Growing up, our Christmas dinners were always centered around a store-bought ham. Mom wasn’t confident about tackling a whole chicken, worried it would end up too dry or undercooked. I carried that same fear into my early adult years, sticking to what I knew.
But here’s the thing about roasting a chicken – it’s actually much simpler than I’d imagined. The key isn’t fancy ingredients or complicated techniques. It’s just about getting the basics right: proper temperature, good timing, and a few simple seasonings. Now, my family looks forward to our Christmas chicken tradition, and I haven’t looked back at those pre-cooked hams since.
Why You’ll Love This Holiday Roast Chicken
- Perfect for special occasions – This festive roast chicken with cranberries and citrus makes a beautiful centerpiece for your holiday table, but is much easier to manage than a turkey.
- Complete one-pan meal – The chicken roasts alongside potatoes, carrots, and onions, meaning you’ll have your main dish and sides ready all at once with minimal cleanup.
- Make-ahead friendly – You can prep the herb butter and cranberry mixture ahead of time, making the actual cooking process straightforward and stress-free on the big day.
- Budget-conscious choice – Chicken is more affordable than traditional holiday meats like turkey or ham, while still delivering impressive results that will make your guests happy.
What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?
For a holiday roast chicken, you’ll want to look for a whole chicken that’s around 4 pounds – this size is perfect for feeding a family while ensuring the meat cooks evenly. Fresh chicken typically gives better results than frozen, but if you’re using frozen, just make sure to thaw it completely in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours before cooking. When shopping, look for a chicken with pink-colored flesh and no strong odors, and try to choose one that’s air-chilled rather than water-chilled if possible, as this helps create crispier skin when roasting. If your budget allows, free-range or organic chickens often provide better flavor, though a standard whole chicken from your grocery store will still make a delicious meal.
Options for Substitutions
This festive roasted chicken recipe allows for several ingredient swaps if you need them:
- Fresh cranberries: If fresh cranberries aren’t available, you can use frozen ones without thawing. In a pinch, dried cranberries work too – just soak them in hot water for 15 minutes first to plump them up.
- Fresh herbs vs. dried: While the recipe calls for dried herbs, you can use fresh ones instead. Just triple the amount since fresh herbs are less concentrated (use 4.5 teaspoons fresh thyme, 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, and 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary).
- Orange and lemon: No fresh oranges? Use 1/4 cup bottled orange juice and 1 teaspoon dried orange zest. For the stuffing citrus, you can use all lemon or all orange if you don’t have both.
- Small potatoes: Any potato variety works here – red, Yukon gold, or russet (cut into smaller chunks). You could even swap in sweet potatoes for a different flavor.
- Chicken stock: Vegetable stock works fine, or you can use water with a chicken bouillon cube. In a pinch, even white wine mixed with water (half and half) makes a good substitute.
- Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar works just as well, or use regular white sugar with a teaspoon of molasses. Plain white sugar alone will work too, though you’ll miss some of that caramel note.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Roasting
The biggest mistake when roasting a whole chicken is not patting the skin completely dry before seasoning – moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so take an extra minute with paper towels to ensure the surface is thoroughly dried. Temperature control is crucial too – starting at 425°F for the first 20 minutes helps achieve that golden-brown skin, then lowering to 375°F prevents the outside from burning while the inside cooks through. A common error is not letting your chicken rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking, which can lead to uneven cooking and longer roasting times. For the juiciest results, let the chicken rest for 15-20 minutes after cooking (tent it loosely with foil to keep warm), allowing the juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of running out when carved.
What to Serve With Roasted Chicken?
Since this Christmas roasted chicken already comes with potatoes, carrots, and onions, you’ve got your main sides covered – but there’s always room for a few more festive additions! A simple green vegetable like steamed Brussels sprouts or green beans would add a nice pop of color to your holiday plate. For something extra special, you might want to add some homemade cranberry sauce (beyond the roasted cranberries in the recipe) or a warm dinner roll to soak up all those tasty pan juices. If you’re feeding a crowd, consider adding a winter salad with mixed greens, candied pecans, and pomegranate seeds to round out the meal.
