This whole roasted chicken with potatoes and vegetables is the ultimate easy weeknight or holiday dinner that looks impressive but requires minimal effort. A perfectly seasoned whole chicken roasts alongside Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, green beans, and onions on a single sheet pan—no fancy skills required, just simple prep and let your oven do all the work. The result is juicy, flavorful chicken with crispy golden skin and tender vegetables all infused with incredible flavor from the rendered chicken drippings.
Why This One-Pan Roasted Chicken Recipe Works
Can we talk about how satisfying it is to make an entire dinner on one pan? I’m always in the mood for meals that require minimal effort and minimal dishes, and this roasted chicken recipe is exactly that. You literally put everything on one sheet pan, season it well, slide it in the oven, and walk away. An hour later, you have this gorgeous, restaurant-worthy meal that tastes like you worked on it for hours.
The magic happens when the chicken fat renders during roasting and bastes those vegetables naturally. The potatoes get crispy and golden, the carrots caramelize, the green beans get tender, and everything soaks up that incredible chicken flavor. It’s the kind of meal that makes you look like a kitchen genius even though it’s one of the easiest things you can make.
I make this for Sunday dinners, busy weeknights, and honestly, it’s become my go-to for smaller holiday gatherings too. It’s way less stressful than a turkey but still feels special and celebratory. Plus, the cleanup is a dream—just one pan!
What Makes This Roasted Chicken So Good
The seasoning technique: I’m going to share my secret for incredibly flavorful, juicy chicken—you season under the skin AND inside the cavity. This isn’t extra work, I promise, but it makes such a difference.
The vegetable mix: Potatoes, carrots, green beans, and onions create a complete meal. The variety of textures and flavors means everyone at the table finds something they love.
Minimal prep, maximum flavor: About 20 minutes of hands-on time, and the oven does the rest. No complicated techniques or special equipment needed.
Perfect for any occasion: Weeknight dinner, Sunday meal, holiday gathering—this chicken adapts to whatever you need it to be.
What You’ll Need
For the Chicken:
- Whole chicken – Look for a 5-6 pound bird. If you can’t find a whole chicken, you can absolutely use chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks, breasts), but a whole chicken is more economical and impressive!
- Butter – Goes under the skin to keep the meat juicy and flavorful.
- Olive oil – Brushed on the outside for that golden, crispy skin.
- Garlic cloves – Some go under the skin, some roast with the vegetables. The whole cloves get sweet and mild when roasted.
- Fresh parsley, lemon, and onion – Stuffed in the cavity for flavor and moisture.
- Seasonings – Kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder. Simple but so effective!
For the Vegetables:
Onion – Adds sweetness as it caramelizes. Yellow onions work great
Yukon Gold potatoes – My favorite for roasting! They’re creamy, tender, and don’t take forever to cook. Red potatoes or fingerlings work too.
Baby carrots – So convenient because they’re already peeled and uniform in size.
Fresh green beans – Make sure to trim the stem ends and any bruised spots.
How to Make Perfect Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
This recipe is straightforward, but I’m going to share all my tips for making it absolutely perfect.
Step 1: Prep Your Vegetables
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut your potatoes in half (or quarters if they’re large). Trim the ends off your green beans and remove any bruised pieces. Chop your onion into large chunks.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, carrots, green beans, onions, and about 5 garlic cloves with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season generously with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Spread them evenly on a large greased baking sheet, leaving room in the center for your chicken.
Pro tip: Don’t overcrowd the vegetables or they’ll steam instead of roast. You want them spread out in mostly a single layer.
Step 2: Prepare the Chicken (This is Where the Magic Happens!)
Remove your chicken from the packaging and pat it completely dry with paper towels. This is important—moisture on the skin prevents it from getting crispy.
Here’s my favorite trick: Carefully slide your fingers under the skin on the breast, creating a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons of butter and 5 garlic cloves under there. As the chicken roasts, that butter melts and bastes the meat from the inside. Game changer!
