Roast chicken with gravy
A simple, juicy whole roast chicken with lemon and thyme, plus a proper gravy made from the roasting tin juices.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 1 hr 40 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 55 mins
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Moderate
Recipe: Roast chicken with gravy
Roast chicken with gravy
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1.6kg whole chicken, free-range if possible
- 30g butter, softened
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 onion, thickly sliced
- 2 carrots, thickly sliced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For the gravy
- 1½ tbsp plain flour
- 100ml white wine, optional, or more stock
- 500ml chicken stock, check cube label for gluten
Kitchen kit
- Roasting tin Search Amazon for roasting tin with rack
- Meat thermometer Search Amazon for digital meat thermometer
- Gravy separator or jug Search Amazon for gravy separator jug
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Method
-
Step 1: Prepare
Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas 7. Scatter the onion and carrots over the base of a roasting tin to make a trivet. Don't wash the chicken – it spreads bacteria around your kitchen.
-
Step 2: Season
Sit the chicken on the vegetables. Rub the butter all over the skin and season generously. Push the lemon halves, garlic and thyme into the cavity.
-
Step 3: Roast
Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / gas 5 and cook for a further 60–70 minutes (allow roughly 20 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes in total). Baste once or twice.
-
Step 4: Check it is cooked
Pierce the thickest part of the leg, between the drumstick and the breast: the juices should run clear with no pink, and the meat should be steaming hot throughout. A thermometer should read at least 75°C in the thickest part. Lift the chicken onto a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15–20 minutes.
-
Step 5: Make the gravy
Spoon off most of the fat from the tin, leaving the juices and vegetables. Set the tin over a medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the sticky bits. Add the wine and bubble for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes, squashing the vegetables, then strain into a jug, add any resting juices and season.
Tips
- Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins into the gravy for extra flavour.
- Resting is not optional: it keeps the meat juicy and gives you time to finish the gravy and veg.
Storing & reheating
Strip leftover meat from the bones, cool and refrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 2 days. Reheat only once, until steaming hot, or eat cold.
Freezing
Cooked chicken meat and gravy freeze well for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Variations
- Tuck halved shallots and new potatoes around the bird for the last 45 minutes for a one-tin dinner.
- Rub smoked paprika and oregano into the butter for a Spanish-style roast.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/roast-chicken-with-gravy/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
Should I wash raw chicken?
No. The FSA advises against washing raw chicken as splashing water spreads campylobacter bacteria; cooking thoroughly kills any bacteria.
How long do I cook a bigger chicken?
Allow about 20 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes, and always check the juices run clear and the thickest part is steaming hot.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
- BBC Food: Roast chicken (proportions and timings cross-check) (bbc.co.uk)
- BBC Good Food: Roast chicken (proportions and timings cross-check) (bbcgoodfood.com)
- FSA: Cooking your food (safety: cooking temperatures, checking meat, leftovers) (gov.uk)
- FSA: Campylobacter (safety: don't wash raw chicken) (gov.uk)
- FSA: How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely (safety) (gov.uk)
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
