It is SO easy to make Homemade Rotisserie Chicken right in your own oven! Skip the preservatives and additives found in store-bought and make your own oven roasted rotisserie chicken with only 5 minutes of work!! You end up with a juicy, tender chicken that stands on its own or is perfect to use in any dish that calls for cooked chicken.
This Rotisserie Chicken Recipe is perfect for Sunday Dinner but is also great to use for any dishes like Cheesy Chicken and Rice, Chicken Pot Pie, and Chicken Salad or any recipes using leftover Rotisserie Chicken.
Who loves Rotisserie Chicken?
ME! ME!! And my whole family!
The problem? Take a look at the list of ingredients and you will be disgusted. MSG, corn syrup solids, carrageenan, hydrogenated oils, and on and on!
But leftover Rotisserie Chicken is so tasty, juicy, convenient, and star in so many fabulous dishes–hello Chicken Enchiladas, Creamy Parmesan Rotini with chicken, and Creamy, Cheesy Chicken and Rice!
That’s why a delicious Oven Rotisserie Chicken is just the recipe you need to keep in your arsenal.
You can make a rotisserie chicken in the oven with only 5 minutes of prep and you will never be tempted to buy a store-bought Chicken Rotisserie again.
The best part you don’t even need anything fancy–just your oven, a few dried spices, and a fresh chicken.
How do you make Homemade Rotisserie Chicken?
Step One: Make DIY Rotisserie Chicken Spice Rub
- Mix together salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme leaves, and a dash of cayenne.
Step Two: Season Chicken
- Clean out the cavity of the chicken and pat dry.
- Brush the chicken evenly with oil or melted butter.
- Sprinkle the spices generously over the chicken.
- Rub the spices in–but if that grosses you out, just sprinkle them on liberally.
- Brush off excess spices.
Step Three: Oven Roast
- Pour 1 cup of water into the roasting pan and then fit a roasting rack over the pan.
- Place the seasoned chicken breast-side down on the roasting rack. All the drippings will help to season the chicken breasts and keep them super flavorful.
- The secret to success when making your own Rotisserie Chicken is to roast the chicken low and slow.
- Place in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours to 3 hours (depends on size of chicken) or until meat thermometer inserted into thigh reads 160-163 degrees.
Step Four: Rest the Chicken
- Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. This allows the meat to reach 165 degrees and juices have redistributed through chicken.
Tips on Oven Roasted Homemade Rotisserie Chicken
- Be sure to use a digital thermometer inserted into the chicken thigh to ensure proper cooking. Both an undercooked and overcooked Roasted Chicken, is NOT a good thing. A digital thermometer will be a great investment for perfectly cooked chicken, beef, and pork!
- Multi-task and plan ahead and make more than one Rotisserie Chicken at a time. Extra Chicken Meat is a great thing to have on hand to make dishes like Creamy Chicken and Rice, Amish Chicken, Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole, or Healthy Chicken Salad.
- Save the bones from your Oven Roasted chicken to make Homemade Chicken Stock.
- If you have an Instant Pot, check out how to make Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken.
How long is it safe to keep cooked chicken in the refrigerator?
Raise your hand if you have called your mom more than one time to find out the answer to this? Or maybe you have googled it every time you have leftover chicken in the house?
The answers for how long you can keep chicken in the fridge vary, but in my book, I prefer 4 days. I think that more than one person will tell you from experience, a week is just fine.
However, to err on the side of caution, I follow the following advice when it comes to how long I keep chicken after cooking the refrigerator.
Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Recipes
- Creamy Parmesan Chicken Casserole
- Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
- One Pot Healthy Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole
- Chicken Fajita Pizza
Oven Roasted Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound chicken gizzards removed (I used a 3 pound organic chicken)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or melted butter
- For the rub:
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- dash of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Combine ingredients for the dry rub.
- Brush the chicken with oil or butter and rub the dry rub into the chicken.
- Pour in 1 cup water into bottom of roasting pan. Add rack to roasting pan. Place whole chicken, breast side down on rack in roasting pan.
- Bake until thermometer inserted into thigh reads 160 degrees--about 2 1/2 hours.
