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Oven Roasted Herb Rubbed Whole Chicken is a family favorite. I make it usually about once a month. The herb chicken combines the crispiness of my basic oven roasted whole chicken with the extra flavors of rosemary, thyme, and oregano. By salting the chicken and letting it sit overnight, the skin gets really crispy while the chicken itself stays juicy.
Oven Roasted Herb Rubbed Whole Chicken

To make things easier when making this chicken it is best to get a small bowl for the salt. That way your yucky chicken covered hands don’t contaminate your salt container. You should also have a bowl for the olive oil and herb mix the next day too. I also leave the hot water running so that as soon as I finish rubbing the herbs all over the chicken I can wash my hands.
Ingredients:
- 1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken, neck and giblets removed
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP Fine sea salt
- 2 TBSP dried rosemary
- 1 TBSP Ground black pepper
- 2 TBSP dried thyme
- 2 TBSP dried oregano
Directions:
- The night before, place the chicken in a dish, cover the it in salt, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
- Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
- In a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Drain the liquid off the chicken and wash the salt off of it.
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Cut off and discard any extra fat hanging around the body cavity.
- Drizzle the olive oil on the chicken and rub it all over the skin.
- Generously rub the inside and outside of the chicken with the herb mixture.
- Place the chicken breast-side up in a large dish.
- Roast the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue roasting until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the inner thigh (but not touching the bone) registers 165°F, about 50 minutes to 1 hour more.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and place on a cutting board.
- Let the chicken rest about 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Oven roasted herb rubbed whole chicken is amazing served with rice pilaf and stemmed broccoli.
Tips:
- After the chicken cools, pick the remaining meat off the bones.
- Save the bones in the freezer to make homemade chicken stock.
- Saving the bones really helps cut the cost of making chicken stock.
- Package the remaining meat it into quart bags and freeze or store in fridge.
We use the herb rubbed whole chicken on top of salads, in a sandwich, or on a plate for the girls’ lunch. I also use it to make stir fries, chicken and spinach soup, and alfredos super quick. Having the chicken already cooked makes throwing together a weeknight dinner as easy as pie.
The crispy oven roasted chicken skin is so tasty that it rarely makes it through dinner let alone the bone-picking process. We eat it up.
What’s your favorite use for oven roasted herb rubbed whole chicken?
Have a great day!
Brandi
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Oven Roasted Herb Rubbed Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken, neck and giblets removed
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP Fine sea salt
- 1 TBSP Ground black pepper
- 2 TBSP dried rosemary
- 2 TBSP dried thyme
- 2 TBSP dried oregano
Instructions
- The night before, place the chicken in a dish, cover the it in salt, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
- Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
- In a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Drain the liquid off the chicken and wash the salt off of it.
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Cut off and discard any extra fat hanging around the body cavity.
- Drizzle the olive oil on the chicken and rub it all over the skin.
- Generously rub the inside and outside of the chicken with the herb mixture.
- Place the chicken breast-side up in a large dish.
- Roast the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue roasting until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the inner thigh (but not touching the bone) registers 165°F, about 50 minutes to 1 hour more.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and place on a cutting board.
- Let the chicken rest about 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
Notes
Tips:
After the chicken cools, pick the remaining meat off the bones.
Save the bones in the freezer to make homemade chicken stock.
Saving the bones really helps cut the cost of making chicken stock.
Package the remaining meat it into quart bags and freeze or store in fridge.
Looking for more main dishes? then check out my Recipes: Main Dishes board on Pinterest!

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