Get ready for the most crispy, juicy, savory, and flavorful Cajun Roasted Whole Chicken of your life! This easy recipe is finger-licking delicious and incredibly easy to put together. It will become your next go-to whenever you're looking for an easy family dinner to make.
On days when I'm looking for an easy dinner to make, I almost always turn to using chicken. It's a versatile protein, with numerous ways to cook and enjoy it. Want a full Cajun-inspired dinner? Try my authentic jambalaya recipe or no-wine shrimp scampi.
I love making my butterflied grilled chicken with crispy potatoes or Jamaican brown stew chicken for a hearty meal and Air Fryer chicken legs and Southern fried chicken when I want to make a snack or an appetizer.
This time, I wanted to try making something with a whole chicken, and that's when I came across this recipe. Make your dinner extra special with Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
What I Love About this Recipe
The roasted chicken has the perfect crispy texture on the outside, and a soft and succulent inside.
It's an easy main dish to put together with just a little effort, and enjoy with the entire family.
It's super versatile. Pair it with some roasted veggies, rice, bread or anything else! You can customize the recipe too!
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Recipe Ingredients
Chicken: I used a whole chicken here, around 3-4 lbs. You can also use chicken legs or other cuts of chicken if you don't want to use a whole chicken. I soaked it in my homemade chicken brine for some extra flavor.
Seasonings: To season, I used a mix of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chicken bouillon, Sazon seasoning, Cajun seasoning, salt and black pepper.
Butter: Melted butter will form the base for the baste. I love using butter, but you could use olive oil too, if you want to keep it healthier.
Hot sauce: Use any favorite hot sauce of your choice.
Herbs: I used dried parsley and thyme for a bit of extra flavor and aroma. Use can use fresh herbs if you have them at hand.
Veggies: I also used a few sliced carrots, onions and celery sticks to add to the bottom of the pan for extra flavor and nutrition.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Why Should I Brine the Chicken?
Brining your chicken may take just a bit of extra effort, but it is really helpful in many ways. It adds a ton of moisture to the bird and keeps it from drying out in the oven, ensuring that you have the perfect soft and juicy chicken in every single bite. Check the Brine recipe.
Plus, you won't really need to marinate the chicken if it has already been brined, which is another plus.
Variations & Substitutions
- Want the chicken to have a nice smoky flavor? Use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.
- You can also add some brown sugar into the seasonings to balance out the heat from the spices.
- Use different veggies of your choice for the base. Potatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and broccoli are all great choices.
- For a bit of citrusy, tangy flavor, add some lemon juice along with the melted butter and hot sauce mixture.
How to Make Cajun Roasted Whole Chicken
To make the roasted Cajun chicken, start by preheating the oven to 375℉ and lightly greasing the baking dish.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Cut along both sides of the backbone using kitchen shears or a sharp knife to remove it completely.
- After removing the backbone, press firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. You should hear a small crack when the chicken is fully flattened aka spatchcocked.
- Rub the chicken all over with ¼ cup melted butter. Generously rub the seasoning all over the chicken.
- Arrange the carrots, celery and onions in the bottom of the roasting pan or skillet, forming a bed for the chicken. Place the spatchcocked chicken on top of the carrots, celery, and onions, skin-side up.
- Roast in the oven (bake option) at 375℉ for 1 hour 30 minutes. Combine the remaining melted butter with the hot sauce and baste the chicken often during grilling.
- Once it is cooked, remove it and let it rest for 10-15 minutes, and then serve.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover roasted Cajun chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Then, reheat it in the microwave or the oven at 350 degrees, just until the chicken has warmed up.
Tips & Tricks to Make Cajun Roasted Chicken
- Remember that the cooking time largely depends on the kind of oven you're using, and the size of the chicken. A larger chicken may need longer to cook, and a smaller one may cook super quick.
- If you're using a cut of chicken instead of a whole chicken, it may need even less time in the oven.
