Healthy Whole Chicken Recipes

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.

Inspired by piri piri chicken, this recipe braises the chicken in a slow cooker first before it hits the broiler to get a little char.

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.

If it isn't already, this vibrant dish will make oven-roasted chicken a favorite at your house. With the lemon potatoes, it's an irresistible and simple meal. You can use the leftover meat in soup, sandwiches, and salads.

Nothing says comfort like a roasted whole chicken, but it can take a while to cook. Using parts instead puts this easy roast chicken on the weeknight menu. Fresh herbs, lemon juice and capers in this Italian salsa verde sauce brighten things up.

We've included a basic herb combination in this recipe for roasting two chickens at once, but season your chicken with whatever herbs you like. Though we like to roast two chickens at once, you can also easily halve all the ingredients and just roast one.

Tucking fresh herbs and garlic between the skin and the breast infuses the meat with flavor. We use thyme here, but you can also use fresh rosemary or parsley. If you have a rack, place the chicken on it to allow the hot air to circulate. You can also improvise a rack (as we do here) by setting the chicken on the neck and giblets.

The pulp and rind of Moroccan preserved lemons is all you need to lift a pedestrian roast chicken into the realm of the exotic!

Removing the backbone from a whole chicken and flattening it—aka spatchcocking—helps it to roast in about half the time. Serve with grilled seasonal vegetables.

This easy appetizer is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Crisp, sweet-tart apples, like Granny Smith or Pink Lady, work best.

This taco pasta salad recipe has all our favorite taco fillings dressed in a creamy salsa dressing. We like how fresh avocado, tomatoes and onion brighten this pasta dish, but feel free to add your favorite taco toppings--corn, black beans or jalapeños just to name a few--to give it your own spin.

The flavors in this spice rub are reminiscent of Italian gremolata.

Roast two chickens, not one. It takes about the same amount of time and you can pop the second chicken in the fridge to use over the next few days. Your future self will thank you for skipping a trip to the store to grab a rotisserie bird—saving you not only time but at least 50 mg of sodium per serving, depending on where you get yours from.