Fall Spiced Whole Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

A perfect menu item for Thanksgiving. This recipe yields the crispiest chicken I’ve ever had, and only requires 1 pan to make. The super simple chicken spice rub features 3 ingredients, and it packs an amazing warm, fall flavor!

This. This right here is the chicken recipe that I’ve had for every Thanksgiving and Christmas for as long as I can remember! My mom has made this exact recipe for years and years, and I’m so excited to share it with you all 🎉

And what’s even better is you can use this same spice rub on turkey if you prefer!

ingredients:

• salt + nutmeg + cinnamon: salt to season + classic fall spices that go really well with chicken. They add such a lovely, earthy and warm flavor to the recipe that just scream fall
• chicken: you can also use turkey if you prefer. If you do use turkey, you may need to double the spice amount depending on the size of it – and of course, bake times will vary
• potatoes +carrots: these veggies just go so well with chicken, I basically always include them when roasting a whole chicken. They pair especially well with this spice rub!
• water or chicken stock: you’ll need a touch of liquid to help everything cook without drying out or burning – it also makes for a delicious sauce to drizzle over your chicken after it mixes with all the drippings! I usually use water, and it works just fine. For added flavor, you can use chicken stock
• olive oil: a final drizzle of olive oil before baking helps with crisping, browning, and flavor!

How to make roasted chicken with fall spice rub:

1. Make your spice rub. In a small bowl, mix together your salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
2. Season your chicken. Pat your chicken dry and rub the spice mix over the surface of the chicken. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the rub for the vegetables. (Optional) Tie the chicken legs together using kitchen twine so it cooks more evenly and for a cleaner look! Set the chicken aside for 30 minutes to come to room temperature before baking.

3. Arrange veggies and sprinkle spice mix on top. Scatter your vegetables into a large roasting pan or baking dish and sprinkle over the remaining spice mix. Nestle the chicken in the center of your baking dish. Pour your water/chicken stock into the pan and drizzle over your olive oil.
4. Bake. Roast your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of AT LEAST 165°F on a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. It’ll take about 20 minutes per pound of chicken.

Make ahead instructions and storage:

Chicken and turkey are pretty sensitive meats, so ideally you would roast them as fresh as possible. You can for sure spice the chicken up to 2 days in advance, and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. But I wouldn’t recommend waiting any longer than 2 days.

If you store your chicken in the fridge, it’s always a good idea to set it out for 30 minutes to warm to room temperature slightly before baking. This helps it cook more evenly without drying out!

The potatoes and carrots should be peeled and cut the day of – they won’t last nearly as long. As for the 3 ingredients spice rub, you can make that way, way, waaaaaay in advance and keep it on hand whenever you need it. Dry spices keep for about 2 years in your cupboard.

Check out these other recipes!

• Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Chicken with White Wine Sauce
• Chicken Ranch Wrap

Fall Spiced Whole Chicken Recipe

A perfect menu item for Thanksgiving. This recipe yields the crispiest chicken I've ever had, and only requires 1 pan to make. The super simple chicken spice rub features 3 ingredients, and it packs an amazing warm, fall flavor!

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken * see notes on cook times for different sizes
• 1 & 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick sticks
• 1 cup water or chicken stock ** see notes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix together salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon to combine. Set aside about 1 teaspoon of the spice mix for the vegetables.
• Place your chicken in a plate and pat it dry with a paper towel. Rub the spice mix all over the surface of the chicken. (Optional) Tie the chicken legs together with some kitchen twine to allow for even baking and for a nicer presentation! Set the chicken aside for 30 minutes to let it come up to room temperature.

  Preheat your oven to 375°F.
• In a large roasting pan or similarly sized baking dish, add vegetables and sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of the spice mix over them. Nestle the chicken into the center of the pan. Pour your water or stock into the pan, and drizzle the top of the chicken and veggies with olive oil.
• Transfer the chicken to the center of a preheated 375°F oven, and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F and the chicken juices run clear. For an extra crispy chicken skin, broil on low for 2 to 5 minutes, or until a deep golden brown.
• Take the chicken out of the oven and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes before carving and serving!

Notes

* The size of the chicken you use will change the bake time slightly. Chicken should generally be baked for about 20 minutes per pound. But the best tell for when chicken is done baking is an instant read thermometer! A thermometer should read 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. The chicken juices should also run clear.

** Some liquid is important to make sure the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn as the chicken roasts. I’ve used water for years, and it’s always been perfectly delicious, but if you want some added flavor you can use chicken stock!

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Enjoy!