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To a French woman, a Roast Chicken, or Poulet Rôti is the culinary equivalent to a little black dress. Quick to put together, chic to serve and versatile. This super simple French Roast Chicken recipe can easily be the main course for a special Sunday lunch with friends or a Tuesday night meal for the kids. A culinary rite of passage, every French woman has "her" recipe for Poulet Rôti.
I was always under the impression that a Roast Chicken was complicated to make. Sure, some recipes require a rather intricate basting and turning method (ahem, Julia Child!) but one day I observed Le Chef make a roast chicken in less time that it takes me to make a sandwich. He popped it in the oven and didn't touch it until it was time to take it out. The result was the most succulent, flavorful, crispy skinned chicken that looked like it belonged in a magazine.
Working from home? Pop a chicken in the oven at 3pm and you will have the most delicious scent calling you to finish up your workday and set the table for a nice dinner with your family.
What is a French Roast Chicken or Poulet Rôti?
First and foremost - it starts with the chicken. Choose the best quality chicken you can find. Organic? Great! Free of antibiotics? Yes, please. Le Chef swears by D'Artagan Green Circle Heritage Chicken. They are more expensive than your typical fryer chicken, or the rotisserie chicken you find at large grocery stores but the end result is worth it. I try to keep a couple chickens in my freezer to defrost and serve when I am craving it or if we have an impromptu dinner party.
French Roast Chicken Seasoning:
A few garden herbs, coarse salt, a head of garlic and olive oil are all you need to season this recipe. Like many of our family recipes, the main product is the star attraction. Start with a good quality chicken and you don't need to add a lot to it to make it tasty.
How to Prepare a chicken for roasting:
(You don't need to wash a chicken. Rinsing it in water does not kill off bacteria - cooking does! This is a very curious tradition that confounds Le Chef every time he hears of it.)
- Start with a whole chicken, about 3.5-4 lbs.
- Remove the insides. Your bagged chicken might have a neck and gizzards inside the cavity. Reach your hand inside and pull them out. You can wear a rubber glove if you prefer. Discard the neck and gizzards unless you are planning to make chicken broth with the carcass - in that case keep the neck to add to the bouillon for flavor.
- Pat down the chicken with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Removing the moisture helps to make a crispy skin!
- Set the chicken in a roasting pan greased with olive oil. I use a pan big enough with space around it for the potatoes (Roasted Chicken is always served with potatoes in France)
- Inside the chicken cavity, add Rosemary, sage and thyme for flavor as well as several cloves of garlic and a pinch of coarse salt.
- Using cooking twine, tie the legs together. (This is not necessary but a chicken does look more elegant with her knees together...!)
- Sprinkle coarse salt over the top of the chicken
- Drizzle olive oil generously over the chicken
- Slice a whole head of unpeeled garlic in half (width wise) and place each half on opposite sides of the pan (skin side down)
- Arrange the diced potatoes around the chicken and garlic.
- Add another generous drizzle of olive oil over the garlic and potatoes.
- Place 3 tablespoons of butter around the potatoes. (Using butter as well as olive oil on the potatoes makes for the most amazing crispy potatoes!)
Voilà! Easy as that. Once you get the hang of it, the entire process (excluding the potatoes) takes 5 minutes. Add in potato chopping time and tossing a green salad and you have an entire fancy meal ready with less than 25 minutes of effort.
Chef's Tips for a Perfect French Roast Chicken
How do you know when the chicken is done?
The most reliable way is to check the temperature. Place the needle into the crook between the chicken's breast and thigh. The temperature should read 165 degrees Farenheit. Don't have a meat thermometer? Check to see if the skin has begun to pull away from the the drumstick - that is a good indication that it is done. I also like to pierce the thigh with a fork - if the juice that runs out is clear and not pink it is a good indicator that it is done
How many people does a whole chicken feed?
3-4 generally. For 6 people I will roast 2 chickens and keep the leftovers for chicken soup.
How to make broth with the chicken carcass?
Pick the carcass for leftover meat. Set aside. In a large soup pot, cover the carcass with water. Add 2 branches of celery, 2 carrots, 2 cloves of garlic (skin on), and 1 chopped leak. Season with rosemary, thyme and sage as well as a whole clove and a star anise (Le Chef's secret ingredient!). Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Strain out the liquid and you have your delicious broth! Perfect for freezing to add to a multitude of recipes or use as the base for the most delicious chicken soup with your leftover chicken meat!
Do I need to rotate the chicken while cooking to keep it juicy?
Nope! Keep it simple. No rotating or standing a chicken on its head while cooking is necessary. Try it, you will wonder why you have been making your roast chicken perform oven acrobatics.
What to Serve with French Roast Chicken?
You can make the French Fall Dinner Party Menu below
When my friend, Cheryl Norris of Bakes By Brown Sugar and I devised a fancy yet simple 4 course dinner with Gougères as an apéro, Butternut squash soup as a starter, this Roast Chicken as the main course and Cinnamon Apple Crêpes as the dessert. Que du bonheur!