- Make sure you keep basting the chicken with the melted butter mixture often. Doing this will help keep the exterior nice and crispy.
- Don't forget to let the roasted chicken rest for a while after it is out of the oven. This helps the juices redistribute, and you'll have the perfectly juicy and succulent chicken.
- I used a spatchcocked chicken here, and I would highly recommend spending those few extra minutes doing that. It ensures that the bird is cooked evenly and has a beautifully crispy exterior.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Serve this roasted Cajun chicken with any veggie side dish of your choice. I love pairing it with my roasted garlic butter Parmesan potatoes, crispy baked potato wedges or some Air Fryer potatoes. Add some cucumber salad and a cup of chilled homemade pineapple juice.
Sometimes, I like to pair it with a simple pasta salad and my favorite cheesy garlic dinner rolls.
Recipe FAQs
To check if the chicken is cooked, use a meat thermometer to check its internal temperature. If it reads 165 degrees or more, it is done.
You absolutely can. I would highly recommend brining the chicken since it adds an amazing flavor, but you can just choose to marinate it in the spice mix for a few hours and then roast it if you want to.
You absolutely can! Just remember that cooking a turkey can take slightly longer, so keep an eye out for the internal temperature.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Cajun roasted chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cajun Roasted Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lbs. Whole Chicken
- 2 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning low salt content
- 1 teaspoon Sazon seasoning optional
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 cup Melted butter unsalted, divided
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoon Parsley dried
- 1 tablespoon Hot Sauce
- Few slices of carrots, celery sticks and onion for the base of the pan.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and lightly grease the baking dish.
- Remove the chicken from the brine (if used). I soaked mine in brine overnight. You can also season without brining. Check the brine recipe in the notes. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it completely. This will allow the chicken to be flattened for more even cooking. After removing the backbone, press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. You should hear a small crack when the chicken is fully flattened. This is called Spatchcocking. Use a fork to poke the chicken all over, this is to make the spices penetrate the meat.Note: You can also choose not to spatchcock the chicken.
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir, except the ¼ cup of the melted butter and hot sauce.
- Rub the chicken all over with ¼ cup melted butter to help the seasoning stick. Generously rub the seasoning all over the chicken, making sure to coat both sides and under the skin if possible (gently loosen the skin with your fingers).Note: If you didn't use brine, allow to marinate for 2 hours - overnight. If you used brine, roast immediately.
- Arrange the carrots, celery and onions in the bottom of the roasting pan or skillet, forming a bed for the chicken. This adds flavor and helps keep the chicken elevated, so the heat circulates evenly around the bird.
- Place the spatchcocked chicken on top of the carrots, celery, and onions, skin-side up.
- Roast in the oven (bake option) at 375℉ for 1 hour 30 minutes. Combine the remaining ¼ butter and hot sauce and baste the chicken often (every 10-15 minutes)
- Once the chicken is cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), remove the roasting pan from the oven. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes, then cut and serve.
Video
Notes
- Remember that the cooking time largely depends on the kind of oven you're using, and the size of the chicken. A larger chicken may need longer to cook, and a smaller one may cook super quick.
- If you're using a cut of chicken instead of a whole chicken, it may need even less time in the oven.
- Make sure you keep basting the chicken with the melted butter mixture often. Doing this will help keep the exterior nice and crispy.
- Don't forget to let the roasted chicken rest for a while after it is out of the oven. This helps the juices redistribute, and you'll have the perfectly juicy and succulent chicken.
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I have a weird name says
This sounds good, but do what to the backbone?? Flatten the chicken? I'm lost.
Bilikis says
Super delicious
Christopher Wyatt says
I'm going to use some Browning sauce in the baste. Made my own, keeps forever in the freezer. Love butterflying chicken, especially on the grill. Making Brown stew chicken again tonight, the best.
Bilikis says
This looks so delicious
Ann says
Where’s the recipe for Brining?
its highlighted under the 'Brining" section in the blog post.
Bilikis says
You are an inspiration to home cook everywhere ma