How to Cook Roasted Rosemary Chicken

What is roasted rosemary chicken?

Rosemary chicken is a simple, fragrant, and flavorful chicken dish that’s perfect for entertaining. It’s easy enough to make and can be served hot or cold as part of an antipasto platter or on its own with some crusty bread. You can use any chicken you like: dark meat from the breast or thighs, or even skinless breasts. If you want to serve it hot, just pop it in the oven, then you can start cooking your other dishes. For best results, marinate the chicken overnight so that all the flavors have time to blend together.

I first tried roasted rosemary chicken after a family trip in the Philippines, sometime before the pandemic. We discovered a feel-like-home restaurant in the province of Laguna – a place about an hour or so by land from middle Manila.  The ingredients – herbs and vegetables – were taken from their own herb garden behind the restaurant. It was impressive. Inspired by that, I tried fresh rosemary in my next feat to roast chicken.

You know what? There was a time I thought that rosemary is best for red meat dishes. That opinion (notion?) changed when I came across this dish in Laguna, Philippines.

Ingredients for roasted rosemary chicken

The key ingredient in this recipe is rosemary. Fresh rosemary leaves have a very distinct flavor that’s hard to capture in a dried form, this recipe still works with the use of the dried version. To get the full effect of the herb, buy whole bunches of rosemary sprigs, and remove the leaves individually. This way, you’ll always have the freshest rosemary available. When using the dried counterpart, use half the suggested portion, i.e., one tablespoon dried versus two tablespoons fresh. The combination of flavors from these herbs is amazing.

Fresh garlic is an ingredient that is an ultimate flavor enhancer. This recipe calls for a couple of garlic cloves not only to augment the flavor of the dish but to complement the other ingredients. Garlic powder can be an option if you find fresh garlic to be too strong.

Fresh parsley leaves also belong to the repertoire of herbs for roasted rosemary chicken. Other ingredients are fresh lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and butter.

How to cook roasted rosemary chicken

Marinating the chicken will allow the flavors to penetrate deeper into the meat. The longer it sits in the marinade, the more flavorful it becomes. If you are going to cook it right away, then don’t worry about marinating it too long – that is fine. On the other hand,  if you plan to let the chicken sit for a few hours before serving, then go ahead and leave it in the marinade for at least 6-8 hours before roasting it over medium-high heat. This might sound like the prep time is longer, but the flavor is more pronounced and the baking time or roasting time is shorter.

Again, you can use whole chicken or simple parts in this recipe, like chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or legs. I use whole chickens and cut them into halves leaving the chicken skin on after brushing them with the herb-and-butter concoction. I put them on the baking dish, roast them for more or less an hour, depending on how many pieces I have, and do not worry about having to use a meat thermometer.

How to serve roasted rosemary chicken

As this dish is already with vegetables, like green beans and carrots, and you are good to go; it is a complete meal by itself. You can also serve this with steamed rice,  any fried rice, dinner rolls, or flatbread.  This recipe is a good option during busy weeknights.

Cooking tips:

• Use unsalted butter so that the roasted chicken does not become too salty.
• Put the chicken and herbs and butter in a resealable plastic bag, and shake to make sure that the meat is covered by the mixture before marinating or cooking.
• Add tablespoons of extra marinade to the chicken in between cooking times so that the chicken remains to be moist. One tablespoon of olive oil can also do the job.
• You may want to add lemon halves to the baking dish for that extra flavor. Cherry tomatoes can be added as well; they will moisten the chicken in the process.
• Cool down the dish for about 2-3 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with pepper flakes, if you prefer your roasted chicken with a bit of heat.

  Frequently-Asked Questions in Roasting Rosemary Chicken

Roasted Rosemary Chicken

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

A fragrant roasted rosemary chicken—crispy skin, juicy meat, and classic herb flavor ideal for family dinners or gatherings.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Roasting

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

• ablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2–3 pieces onions, halved
• 1 tbsps fresh rosemary leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• juice of one lemon
• preferred vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, green beans)

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Instructions

1. Rub chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add garlic, parsley, and rosemary leaves. Turn off the heat.
4. Brush with butter and herbs mixture.  (You can marinate the chicken from here or take it straight to the oven which was previously reheated to 350 degrees F.)
5. Add halved onions and preferred vegetables and sprinkle with the remaining herb and butter mixture.
6. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
7. Spoon the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish over the chicken.
8. Adjust the oven settings to broil (400 degrees F) and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the skin is slightly seared.

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