- Cover and let rest 10-20 minutes , until chicken reaches 165 degrees and juices have redistributed. Serve or save meat to shred for dishes that call for cooked chicken.
Notes
Approximately how much time would you add for a 5# bird?
Hi April! I would check the temperature at 3 hours, but plan for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Quick question- is the nutrition information for 1/6 of the chicken or the whole chicken? Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated! Can’t wait to try it- in the oven now! 😋
Hi KayeLowe! The nutritional information is based on 1/6 of a whole chicken with skin 🙂
I had planned to make a whole chicken in my IP, but found that the chicken was too big for the pot and for my rotisserie. I’m so glad I found your recipe. This was a 6lb chicken so I had to adjust the time. It was perfect, so moist and flavorful.
I am so happy you found this recipe as well Vickie and that you were able to enjoy a delicious dinner!
I was onboard until I read MSG as something you wouldn’t want in your chicken! That’s a racist rumor and scientifically false! Tomatoes and eggs have naturally occurring msg and I’ve seen people with a Chinese food “sensitivity” eat those!
Yes, there is natural MSG, but I am speaking of a chemically derived product that does upset a lot of people’s digestive systems with severe results–and that is scientifically proven (I am one of those people who have landed in the hospital from a reaction to chemically derived MSG). As for Chinese food, I do not believe MSG should be associated with any particular cuisine. I find it most often in ranch dressings, flavored potato chips, and seasonings.
Racist? Really?
Excited to make this tonight! Can I stuff it and put it on a rack breast side up or would that be a bad idea?
Hi Candy! I would not stuff the chicken as it will get really soggy in the moist heat in the instant pot.
I tried this recipe tonight and it was amazing! I didn’t have a roasting pan, so I used an 8X8 square glass pyrex dish put the breast face down (totally not what the recipe says, it says to put face up if you don’t use a roasting pan …oops!, but the breast turned out tender not dry :-)) there was a ton of juice just about overflowing bc I used such a small glass oven cooking dish so I transferred it to a pan to let it rest after I cooked it. I also didn’t have a Thermometer, so I left it in for 3 hrs 30 minutes instead of 2-3 full hrs and it was fully cooked and not underdone, but I’m sure that has to do with my oven and altitude… plus I left the house and forgot I left it in the oven. (I’m new to this!!!) but it was a great recipe and worked for me!!
I am so so glad that despite the changes you enjoyed a delicious meal–this recipe is pretty forgiving 🙂
awesome recipe! this is the first whole chicken recipe i made that my husband raved about “he only likes white meat chicken boneless skinless”. this recipe was outstanding and does taste just like rotisserie chicken? i made this exactly as written it was very easy to make
I am so glad to hear this Elaine! I hope you and your husband enjoy many more times together.
This is an amazing recipe. It’s unbelievably easy and it is delicious. I stopped buying store made rotisserie chicken because of the amount of sodium they contain. So happy to find out that I can make something even better myself. I used a 5 pd bird, which cooked in 3 hours, was so juicy and made for great leftovers. I have another bird ready to go for tomorrow. This will probably be a weekly thing since we eat so much chicken and this can’t be beat.
I am so glad you found this recipe Lisa and are enjoying it so much. It is often part of my meal prep as well. I hope you continue to enjoy for years to come!
Best chicken ever!!!! This is my fourth time making this for my family. My girls don’t really eat chicken but they love this chicken, they always ask for seconds.
That is about the best compliment I can get–love hearing this is a family favorite Jayell!
Do I need to baste or turn this chicken at all? Currently 45 minutes in.
Not at all Sean! Enjoy!
I didn’t and it was amazing. Also made gravy from the drippings.
I am SO happy you enjoyed so much Sean! Thanks for letting me know!
Should you cover the chicken with a lid or foil?
Hi Beatrice, for this recipe there is no need to.
This is not rotisserie Chicken. It was not turned on a spit. This is roasted chicken, although I am sure it tastes good.
You are right Dee, it is a copycat version without a spit 🙂
The chicken came out juicy but didn’t like the spice blend. Didn’t taste like a rotisserie chicken.
Hi Keith! I am sorry you did not care for the flavor of the rub. I have never had anyone mention that before, but I know everyone has different preferences. All the best!