Maple Glazed Baked Whole Chicken

Name: Maple Glazed Baked Whole Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 (3 pound) whole chicken; 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or 2 teaspoons paprika); Kosher salt (to taste); 4 large carrots (peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces); 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey); 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice; 1 tablespoon orange zest; Optional to garnish: orange wedges, freshly chopped parsley

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My Maple Glazed Baked Whole Chicken recipe has all the delicious flavors you crave in a home-cooked meal. Seasoned with a simple rub and oven-roasted with carrots until golden brown and then finished with a simple maple glaze.

I like to serve this with Boursin Mashed Potatoes and some homemade cranberry orange sauce.

Top view of a whole baked chicken over chopped carrots in a white dish.

When I was younger and new to the kitchen, baking a whole chicken was so intimidating. I realized how easy it is once I made it a few times. My Maple Glazed Baked Whole Chicken is easy to prepare with a flavorful rub, tender carrots and a homemade sweet, tangy, sticky glaze that really takes this meal to the next level.

I will also be sharing the proper oven temperature and tips to make sure your chicken is perfectly moist and tender! You need very little hands-on time to prepare everything, and then the oven does all of the work. This is one of those dishes you’ll come back to again and again all year round.

Summary

Incredible flavors, moist, and juicy.
A Complete meal.
It is easy to make
Great for meal prep

Close-up view of a whole chicken over carrots.

Ingredients needed

Just a handful of ingredients to make this baked whole chicken recipe. It is surprisingly very easy, and with the fresh carrots, it’s a complete meal. Here’s everything you’ll need:

Whole chicken: One whole chicken that is about 3 pounds.
Avocado oil: I like to use this over olive oil because it has a low smoke point and will prevent the skin from burning too fast.
Homemade chicken seasoning: I am using a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Carrots: The roasted carrots get soft and buttery. You can add in some potatoes, too!
Glaze: For the chicken glaze, I used maple syrup, sesame oil, fresh orange juice, and orange zest.

Ingredients to make baked chicken chicken.

How to make baked whole chicken

Prep: Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Make the chicken rub: In a small bowl, whisk the avocado oil, with the seasonings. Rub chicken with this mixture, inside and out.

Add to baking dish: Place the prepared carrots on the bottom of a casserole dish. Add the rubbed chicken over the carrots, breast side up.

Seasoned chicken in a dish over chopped carrots.

Cook: Place in oven and roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350ºF and bake for 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.

Make the glaze: Meanwhile, place all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon, around 8-10 minutes.

Basting whole chicken with maple glaze in a baking dish.

Add glaze to chicken: Baste the chicken with the glaze and increase the heat again to 450ºF. Roast for 15 minutes, until chicken is golden-brown and nicely glazed. Reserve a bit of the maple glaze to give the chicken a second baste once it’s out of the oven.

Serve: Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before carving.

Recipe tips

Prepping the chicken: We recommend removing the chicken from the fridge about 10 to 15 minutes before baking it to help with even cooking.
Crispy skin: For the perfect golden, crisp skin, pat both the outside and inside of the chicken dry with a paper towel.
Let the chicken rest: Once you remove the chicken from the oven, be sure to let it rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the juices to distribute throughout the meat. This will result in extra juicy, tender chicken.
I sometimes like to add orange slices or sliced onions at the bottom of the dish, where I will set the chicken. In my video, I added orange slices. Most times, If I am not serving the chicken with my healthy mashed potato recipe, I will throw in some chopped potatoes with carrots.

a baked whole chicken in a dish with carrots at the bottom of the dish.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to bake a whole chicken at 350 or 400?

For this particular baked whole chicken we’ve got the best of both worlds. We’re starting the oven temperature at a high roasting temp of 450ºF to quickly brown and crisp up the outside. Then, we decrease the temp to 350ºF for a slower cook that results in tender, juicy chicken.

Should a chicken be covered when roasting?

There are some recipes that require covering the chicken. For this baked chicken recipe, we want the chicken to be uncovered so the skin gets deliciously crispy and golden.

Do you put water in roasting pan for chicken?

No, and it’s usually not necessary to add water to the pan for a roast chicken. The water will create steam, which can prevent the skin from becoming browned and crisp.

Serving suggestions

This maple glazed baked whole chicken is really a complete meal, but if you’d like to bulk it up a bit, especially for Sunday dinner, here are some delicious side options:

A white baking dish with baked chicken over chopped carrots and orange slices.

Storage recommendations

Having leftover chicken is great because it makes meals for a few days! Follow these tips for storing your leftovers to get the most out of this recipe.

In the refrigerator: Store the chicken and carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Use it in other dishes to get the most out of your chicken!
In the freezer: Store chicken in ziplock bags or in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. We like to shred the chicken before adding it to the freezer for last-minute meals and soup recipes.

Baked whole chicken in a white casserole dish.

More chicken recipes

ebook cover with taco salad bowl in the image.

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