Step 3: Season Like You Mean It
Brush the entire chicken—top, bottom, everywhere—with olive oil. This is what creates that gorgeous golden, crispy skin. Don’t skip this step!
Now season liberally with kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder. I mean liberally—a whole chicken needs good seasoning. Season the outside AND reach inside the cavity to season the inside too.
Stuff the cavity with half a lemon (cut side up), half an onion, and a few sprigs of fresh parsley. This keeps the chicken moist and adds subtle flavor.
Step 4: Roast and Baste
Place your seasoned chicken right in the center of your vegetables on the sheet pan. Pop it in the oven and roast for 1 hour.
Here’s the basting schedule: after the first 30 minutes, start basting the chicken every 10 minutes with the pan juices. Use a turkey baster or a spoon to scoop up those drippings and pour them over the chicken. This keeps it juicy and makes the skin even more golden.
How do you know when it’s done? The internal temperature should reach 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh (use a meat thermometer!). The juices should run clear, and the skin should be golden brown.
Step 5: Rest Before Serving
This is crucial! Let your chicken rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of running all over your cutting board. Cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm.
While it rests, give those vegetables a gentle stir to coat them in all those delicious pan drippings.
My Best Tips for Juicy, Flavorful Roasted Chicken
Dry the skin thoroughly. Wet skin = steamed, rubbery skin. Dry skin = crispy, golden skin. Pat it really well!
Season under the skin. Those butter and garlic cloves under the skin are non-negotiable if you want incredibly juicy, flavorful meat. The butter bastes from the inside as it melts.
Don’t skip seasoning the cavity. That lemon, onion, and herbs inside keep the meat moist and add subtle flavor throughout.
Baste, baste, baste. Every 10 minutes after the first 30 minutes. Yes, it means opening the oven a few times, but it’s worth it for that golden, juicy result.
Use a meat thermometer. Don’t guess! 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh means it’s done and safe to eat.
Let it rest. I know you’re hungry, but those 15-20 minutes make the difference between juicy meat and dry meat.
Save the drippings! Those pan juices are liquid gold. Drizzle them over the carved chicken and vegetables, or save them to make gravy.
Vegetable Variations
The beauty of this recipe is you can swap vegetables based on what you have or what’s in season:
Fall/Winter: Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes
Spring/Summer: Asparagus, bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes
Year-Round: Broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, red onions
Just keep the cooking time in mind—harder vegetables like potatoes and carrots can handle the full hour, while tender vegetables like asparagus or bell peppers should be added in the last 30 minutes.
Make It a Holiday Meal
This roasted chicken is perfect for smaller holiday gatherings—Thanksgiving for a small family, Christmas dinner, Easter. It’s so much easier than dealing with a whole turkey but still feels special and festive.
For Thanksgiving: Add sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and fresh cranberries to the pan.
For Christmas: Use carrots, parsnips, and fingerling potatoes with fresh rosemary.
For Easter: Include asparagus (add it in the last 20 minutes) and baby carrots with lemon.
Serve it with your favorite sides—mashed potatoes, stuffing, dinner rolls—and you’ve got yourself a beautiful holiday spread without the stress.
Storage and Leftovers
Store leftover chicken and vegetables in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Leftover ideas:
- Shred the chicken for chicken salad, tacos, or soup
- Toss the vegetables with pasta and olive oil
- Make chicken and vegetable fried rice
- Use the bones to make homemade chicken stock
- Chicken sandwiches with the roasted vegetables
Reheating: Reheat in a 350°F oven covered with foil until warmed through, or microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes.
Commonly Asked Questions
I roast this completely uncovered because I want that crispy, golden skin! If you cover chicken with foil, it steams instead of roasts, and you end up with soft, pale skin instead of that gorgeous crispy exterior we’re after. That said, if your chicken is browning too quickly (like if the skin is getting dark but the internal temp isn’t at 165°F yet), you can loosely tent it with foil just for the last 15-20 minutes. But start uncovered and only cover if you absolutely need to slow down the browning.
