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    Home » All Recipes

    Author: Donna | Published: Feb 7, 2018 | Modified: Apr 16, 2021

    How To Make A Rotisserie Style Chicken in the Oven

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    Rotisserie Style Chicken in the oven

    Learn how to make a Homemade Rotisserie-Style Chicken right in your own oven. The absolute perfect alternative to store-bought rotisserie chickens with ALL of that great flavor. This homemade version is much healthier than store-bought and super easy to put together.

    Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken in the Oven
    Why not try serving your four cheese stuffed butternut squash with a homemade rotisserie-style chicken?

    There is a reason this Homemade Rotisserie-Style Chicken has been the most popular recipe on Whole Food Bellies for about two years running. If you haven't tried it yet, then get excited, because this is all kinds of delicious!

    What Makes A Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken Better Than Store-bought?

    I cannot emphasize enough how good this homemade rotisserie chicken is.

    Ok, so you have to cook it for around 3 hours....it is definitely not a quick meal.

    But really, if you are making a roast chicken, you aren't anticipating a quick meal anyway.

    It usually takes an hour or so anyway, but trust me, this one is worth the extra time.

    I promise.

    It is so easy, and it tastes so much better than the store-bought version. Plus you just don't know how long that store-made chicken has been sitting under those heat lamps, or if someone has carried it around the store for a while, changed their mine, and then popped it back.

    Gross.

    Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken in the Oven

    Here's How Easy It Is

    • Fill the cavity with garlic and lemon;
    • Rub some oil and spices underneath the skin (this part gives you the most flavorsome crispy skin);
    • Rub some oil and spices on the outside of the chicken;
    • Throw it all in the oven and forget about it until the timer goes off!

    See? Told Ya! Not too much work involved at all.

    What About Prepping Ahead of Time?

    Definitely! In fact, dressing the chicken with the herbs and spices and trussing it up the night before lets the flavors really sink in there. This way you just have to pop it in the oven on the night.

    Perfect.

    Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken in the Oven

    Organic vs Non-Organic Chicken

    I don't buy everything organic. I generally stick to the dirty dozen (read more about it here) which is basically those fruit and veggies containing the most pesticide residue. Then my dairy and poultry. There are usually a few other items, but these ones will always be organic in my cart.

    I justify the extra expense by using the chicken for 2 purposes. First, we enjoy it as a rotisserie chicken that can be used in LOTS of meals, and then I use the carcass to make the most amazing homemade chicken stock.

    Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken @wholefoodbellies.com

    How Do You Make Homemade Chicken Stock?

    Easy, you simply:

    • Add the chicken carcass and skin (if you don't eat it) to a big pot, a slow cooker or a pressure cooker;
    • Add 8 cups of water, a couple of bay leaves, some cloves of garlic, salt and pepper;
    • Simmer on the stovetop for 1.5-2 hours, in a slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, or in the pressure cooker for 45 minutes;
    • Cool, strain, and store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

    Do yourself a favor, next weekend head to the local Farmer's Market, or wherever you get your chicken from, grab a good one and make this homemade rotisserie chicken. For a family of four, it fed us two dinners, and lunch, and also made 8 cups of homemade chicken stock. 

    What Do I Do With Leftover Chicken?

    Leftover rotisserie chicken is fantastic in sandwiches or wraps. It goes great thrown in a salad for lunch the next day and even better chopped up and thrown in some soup. If you make up your own stock then make a chicken noodle soup with that. Yum.

    If you need some recipes to use up that leftover homemade rotisserie chicken, then check these out:

    • Bruschetta Chicken Zucchini Spaghetti from West Via Midwest;
    • Leftover Light Chicken Salad from the Healthy Home Cook;
    • Leftover Turkey Gumbo (but sub in rotisserie chicken) from Eating Richly.

