With the holidays rapidly approaching, you’re probably in the market for the perfect whole roast chicken recipe – and here it is!

People are often intimidated to make a whole roast chicken or turkey, but it’s much less complicated than it seems! This recipe will help you make the perfect, moist whole roast chicken every time.

This recipe creates a roast chicken with flavorful, crispy skin – it’s all in the preparation. One of the secret ingredients in this recipe is the garlic confit! It’s simple to make, and it plays a huge role in keeping the chicken moist and delicious with the perfect texture.

You can roast this chicken by itself or with vegetables underneath. I recommend roasting vegetables underneath so you’re making the most of your oven time and also taking advantage of the delicious chicken drippings, which provide a ton of delicious flavors to the vegetables.

This traditional paleo whole roast chicken is the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it’s also great for any other holiday or just for a year-round staple! Everyone needs a go-to recipe for whole roast chicken n their lives. When it doubt, roast a whole chicken…right?

Paleo Whole Roast Chicken 

Time: 2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• One whole chicken 
• Extra virgin olive oil – around 1 cup (use code “WELLNESS” for 10% off Kasandrinos 100% EVOO)
• 20 garlic cloves, peeled
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• One lemon, sliced in quarters
• 1/2 onion, quartered
• 5 rosemary springs
• Butcher’s twine to truss

Optional Ingredients to Bake Over: 

• 3 carrots, cubed 
• 2 white sweet potatoes, cubed
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1/2 pound of Brussels sprouts, halved 
• Garlic confit (already made with ingredients above)
• 1 tsp salt 

Instructions:

1. Pat the chicken dry. Salt the chicken generously all over. Put it on a plate and refrigerate it unwrapped overnight. This will allow the skin to dry and get tight. 
2. The next day, add your garlic, olive oil (use enough to cover the garlic), and 2 rosemary sprigs to a sauce pot over medium heat. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the garlic is fork tender. Once the garlic is soft, drain the herbs and garlic, and reserve the oil in a bowl. This is the garlic flavored oil you’ll use to coat the chicken for extra flavor.
3. Preheat your oven 450*F.
4. Heavily salt and pepper the inside of the chicken’s cavity. Stuff the lemon pieces, onions, remaining rosemary, and half of the garlic confit into the cavity.
5. Truss the chicken with butcher’s twine. (You can watch this video to learn how to truss the chicken.)
6. Coat the chicken in the garlic oil, and add ½ tsp salt. 
7. If you’re roasting the chicken over the vegetables, then toss the carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, and Brussels sprouts in the rest of the garlic confit with some extra salt and rosemary. Spread the coated vegetables evenly on a baking tray.
8. Place the chicken on on a roasting rack over the baking tray, with the breast side up.
9. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes on 450*F, until you get a nice brown. Once the chicken is golden-brown, turn the oven down to 350*F.
10. Bake for another 35-40 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken breast is 165*F.
11. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes after you remove it from the oven.
12. Carve the chicken, and serve!