Skip the preservatives and additives found in store-bought rotisserie chickens and make a homemade version right in your oven with only 5 minutes of work.
This recipe for Rotisserie Chicken creates a juicy, tender roast chicken that stands on its own or is perfect to use in any dish that calls for cooked chicken.
The BEST Rotisserie Chicken
Who loves Rotisserie Chicken? I know I sure do!
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!
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!
That's why a delicious this recipe for Homemade 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 is you don't even need anything fancy--just your oven, a few dried spices, and a fresh chicken.
How to Make Rotisserie Chicken
- To season the chicken, you want to prepare your own dry rub by mixing together salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme leaves, and a dash of cayenne in a small bowl. It is the perfect blend of spices to mimic store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- To prepare the chicken, be sure to remove any gizzards or necks in the cavity of the chicken, and then pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Brush the chicken evenly with oil or melted butter. This will help the chicken to brown up evenly and help the spice rub to adhere to the chicken.
- Sprinkle the spice rub generously over the chicken and then using your hands, rub the spices in. Brush off any excess rub.
- To roast the chicken, it is best to use a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Pour 1 cup of water into the base of the pan, this will help the drippings not burn as the chicken bakes, and helps keep the chicken moist, from the steam of the water.
- Place the seasoned chicken breast-side down on the roasting rack. As the chicken roasts, the drippings will drip down into the chicken breasts, which keeps them super flavorful.
- To bake the chicken, place the chicken into a 300-degree F oven for 2 to 3 hours (depending on the size of the chicken) or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160-163 degrees. The secret to success when making your own Rotisserie Chicken is to roast the chicken low and slow.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, tent the chicken with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. This allows the meat to reach 165 degrees F and the juices to have been redistributed through the chicken--which keeps the chicken juicy and tender.
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.
Serving Suggestions
This Rotisserie Chicken makes a perfect roast chicken for Sunday Dinner when served with a side of mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. But of course, you can use this chicken for any recipe for leftover rotisserie chicken.
Storing Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
Store leftover cooled chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can remove the chicken meat from the bones and store the cooked meat in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
And don't forget to save the carcass from the chicken to make Homemade Chicken Stock or Instant Pot Chicken Stock.
Step-by-Step Video
If you need a few additional tips or a visual guide for making a rotisserie chicken at home, be sure to watch my step-by-step video on YouTube.
Recipes Using Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
If you happen to have leftovers, put them to use in one of the following recipes that call for cooked chicken.
- Creamy Chicken Casserole
- Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Waldorf Salad
If you enjoyed this simple recipe for oven-roasted chicken that results in a copycat rotisserie chicken, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound chicken gizzards removed
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or melted butter
For the Dry 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 the oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the dried spices for the dry rub.
- Brush the chicken skin with oil or butter. Sprinkle with the dry rub and rub the mixture onto the chicken to adhere.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of a roasting pan. Add a rack to the roasting pan. Place the whole chicken, breast side down on the rack on the roasting pan. If using, place an oven-safe digital thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh.
- Bake until the thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160 degrees F. This will take about 2 ½ hours to 3 hours depending on how large your chicken is. If you do not have an oven-safe thermometer, use a digital read thermometer and check the temperature after 2 hours and 15 minutes and continue cooking until the chicken reaches 160-165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, tent loosely with the foil, and let rest 10-20 minutes. This will allow the chicken to reach 165 degrees F and juices redistribute.
- Serve the whole chicken as a roast chicken dinner or use the meat to shred, chop, or slice and use for any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.
Nicole
How much chicken in a serving?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Nicole! Each serving is 4 ounces of cooked meat. It will vary based on size of your chicken.
Nicole
My first try was excellent! Husband gave thumbs up and is still nibbling on left overs.
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! I love hearing this!
Mommamia
I made the mistake of flipping the chicken into it’s back at some point while cooking instead of keeping it breast down at 300°F and it didn’t cook through. Don’t do the same mistake I made! Needless to say, mine is still in the oven now with foil over it loosely, hoping I didn’t ruin it!! Otherwise, the last time I made it, it was good. I however did use rotisserie seasoning from the store vs putting the spices together and let it marinate overnight in the fridge this time hoping for more flavor. Will have to try putting spices together on my own sometime!
Lisa M Sampietro
HANDS DOWN THE JUICIEST, MOST FLAVORFUL ROTISSERIE CHICKEN.
Chicken is pretty much the only meat protein that my family will eat so when I found this recipe a few months ago when looking for a healthier, quick alternative to a store bought (gross) Rotisserie chicken I was willing to try it.
There aren't enough THANK YOU's in the world to appropriately cover it.
Not only do they absolutely LOVE this recipe, but I now happily (and quickly) make 1 chicken every single Monday. They eat what they want for dinner that night, I pull the rest of the meat and they either snack on it or I use it for meals the rest of the week. I'm a huge Aldi shopper so I get the double pack of whole chickens and viola, AT LEAST 2 (more like 3-4) meals for the week already in the books.
We're going on month 2 of this so I thought I should finally write a review - which I don't ever do.
THANK YOU Kristen!
Kristen Chidsey
You are SO beyond welcome! I absolutely LOVE hearing how much your family enjoyed this recipe Lisa!
Reid Lakin
Fantastic!! Definitely juicier than the store bought one!