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 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 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 to not burn as they chicken bakes, and helps the 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 keep them super flavorful.
- To bake the chicken, place the chicken into a 300 degree F oven for 2 to 3 hours (depends on size of chicken) or until meat thermometer inserted into 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 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 any 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 an freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
And don't forget to save the carcuss from the chicken to make Homemade Chicken Stock or Instant Pot Chicken Stock.
Step-by-Step Video
If you need a bit of additional tips or 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 the following recipes that calls for cooked chicken.
- Creamy Chicken Casserole
- Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
- 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.
Lily
Hi. I got a little confused. Was it in Fahrenheit or Celcius? ;D
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lily! Sorry for the confusion. It is Fahrenheit.
Michelle
I only have chicken thighs. How long would you cook them on 300 degrees?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Michelle, for bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs, I would roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes and check the internal temperature of the chicken to see if 165 degrees has been reached. If not, cook for 15 more minutes. Enjoy!
April
Approximately how much time would you add for a 5# bird?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi April! I would check the temperature at 3 hours, but plan for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
KayeLowe
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! 😋
Kristen Chidsey
Hi KayeLowe! The nutritional information is based on 1/6 of a whole chicken with skin 🙂
Vickie Preston
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.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy you found this recipe as well Vickie and that you were able to enjoy a delicious dinner!
Alex
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Sharon
Racist? Really?
Candy
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?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Candy! I would not stuff the chicken as it will get really soggy in the moist heat in the instant pot.
Machelle Wells
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!!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so so glad that despite the changes you enjoyed a delicious meal--this recipe is pretty forgiving 🙂
elaine
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
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad to hear this Elaine! I hope you and your husband enjoy many more times together.
Lisa
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.
Kristen Chidsey
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!