- Gougères by Bakes By Brown Sugar
- Creamy Butternut squash Soup with Crispy Sage
- Apple Cinnamon Crèpes
or else pair with any of the delicious side dishes I have shared over the years on this blog:
French Asparagus Recipe with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
La Salade Mentonnaise - A fresh fennel and citrus salad that pairs beautifully with French Roast Chicken
Le Chef's Mashed Potatoes
Macaroni Gratinée
Confit Bayaldi - a showstopper Ratatouille!
Wine Pairings with French Roast Chicken or Poulet Rôti
I personally love drinking a crisp, dry Provençal Rosé with roast chicken, all year round. The light florals pair beautifully with the chicken.
A lighter bodied red wine such as a Pinot Noir is also incredible with this dish. Avoid going for a full bodied red as it will overpower the delicate flavor of the chicken.
If you enjoyed this recipe you might also like some of my other French family dinner recipes:
- Petit* Farçis Niçois
- Foolproof Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
- One pot cheesy chicken and orzo
- Easy Branzino with Vierge Sauce
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by rating the recipe and leaving a comment! I love to hear from you.
Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
Super Simple French Roast Chicken Recipe (Poulet Rôti)
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
- Author: lechefswife
- Prep Time: 15mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 3-4 people 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: French
Description
How to make the most succulent, flavorful, crispy skinned chicken that looks like it belongs in a magazine. This Super Simple French Roast Chicken, or Poulet Rôti, recipe is so easy to make! You will want to make this recipe for your next dinner party with friends, Sunday lunch with the family or Tuesday night dinner for the kids!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 Whole 3.5-4lbs chicken
- 6 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into cubes. Skin on or off - it is completely your preference. Make sure to rinse the skin well if you are leaving it on
- 1 head of garlic plus 3 cloves for inside the chicken, peel on
- 2 tsp of coarse salt
- ½ cup of olive oil
- 2 tbsps of butter
- 3 branches of thyme
- 5 leaves of sage
- 2 branches of rosemary
Instructions
(You don't need to wash a chicken. Rinsing it in water does not kill off bacteria - cooking does! This is a very curious tradition that confounds Le Chef every time he hears of it.)
- Preheat your oven to 350F - use the convection setting if you have it.
- Start with a whole chicken, about 3.5-4 lbs.
- Remove the insides. Your bagged chicken might have a neck and gizzards inside the cavity. Reach your hand inside and pull them out. You can wear a glove if you prefer. You can discard the neck and the gizzards unless you are planning to make chicken Soup with the carcass - in that case keep the neck to add to the bouillon for flavor.
- Pat down the chicken with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Removing the moisture helps to make a crispy skin!
- Set the chicken in a roasting pan greased with olive oil. I use a pan big enough with space around it for the potatoes (Roasted Chicken is always served with potatoes in France!)
- Inside the chicken cavity add the Rosemary, sage and thyme for flavor as well as several cloves of garlic and a pinch of coarse salt.
- Using cooking twine, tie the legs together. This is not necessary but a chicken does look more elegant with her knees together...!
- Sprinkle coarse salt over the top of the chicken
- Drizzle ¼ cup of olive oil generously over the chicken.
- Slice a whole head of garlic, skin on, in half (width wise) and place each half on opposite sides of the pan (skin side down)
- Arrange the diced potatoes around the chicken and garlic.
- Add the remaining olive oil over the garlic and potatoes.
- Place 3 tablespoons of butter around the potatoes. (Using butter as well as olive oil on the potatoes makes for the most amazing crispy potatoes!)
- Place your roasting pan on the middle rack of your oven. Set the timer for 1 hour 45 minutes
- Halfway though, take the roasting pan out of the oven and give the potatoes a stir so that they brown on all sides. Spoon some of the liquid at the bottom of the pan over the chicken to keep it moist. Set the chicken back in the oven and leave it alone until time is up!
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
To test that you chicken is done - use a meat thermometer
The temperature should read 165F. If you don't have a meat thermometer, a good indication that the chicken is done is that the skin has begun to pull away from the leg bone. Prick the thigh with a fork - the juices should run clear. If the juice is pink, put the chicken back in for 10 minutes or until the juice runs clear.
One chicken easily serves 3-4 people (each person gets either a breast or a leg) . If you are serving 6 people I recommend roasting a second chicken. Simply add a second chicken to your pan if it is big enough or set a second pan in the oven - your cooking time will be the same.
How to Make Chicken Broth:
Pick the carcass for leftover meat. Set aside. In a large soup pot, cover the carcass (and the neck if you kept it) with water. Add 2 branches of celery, 2 carrots, 2 cloves of garlic (skin on), and 1 chopped leak. Season with rosemary, thyme and sage as well as a whole clove and a star anise (Le Chef's secret ingredient!). Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Strain out the liquid and you have your delicious broth! Perfect for freezing to add to a multitude of recipes or use as the base for the most delicious chicken soup with your leftover chicken meat!