    Recipe

    Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken in the Oven

    Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken In the Oven

    Whole Food Bellies
    Learn how to make a Homemade Rotisserie Style Chicken right in your own oven. The absolute perfect alternative to store bought rotisserie chickens with ALL of that great flavor. This homemade version is much healthier than store-bought and super easy to put together.
    4.35 from 55 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 10 mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 serves
    Calories 71 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 4 lb whole chicken (opt for organic where possible)
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • 3 tablespoon avocado oil or other cooking oil of choice
    • ½ lemon quartered
    • 6 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 300 degrees
    • Mix together the salt, paprika, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cumin in a small bowl
    • Give the chicken a rinse and remove giblets etc. Pat dry with paper towels
    • Pop the lemons and garlic into the cavity
    • Rub the breasts underneath the skin with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture. Try not to tear the skin, but don't worry if you do
    • Rub the remaining avocado oil on the outside of the skin and then season all over with the remaining spice mixture (if you have cooking twine then tie the legs together - I have done without and it was fine)
    • Pop the bird in a cast iron dutch oven or roasting pan and roast for 2.5 to 3 hours, basting once every hour (spoon any juices in the pan over the bird)
    • It will be a beautiful brown/red colour when done. Pull it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving
    • I served it up with some sweet potato fries and a salad but let your imagination run wild

    Notes

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
    Remember to use the bones for some chicken stock. Simply combine the bones with about 8-10 cups of water, some peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves and salt and:
    • boil on the stove top;
    • pop into the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high;
    • or in the pressure cooker on high for 10 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 71kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 777mgPotassium: 43mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 408IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment HERE and let us know how it was!

    I love this served up with some  Lightened-Up Creamy Pasta Salad  or  Maple Roasted Small Potatoes  and a fresh salad, like this  Zesty Tomato and Nectarine Salad.

    « Winter Farro Salad with Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette
    Spiced Raw Carrot Salad »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melinda says

      November 03, 2022 at 12:31 pm

      Love the combination of spices! The smoked paprika and cumin are such a tasty way to season the chicken. It’s fun to enjoy “rotisserie” style chicken made at home, not the grocery store.

      Reply
    2. Nora says

      November 03, 2022 at 6:31 am

      What a great recipe! I love that you use paprika! It adds just the perfect touch of spice! So yummy!

      Reply
    3. Juliette says

      November 03, 2022 at 4:25 am

      Love the flavours in this recipe. Your instructions make it easy to follow too.

      Reply
    4. Tina says

      November 02, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      This roast is sure to become a family favorite! So flavorful!

      Reply
    5. Mary says

      January 17, 2022 at 5:31 am

      I am so excited to try this recipe. We just went and purchased two fresh chickens and the herbs, now getting down to yummy business. I’ll update ya’ll on the results. Thank you, Donna, for sharing this yumalicious recipe with us! 😊

      Reply
      • Donna says

        January 19, 2022 at 12:05 pm

        Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Jaimie says

      April 23, 2020 at 8:44 am

      What a beautiful recipe - LOVE the addition of paprika! Thanks for. sharing 🙂

      Reply
    7. Cindy says

      February 08, 2020 at 12:49 pm

      I made this a while ago and pinned it. I rediscovered this recipe today and thought I would try it again. Now I remember why I pinned it in the first place!!! So delicious! So tender and moist! Thanks for an amazing and no-fuss way to cook a chicken!

      Reply
      • Donna says

        February 08, 2020 at 6:22 pm

        Thanks for taking the time to pop back and let me know Cindy! This remains one of my favourite recipes ever, the house always smells so amazing, and it has worked out for me every single time 🙂

        Reply
    8. Marisol says

      July 12, 2019 at 2:07 am

      Hi I was wondering if anyone else had no juices to spoon over their bird? Its been in the oven about an hour and when I went to check on it there was nothing to spoon over it... It looks and smells heavenly. Should I consider adding some stock?

      Reply
      • Donna says

        July 14, 2019 at 2:29 pm

        You can always spoon a little bit of stock on top to stop it from drying out. I have made this around 25 times and always have liquid so I am not sure what has happened, but it should work out just fine.

        Reply
    9. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

      March 15, 2019 at 2:26 pm

      It looks so perfect!!

