Dry Rub Spice Roasted Chicken

Mar 06, 2023

Overhead view of the whole chicken on a white platter with carving knife

Prepare your tastebuds for the juiciest most flavorful chicken dinner. Our Dry Rub Spice Roasted Chicken is so simple to prepare and makes the perfect Sunday Supper. And the best part is it only takes 15 minutes to get it into the oven.

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Why We Love This Dry Rub Spice Roast Chicken

There is something so comforting about roasting a whole chicken. The house fills with a cozy baked chicken aroma. Is there anything better? Well, now there is! This dry-rubbed chicken takes things to a whole new level and smells and tastes amazing while it roasts. Plus it is so juicy and tender thanks to our foolproof roasting method.

Recipe Highlights

The easy Spice Rub for chicken is made with simple pantry staples you can find in your spice cabinet including cumin, chili powder and a little cinnamon.
This makes enough for four plus leftover chicken for another meal. Or you can serve it to a crowd for Sunday Supper.
Pair it with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Succotash and Sauteed kale for a family-friendly meal.

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Ingredients For This Spice Rubbed Baked Chicken Recipe

the ingredients for this recipe with text overlay

Whole Chicken: You will need a whole chicken that weighs about 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 pounds for this recipe.
For The Spice Rub: We used a blend of chili powder, kosher salt, ground cumin, dry thyme, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper
Melted butter and Olive Oil: A blend of butter and oil will help your dry rub stick to the chicken skin. It also helps the chicken brown and makes the skin crispy.
Garlic: For additional seasoning

Step By Step Instructions For Roast Chicken with Dry Rub

setting the oven rack in the center of the oven and loosening the chicken skin

Step 1: Prepare Oven and Pan

Make sure to set the oven rack in the lower third of the oven before you turn it on. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. If you want to use a roasting rack, place it in your roasting pan. Coat the rack and pan with cooking spray.

Step 2: Pat Chicken Dry

Place chicken on the work surface and remove giblets and chicken neck. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin by running your fingers between the skin and the breast meat.

sprinkling the spice into the cavity and rubbing spice over the chicken

Step 3: Make Spice Mix

Mix salt and pepper with the chili powder, cumin, thyme, cinnamon and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix the butter, oil and garlic in a second small dish. Sprinkle a little of the dry dub inside the cavity of the chicken and rub between the skin and meat and in the cavity.

Step 4: Brush with Garlic Butter and Add Spice Rub

Brush the garlic, oil and butter mixture over the outside of the chicken. Sprinkle and rub the spice mix over the entire outside of the chicken.

setting the chicken on the roasting pan and baking at 325

Step 5: Tie Legs Together

Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine (or truss with your preferred method ) if desired. Place the chicken on the rack or directly on the surface of the roasting pan. Pour in 1 cup water around the chicken (or under the rack.)

Step 6: Roast Chicken

Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 325 and continue roasting.

Step 7: Temp and Rest

Bake chicken until an instant-read digital thermometer registers at least 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh meat, 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes.

Tip: Times will vary depending on the weight of the chicken and the thickness of the breast meat. In testing this recipe and our Roasted Turkey Recipe we found that pastured poultry has more dense breast meat that takes longer to roast.

Step 8: Carve Chicken

After the chicken is cooked, make sure to let it rest for 20 minutes before carving. To carve, remove the legs at the thigh joint. Cut into drumstick and thighs. Cut through the breast meat to the wishbone. Remove the wings, leaving drummet attached if desired. Then cut along the sternum of the chicken and slide knife along the rib bones to debone the chicken breast. Remove the baked chicken breast and set it on the cutting board. Slice into two or three slices or thinner if desired.

the roast chicken from the side on a platter

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Expert Tips and FAQs

What To Do With The Leftover Bones

You can use the leftover chicken bones to make a flavorful broth that can be used in soup. Because the spices are bold, use it in recipes like our Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup or Creamy White Chicken Chili.

Cover the bones with cold water and bring to a simmer.
Simmer gently until the connective tissue at the joints and along the sternum dissolves, about two hours.
Season with celery, onion and carrots in the last hour if desired.

Leftovers and Reheating

This recipe makes enough for dinner for four, with enough leftovers for another meal. You can use the leftover chicken in another recipe such as Chopped Salad with Chicken or our Mexican Chicken Casserole.

Store leftover dry rub roast chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in a casserole dish with a little chicken broth or water covered with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven set at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Alternatively, reheat an individual serving in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until steaming hot.

What Else Can I Use This Spice Dry Rub For?

It is great with pork too. Try it on baked bone-in pork chops.
Use it to coat boneless chicken breast
Sprinkle it over browned beef for taco filling
Use for slow roasted pork shoulder
Rub on steaks for grilling

Tips For Getting The Juiciest Dry Rub Roast Chicken

We discovered that roasting the chicken at a relatively lower oven temperature results in ultra tender and juicy chicken meat. We start the roasting process at a higher temperature (450 degrees) for a short time to crisp the skin and help with browning. Then the roasting process continues at a much lower temperature (325 degrees) for the remaining time.

the roast chicken carved and arranged on a platter with succotash on the table too

Can I Stuff The Chicken?

We do not recommend stuffing roasted poultry for food safety reasons. Read more about how to safely stuff chicken or poultry here.

If you do stuff the chicken make sure that the stuffing reaches a safe temperature of at least 165 degrees F. However, this will likely cause your chicken meat to be overcooked and dried out.

We suggest cooking your stuffing on the side. Here is our favorite Cornbread Stuffing Recipe that can be baked alongside this chicken.

Serving Suggestions

If you are planning your menu, make sure to check out our guide What To Serve with Roast Chicken.

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Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie