This Christmas Roast Chicken is the perfect alternative to turkey for a smaller Christmas dinner. It's juicy and tender, with golden, crispy skin coated in orange and herb butter. A little more special than your usual roast chicken, but still really easy to make.
We love having chicken for Christmas dinner. It's more affordable than a turkey, everyone in our house enjoys it, and there is always enough for some leftovers without being overwhelmed by them!
The orange, lemon, garlic and fresh herbs give this roast chicken a lovely festive flavour without any complicated preparation.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 12 December 2022 and was fully retested in October 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
For more Christmas meats, try our delicious honey roast ham, easy roast turkey breast or our convenient slow cooker whole chicken.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love It
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Christmas Roast Chicken
- How Long to Roast a Christmas Chicken
- How to Make Gravy from Roasting Juices
- What to Serve with Christmas Roast Chicken
- How to Store Christmas Chicken
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Roast Chicken Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love It
- Perfect for Christmas dinner - A delicious alternative to turkey that serves around 6 people with all the trimmings.
- Easy to prepare - Just a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes of hands-on preparation.
- Full of flavour - Orange and herb butter keeps the chicken juicy and gives the skin a delicious golden finish.
- Prepare ahead - Get the chicken ready on Christmas Eve to save yourself time on Christmas Day.
Recipe Overview
- Serves: 6 people with all the trimmings.
- Flavour: Buttery garlic, fresh herbs and a hint of citrus.
- Texture: Juicy, tender meat with golden, crispy skin.
- Prep: Just 15 minutes of hands-on preparation.
- Cooking time: Approximately 2 hours for a 2kg chicken.
- Make ahead: Prepare the herb butter chicken the night before and refrigerate.
- Perfect for: A smaller Christmas dinner or an alternative to turkey.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - We used a 2kg (4½lb) whole chicken, which serves around 6 people with side dishes. Choose a good-quality, high-welfare chicken if possible. You can use a different size, but the cooking time will need adjusting.
- Butter - Softened butter forms the base of the festive herb butter and helps the skin turn golden. Use good-quality butter for the best flavour.
- Orange and lemon - The orange zest goes into the butter, whilst the orange and lemon wedges go inside the chicken. They add a subtle citrus flavour that works really well with the herbs.
- Fresh herbs - Rosemary, thyme and parsley are a delicious combination. You can use dried herbs if needed, but fresh herbs give the best flavour.
- Carrots and onion - These create a bed for the chicken to roast on and add flavour to the cooking juices.
- Garlic - Whole garlic cloves go inside the chicken for a lovely savoury flavour.
- Chicken stock - Added to the roasting tin to stop the vegetables from drying out and create delicious juices for gravy. Vegetable stock works too.
- Salt and pepper - Season generously to bring out all the flavours.
How to Make Christmas Roast Chicken
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
- Make the butter coating: Mix the softened butter with the finely chopped rosemary, thyme, parsley and orange zest.
- Prepare the chicken: Put the chopped carrots and onion in a roasting tin. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and place it breast-side up on top of the vegetables.
- Season the chicken: Carefully loosen the skin over the breasts using your fingers, being careful not to tear it. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Flavour the chicken: Spread half of the herb butter underneath the chicken skin and the remaining butter over the outside. Place the orange wedges, lemon wedges and garlic cloves inside the cavity without packing it too tightly. Put any wedges that won't fit into the roasting tin.
- Add the stock: Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the tin, around the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Roast uncovered for approximately 2 hours, until golden and cooked through. Start checking the temperature before the end of the cooking time, as ovens and chicken sizes vary.
- Check for doneness: Check that the chicken has reached at least 75°C (167°F) in the thickest parts, without the thermometer touching bone.
- Rest the chicken: Remove from the oven, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
How Long to Roast a Christmas Chicken
Our 2kg Christmas roast chicken took approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes at 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
The exact cooking time depends on the size of your chicken and your oven, so always use a meat thermometer to check it is properly cooked.
For the juiciest chicken, avoid leaving it in the oven longer than necessary. Check the temperature in both the breast and the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. Both should reach at least 75°C.
If the skin is browning too quickly before the chicken is cooked through, loosely cover it with foil.
How to Make Gravy from Roasting Juices
Don't throw away those delicious juices in the roasting tin! The chicken stock, vegetables, herbs and butter create a lovely base for Christmas gravy.
We usually keep it simple and add the strained roasting juices to good-quality gravy granules, topping up with a little vegetable cooking water until we have the consistency we like.
You can also make gravy from scratch by using the pan juices with a little butter and flour, or serve the chicken with our easy onion gravy.
What to Serve with Christmas Roast Chicken
This roast chicken goes with all the traditional Christmas dinner trimmings.
For potatoes, you can't beat our crispy easy roast potatoes. If oven space is limited, try slow cooker roast potatoes or make ahead mashed potatoes.
For vegetables, we love slow cooker red cabbage, honey roasted parsnips and easy cauliflower cheese. Add roasted garlic Brussels sprouts or Brussels sprouts gratin for something a little more special.
And of course, it wouldn't be Christmas dinner without sage and onion stuffing and air fryer pigs in blankets. Our air fryer stuffing balls are another easy option when the oven is full.
For more ideas and help organising your meal, have a look at our Christmas Dinner Meal Plan.
How to Store Christmas Chicken
Store: Remove leftover chicken from the bones, allow it to cool quickly and refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze: Shred or slice the cooked chicken and freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Freezing in individual portions makes it easier to use later.
Defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight, or until completely thawed, and use within 24 hours.
Reheat: Reheat the chicken in a covered pan with a splash of stock or gravy to stop it drying out. Make sure it is piping hot all the way through and only reheat it once.