Nope! Don’t boil them first. The beauty of this recipe is that the potatoes roast in all that rendered chicken fat, which makes them incredibly flavorful and prevents them from drying out. They’ll cook perfectly in the hour it takes to roast the chicken. If you boil them first, they’ll get mushy and fall apart during roasting, plus you’d lose out on all that amazing flavor. Just cut them in half (or quarters if they’re large) so they’re about the same size, and they’ll cook through beautifully.
A 5-6 pound whole chicken takes about an hour at 400°F. The general rule is about 15-20 minutes per pound at 375-400°F. But honestly, don’t rely on time alone—use a meat thermometer! The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh. Every oven is slightly different, and the exact size of your chicken matters, so that thermometer is your best friend for perfect results every time.
The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F, measured in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone). This ensures the meat is fully cooked and safe to eat. At this temperature, the juices should run clear when you cut into it. Some people like to take it to 170-175°F for darker meat that’s falling-off-the-bone tender, but 165°F is the minimum safe temperature. Definitely invest in a good instant-read thermometer—it takes all the guesswork out of roasting chicken!
Absolutely! If you can’t find a whole chicken or just prefer working with parts, use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, and breasts. Bone-in pieces will give you the best flavor and stay juicier during roasting. The cooking time might be slightly shorter—probably 45-50 minutes instead of a full hour—so start checking the temperature around 45 minutes. Thighs and drumsticks are more forgiving than breasts (they stay juicier), so if you’re mixing parts, keep an eye on the breasts so they don’t dry out.
So many options! The ones in this recipe (potatoes, carrots, green beans, onions) are classics, but you can use whatever you like. Heartier vegetables that can handle an hour of roasting include: potatoes (any kind), carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beets, and turnips. For more tender vegetables like asparagus, bell peppers, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes, add them to the pan in the last 20-30 minutes so they don’t get mushy. Basically, if it roasts well on its own, it’ll roast well with chicken!
Similar Recipes
If you like this roasted chicken recipe, you will enjoy the recipes and tutorials below:
- How to Deep Fry a Turkey
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Thighs
- Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Mushrooms and Peas
- Parmesan Peppercorn Chicken Breast
One Pan Roasted Chicken and Potatoes and Vegetables
- Total Time: 1 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Pan roasting is a simple and easy way to cook chicken and potatoes together in one pan. This one-pan recipe is a whole meal with chicken, potatoes, and veggies.
Ingredients
- 5–6 lb. Whole Chicken
- 1 1/2 large Yellow Onion, chopped and halved
- 1/2 lemon
- 6–7 sprigs of fresh parsley
- 1 lb. Yukon Potatoes, cut in half
- 1 lb. Baby Carrots
- 1 lb. Fresh Green Beans
- 10 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp. Kosher salt, more may be needed
- 1/2 tbsp. Coarse Black Pepper, more may be needed
- 1 tsp. Onion powder
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 2 tsp. Dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees.
- Prepare your veggies by cutting the potatoes in half and removing the stem ends of the fresh green beans and any bruised sections.
- On a large baking sheet, spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, add the cut potatoes, baby carrots, green beans, whole chopped onion, and about five garlic cloves, and toss in about one tablespoon of olive oil—season with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Lay the veggies evenly on the baking sheet.
- To prepare the chicken, make sure it is completely dry by patting it with a paper towel. Lift the skin on top of the chicken and stuff it with the remaining five garlic cloves. And about two tablespoons of butter.
- Next, brush the chicken with olive oil, top, and bottom—season liberally with kosher salt, pepper, thyme, onion, and garlic powder. Season inside of the cavity as well.
- Stuff the cavity with half lemon, half onion, and parsley sprigs. Place in the oven and roast the chicken for 1 hour once the chicken has roasted for 30 minutes, every 10 minutes, begin basting.
- Remove from the oven after an hour and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
This looks so good! Everyone at my house will love it!
Let me know if they do!
thank you