      Reply
    10. Fleur Scott says

      December 29, 2018 at 5:49 pm

      I made the chicken the other night and it was amazing. I am in hot Australia at the moment so we swam all afternoon while it filled the house with delicious smells. Served with salad. Night two. Made pressure cooker (instant pot?) Risotto with peas and left over chicken. It was amazing. Going to try turning left over risotto into Arancini. All recipes from this great site. I am going to batch make the rub for easy dinners

      Reply
      • Donna says

        December 29, 2018 at 6:39 pm

        Oh thank you Fleur, that made my day!! I am working on a post about making a few recipes from one, so I might have to use your ideas 🙂

        Reply
    11. Fleur Scott says

      December 29, 2018 at 5:47 pm

      I made the chicken the other night and it was amazing. I am in hot Australia at the moment so we swam all afternoon while it filled the house with delicious smells. Served with salad. Night two. Made pressure cooker (instant pot?) Risotto with peas and left over chicken. It was amazing. Going to try turning left over risotto into Arancini. All recipes from this great site.

      Reply
    12. Vickie says

      March 06, 2018 at 2:27 pm

      Will definitely try this recipe. Will a black enamel roasting pan work okay for this? What accounts for the amount of fat per serving - 42 grams! Won't stop me from trying it though! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        March 08, 2018 at 8:44 am

        Ha, thanks for pointing that out Vickie! Those nutrition label calculators are notoriously inaccurate, which is why I didn't use them for so long. I ran the ingredients again and updated 🙂 An enamel roasting pan should work just fine!

        Reply
    13. JoEllen says

      February 06, 2018 at 3:47 am

      Just found your recipe and I think I will give it a try. Thank you for sharing. My sister in law gave us one of her birds she raised and it dressed out at a whopping 12 lbs! What would the cooking time for that size be? (This is my first time baking a whole chicken)

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        February 08, 2018 at 8:15 pm

        Oh wow, that is a HUGE bird!! I have never in my life cooked a bird that big, so unfortunately I can't give you an accurate cooking time. Just make sure the chicken is 165° Fahrenheit (75° Celsius) when cooked and you will be good to go. Good luck

        Reply
        • JoEllen says

          February 09, 2018 at 4:51 am

          Thank you, I will need it! 😉

          Reply
        • Jere Cassidy says

          November 02, 2022 at 3:20 pm

          Three hours at 300 degrees makes so much sense on roasting a chicken, just low and slow, and the outcome is delicious. Will make this again.

          Reply
    14. Sam says

      January 31, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      This was a fantastic recipe. Did not have avocado oil so used olive oil and tasted delicious. Meat fell off the bone and the skin was nice and crispy!

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        January 31, 2018 at 8:25 pm

        Ha I literally made this chicken again tonight too 🙂 So good!!

        Reply
    15. Nicole Shillings says

      June 25, 2017 at 5:08 pm

      I LOVE rotisserie chicken!! I buy them every now and then, I've never tried making it in the oven before.

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        June 27, 2017 at 8:51 pm

        Us too, I can't buy the store bought versions anymore though since we started making our own, they are so much better!!

        Reply
    16. Marie-Pierre Breton says

      June 24, 2017 at 3:20 am

      Love roasted chicken! It's bring so much nice memories and this version would make nice memories also! I love the smoked paprika touch, it give it a rustic "done on the fire" flair! This crust and seasoning looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        June 27, 2017 at 8:57 pm

        Oh thank you Marie! It is definitely a favorite around here, especially with the kids!!

        Reply
    17. Allison Hanson says

      June 23, 2017 at 7:54 pm

      I love a Ggood ood roast chicken. I'm excited to try your version with a lower temperature a longer cook time than what I am used to thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        July 07, 2017 at 3:01 pm

        It is so good, you won't go back 🙂

        Reply
    18. andrea says

      June 23, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      this chicken looks amazing and the perfect way to cook a chicken for the family or for friday night dinners.

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        July 16, 2017 at 7:37 am

        YES! It is even great for meal prepping, if you want to shred it and use fir a few different meals during the week

        Reply
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    Hello and welcome, I'm Donna!

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    Since I have a part-time job, 3 little kids, and a love of good food (as do you I assume), I have learned how to get the most out of the kitchen in the smallest amount of time.

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