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: Got leftover Christmas chicken? Place it in an airtight container along with the roasted vegetables and pop it in the fridge. It’ll stay good for up to 4 days. Pro tip: store the chicken and veggies separately from any pan juices to keep everything from getting too soggy.
Freeze: This roasted chicken freezes really well! Remove the meat from the bones and pack it in freezer-safe containers or bags. It’ll keep nicely for up to 3 months. The roasted vegetables can be frozen too, though they might be a bit softer when thawed.
Reheat: To warm up your chicken without drying it out, place it in a baking dish with a splash of chicken broth, cover with foil, and heat at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. You can also microwave individual portions, covered, at 50% power until warm. The vegetables can be reheated the same way!
Make Ahead: You can prep this chicken up to a day ahead! Mix the herb butter and prep the vegetables, storing them separately in the fridge. You can even stuff and season the chicken – just keep it covered in the fridge and bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
| Preparation Time | 30-60 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 80-100 minutes |
| Total Time | 110-160 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 2200-2500
- Protein: 110-130 g
- Fat: 120-140 g
- Carbohydrates: 150-170 g
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coarse salt
- 1 whole chicken (approx. 4 pounds)
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (about from half an orange)
- 6 tablespoons softened butter (85 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon orange peel
- 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes
- 2 medium yellow onions (wedged)
- 2 large carrots (halved, then cut into 3”-4” pieces)
- 1 garlic bulb (cloves separated, skins removed)
- 1 orange (sliced into 8 parts)
- 1/2 lemon (cut into quarters)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
Step 1: Truss the Chicken
Begin by placing the chicken breast side up with the neck away from you.
Using a 3-foot piece of kitchen twine, run the center under the neck.
As you bring the string towards you, tuck the wings in.
Run the twine along the outside of the legs, ensuring it goes under the joint of the drumsticks to secure them.
Cross the twine under the “ankles,” bring it up and tie the ankles together over top.
Cut off any excess twine below the knot once secured.
Step 2: Prepare and Cool the Brine
In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup of kosher salt (or 1/4 cup table salt) in 8 cups of lukewarm water.
Once the salt is fully dissolved, cover the bowl and transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely.
Step 3: Brine the Chicken
When the brine has cooled, add the trussed chicken to the bowl.
Ensure the chicken is fully submerged, cover the bowl again, and return it to the refrigerator.
Let the chicken soak for at least 30 minutes to ensure juiciness.
Skip this step if your chicken is pre-brined.
Step 4: Prepare Cranberry Mixture and Butter Spread
In separate medium mixing bowls, prepare the cranberry mixture and the butter spread with the respective ingredients.
Set each bowl aside to allow the cranberries to macerate and the butter spread to come together.
Step 5: Setup the Roasting Pan
Lay out the baby potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic cloves, 6 pieces of orange, and 3 pieces of lemon in the center of a roasting pan to form a bed.
Pour the chicken broth over these vegetables to provide moisture and flavor.
Step 6: Preheat Oven and Prepare Chicken for Roasting
Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
After brining, remove the chicken from the brine, letting excess liquid drip away before thoroughly drying it with paper towels.
Gently loosen the skin from the chicken to create space for the butter spread.
Flip the chicken backside up and rub it with some butter.
Flip to breast side up, place on the vegetable bed, and rub butter under the skin and over the top and sides.
Stuff reserved orange and lemon pieces inside the cavity.
Step 7: Bake the Chicken
Scatter the prepared cranberry mixture, including any juices, around the vegetables in the roasting pan.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 425°F (218°C).
Then, reduce the temperature to 350°F (176°C) and continue baking for 20 minutes per pound of chicken, or until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached at the thigh, avoiding the bone.
For a 4-pound chicken, this should take approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes at 350°F.