s nothing better than an easy chicken dinner, and this one is made all in one pan with a few simple ingredients. The vegetables and gravy just add to the comfort, just add mash. This is comfort food for the whole family.

When you serve up juicy and moist sliced chicken dinner with vegetables, gravy is an absolute must, and I’m going to tell you how to get the most delicious and easy chicken gravy recipe with little effort.

Sliced chicken on a board pouring gravy on top

Preparing a chicken for roasting

The first important step is to dry the skin using paper towels. If I have time, I like to leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, uncovered, to dry out the skin of the chicken and make it crispier. I then tie up the legs with oven-proof kitchen twine, season with butter or olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper on the skin, under the skin, and inside.

Time saving roast chicken

An excellent way to cut down the roasting time for chicken by about 15 minutes is to butterfly the chicken. You can read about my easy step-by-step guide on How to Spatchcock a Chicken.

​Achieving the best flavor

When you roast a chicken or turkey in a dry pan, the juices (or pan drippings) drip onto the pan and can evaporate in the heat of the oven. This is how I alleviate that problem…

The secret to making pan gravy in the oven starts with adding carrots, celery, parsnip (which adds a lovely, natural sweetness), onion, and garlic to a shallow roasting pan. Pour in chicken broth or stock, then set the chicken on top of the vegetables. As it roasts, the chicken releases its juices into the broth, while the vegetables infuse the mixture with deep flavor. It’s so easy, right?

A browned, roast chicken in a cutting board with fresh herbs

Best pan to use for roast chicken

One that fits the size of your chicken is important. You don’t want to crowd the pan, or the chicken will steam instead of roast. You can also use a cast-iron pan (like I did when I roasted my roast Cornish hens).

I prefer to thicken the gravy with cornstarch instead of flour. Adding raw flour to a sauce before allowing it to cook in the pan with butter or oil will result in pasty, flour-tasting gravy. Cornstarch thickens perfectly with no adverse effect on the delicious taste of the gravy.

I am a fan of crispy skin and love to season whole chicken with fresh herbs. Whether it’s chicken skin or turkey skin, I enjoy both. Before slicing the birds, I usually remove the skin to keep it crispy, or you can crisp it up in the oven.

A closeup of a roasted chicken leg seasoned with fresh rosemary

Meat thermometer is very important for roasted meats

If you are roasting any type of meat, you should invest in an instant-read thermometer. You obtain the most accurate reading by inserting it into the thickest part of the thigh without hitting a bone. The cook times provided in recipes are only guidelines because every oven cooks at a different rate. You can only accurately determine if meat is cooked by checking the internal temperature. I discuss this in more detail in my post on the Perfect Roast Turkey.

It’s important to let a roast chicken rest on a cutting board after coming out of the oven so the juices stay in the meat.

A whole roasted chicken on a cutting board with lemon halves
5 from 12 reviews

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Delicious Gravy

Janette
Chicken is brushed with butter, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. This is placed in a roasting pan of vegetables and stock that is the basis for the gravy.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 pound (1 kg) roasting chicken
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 parsnip, peeled and cut in half
  • 2 celery stalks, cut in half
  • 1 whole onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C.
  • Dry the skin of the chicken with paper towel.
  • To a bowl, add the butter, rosemary, salt and pepper, mix well. Brush the butter all over the skin of the chicken.
  • Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the breast.
  • To the bottom of a roasting pan place all the vegetables evenly and pour in the chicken stock. Set the chicken on top of the vegetables.
  • Roast the chicken on a low oven shelf for 40 minutes, reduce heat to 375°F/190°C and roast for 40 minutes more. If the skin is browning to quickly, turn the temperature down sooner.
  • To check for doneness, a thermometer inserted into the meatiest part, just above the leg should read 160°F/71°C.
  • Remove the chicken from the roasting pan, place on a cutting board and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, strain the broth into a fat separator and  add to a saucepan. Taste for seasoning, add more salt if needed (this depends on how salty your stock is).
  • Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold broth until dissolved.
  • Whisk into the gravy over medium heat and simmer until thickened stirring often to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Slice the chicken and serve with the gravy and your favorite sides.
Serving: 6ounces, Calories: 447kcal, Carbohydrates: 1.4g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 25g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Calcium: 60mg
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