Healthy Whole Chicken Recipes

This recipe proves that learning how to roast a whole chicken can be easier (and more delicious) than you thought. For extra-crispy skin, remove the chicken from the brine, dry with paper towels and refrigerate for an additional 24 hours before roasting.

This basic Instant Pot whole chicken is moist and delicious. Plenty of garlic and fresh herbs flavor this healthy chicken recipe that can be enjoyed as a meal on its own or shredded and used in soups or as a topping for salad. In addition to the garlic and herb chicken, see Tips (below) for a lemon-garlic variation and a lemongrass and lime version of the basic recipe. Whichever version you choose, this pressure-cooker chicken requires just 15 minutes of active time.

Cooking the chicken in the butter ups the poultry's succulent flavor. Using the drippings that remain in the pan to cook other ingredients--onion, garlic and tomatoes--builds even more deliciously complex flavor into the dish. Garnish with additional fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired.

When making a whole, slow-cooker chicken, it's best to buy a better-quality chicken such as one from a farm stand. The flavor and texture of the bird will hold up best over the long cook time. Also, leaving the skin on during cooking will ensure that the chicken stays moist. If you have leftover chicken, use it for a chicken soup or in a chicken salad sandwich. For a beautiful presentation, serve the chicken surrounded by fresh sage leaves and roasted, halved lemons and garlic heads.

Cooking the chicken in the butter ups the poultry's succulent flavor. Using the drippings that remain in the pan to cook other ingredients--onion, garlic and tomatoes--builds even more deliciously complex flavor into the dish. Garnish with additional fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired. Tip: To save time and effort if you aren't a knife-wielding pro, ask your butcher to trim a whole chicken into 4 pieces, or buy separate pieces.

Crispy skin, tender meat and charred skin make for a delicious dinner main. Plus, the blend of paprika, cumin and cinnamon match deliciously with the chicken. You can eat this grilled chicken as-is--perhaps with a side of grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes--or shred it and put it in a salad.

Replicate the flavor, lovely burnished skin and moist texture of a classic rotisserie chicken with this easy recipe for cooking a whole chicken in your air fryer. With just a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes of active time, you get a roast chicken with lemon and herbs that's a remarkable doppelganger for a deli chicken right after it comes out of the rotisserie--before it gets shriveled and dried out from sitting in the deli's holding case for hours. Serve this chicken with your favorite veggie sides for a healthy weeknight dinner or weekend supper. And if you're hosting a dinner party, cooking your main course in the air fryer is also a great way free up oven space for casseroles, rolls and other dishes.

This roasted chicken recipe may be the most useful recipe you'll ever find. It's a meal on its own or the start of any recipe that calls for cooked chicken--perfect for meal-prepping lunches or dinners to have throughout the week.

This 30-minute, low-calorie, one-dish chicken salad recipe is crunchy, filling, and flavorful. It calls for a rotisserie chicken and fresh fruits and vegetables, and meets the guidelines for a diabetic recipe.

Garlic gets sweet and mellow when roasted in this recipe. Squeeze the cloves from their skin, and eat with the chicken or spread on bread.

A golden-brown roast chicken served with potatoes, carrots, and onions makes a special meal for family and friends.

The bird is spatchcocked and grilled in this five-ingredient chicken recipe, cutting cooking time in half. A glug of Banyuls, a fortified red wine from the Occitanie region of France, adds special flavor to an otherwise-simple marinade. Try NV Domaine La Tour Vieille Banyuls Reserva ($27).

Brining the chicken before grilling ensures that it's juicy and tender. A sesame-cilantro pesto, with ginger, mint, and crushed red pepper, is the perfect topping for this Asian-style main dish.

Rubbing the Asian-inspired spice mixture beneath, rather than over, the skin allows the flavors and scents of the warm spices to permeate the entire chicken.

The name might be funny, but the results are awesome. Spatchcock chicken cooks faster than roasting a whole chicken. The bird cooks quickly and evenly, with more skin exposed to get crisp in the oven. If you're uncomfortable cutting the chicken and removing the backbone yourself, ask your butcher for help. Roasted fingerling potatoes round out this easy, one sheet-pan dinner.

In this easy roast chicken recipe, two whole birds cook side-by-side on one pan, which means you only have to heat the oven once but you'll have enough leftover chicken for days. Rotating the chickens on the pan during roasting ensures all sides are evenly cooked and golden brown.

This creamy roast chicken recipe was inspired by a dish made in Turkey, where whole fish are cooked on a bed of potatoes and dill. Comforting and filling, this healthy chicken recipe is perfect for a dill enthusiast, but other herbs, like parsley or thyme, work just as well.

When you season roast chicken under the skin, as in this recipe, the meat itself gets flavored and the skin becomes nicely browned and crisp. Here, the chicken is roasted on a bed of carrots, turnips and celeriac--but any mixture of root vegetables will work. You'll need about 8 cups of chopped or cubed vegetables.

The combination of citrus and thyme infuses both chicken and gravy with a fresh herb flavor.

This sweet-tart pomegranate molasses glaze is delicious combined with the citrusy sumac spice rub, and gives the roasted chicken a dark, ruby luster. Rub the chicken earlier in the day, or overnight, for the best flavor.