Use leftovers: Leftover roast chicken is brilliant in sandwiches, salads and wraps. We also love using it in leftover chicken pasta or chicken and leek pie. You can even swap the turkey for chicken in our 15 minute leftover turkey curry.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Use good-quality butter. It's one of the main flavours in this recipe, so it really does make a difference.
- Use fresh herbs if possible. Rosemary, thyme and parsley work beautifully together, although dried herbs can be used if that's what you have.
- Get the herb butter under the skin. Don't just spread it over the outside. Gently loosen the skin and spread the butter underneath for extra flavour. You can also rub a little inside the cavity.
- Don't skip the vegetables underneath. The carrots and onion lift the chicken off the bottom of the tin, help it roast more evenly and add flavour to the cooking juices.
- Pat the chicken skin dry. This helps the butter cling to the chicken and encourages a more golden finish.
- Don't overfill the cavity. Leave space around the orange, lemon and garlic for heat to circulate. Put any extra citrus wedges in the roasting tin.
- Cover with foil if needed. If the skin starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover the top whilst the chicken finishes cooking.
- Add a splash of white wine. For an extra layer of flavour, replace a little of the chicken stock in the roasting tin with white wine. This is completely optional.
- Use a meat thermometer. It's the most reliable way to check your Christmas chicken is cooked without drying it out.
- Don't skip resting. Leave the cooked chicken for 15-20 minutes before carving. It gives you time to finish the gravy and get the rest of Christmas dinner on the table.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Skin browning too quickly | The butter and herbs are browning before the chicken is cooked. | Loosely cover the chicken with foil and continue roasting until cooked through. |
| Skin isn't crispy | The skin was too wet or the chicken was covered during roasting. | Pat the skin dry before adding the butter and roast uncovered unless it starts browning too quickly. |
| Chicken is dry | The chicken has been overcooked or carved without resting. | Start checking the temperature early, rest for 15-20 minutes and serve with the roasting juices or gravy. |
| Vegetables or juices burning | The liquid in the roasting tin has evaporated. | Add a splash of hot stock or water to the tin, around the chicken, if it starts drying out. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prepare the herb butter, spread it under and over the chicken skin, and keep the chicken covered in the fridge overnight. Add the citrus and garlic to the cavity just before roasting.
This is one of my favourite ways to save time on Christmas Day, when there are already so many other things to cook.
No, this recipe is roasted uncovered so the herb butter skin can become golden and crispy. Only add foil loosely over the top if the skin is browning too quickly.
You can cook a whole chicken with stuffing inside, but it changes the cooking requirements and the centre of the stuffing must also reach a safe temperature.
For this recipe, I recommend cooking the stuffing separately. It's easier to check the chicken is cooked properly and also gives you more room for the orange, lemon and garlic.
Once your chicken has rested, remove the legs by cutting between the legs and body, then separate the thighs from the drumsticks. Carefully slice the breast meat away from the breastbone and cut into portions.
Remove any remaining meat from the carcass and save the bones to make homemade chicken stock.
More Roast Chicken Recipes
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Recipe
Christmas Roast Chicken
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of Butter - room temperature
- 1 tablespoon of Orange zest
- 1 sprig of Rosemary - finely chopped
- 1 sprig of Thyme - finely chopped
- 2 g of Parsley - finely chopped
- 2 Carrots - chopped
- 1 Onion - peeled and quartered
- 2 kg (4 ½ lb) of Whole chicken
- ½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper
- 1 Lemon - quartered
- 2 Oranges - quartered
- 2 cloves of Garlic - peeled
- 250 ml (1 cup) of Chicken stock - (use certified gluten free stock to ensure this recipe is gluten free)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
- Make the butter coating: Mix 4 tablespoons of Butter (softened) with 1 tablespoon of Orange zest and 1 sprig of Rosemary, 1 sprig of Thyme and 2 g of Parsley (all finely chopped).
- Prepare the chicken: Put 2 Carrots and 1 Onion (both chopped) into a roasting tin.Pat 2 kg of Whole chicken dry with kitchen paper and place it breast-side up on top of the vegetables.
- Season the chicken: Carefully loosen the skin over the breasts using your fingers, being careful not to tear it. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper.
- Flavour the chicken: Spread half of the herb butter underneath the chicken skin and the remaining butter over the outside.Place 2 Oranges and 1 Lemon (cut into wedges) and 2 cloves of Garlic inside the cavity without packing it too tightly.Put any wedges that won't fit into the roasting tin.
- Add the stock: Pour 250 ml of Chicken stock into the bottom of the tin, around the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Roast uncovered for approximately 2 hours, until golden and cooked through. Start checking the temperature before the end of the cooking time, as ovens and chicken sizes vary.
- Check for doneness: Check that the chicken has reached at least 75°C (167°F) in the thickest parts, without the thermometer touching bone.
- Rest the chicken: Remove from the oven, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Recipe Notes
- Get the herb butter under the skin. Don't just spread it over the outside. Gently loosen the skin and spread the butter underneath for extra flavour. You can also rub a little inside the cavity.
- Don't skip the vegetables underneath. The carrots and onion lift the chicken off the bottom of the tin, help it roast more evenly and add flavour to the cooking juices.
- Pat the chicken skin dry. This helps the butter cling to the chicken and encourages a more golden finish.
- Don't overfill the cavity. Leave space around the orange, lemon and garlic for heat to circulate. Put any extra citrus wedges in the roasting tin.
- Use a meat thermometer. It's the most reliable way to check your Christmas chicken is cooked without drying it out.
- Don't skip resting. Leave the cooked chicken for 15-20 minutes before carving. It gives you time to finish the gravy and get the rest of Christmas dinner on the table.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
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