Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

Easy and tasty, this chicken has a sweet and savory flavor that is irresistable. Be sure to drizzle the drippings like sauce over your chicken.

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4 pound) whole chicken
2-5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 sliced onion (optional)


In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Cover chicken, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.*

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic and onion. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.

Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C), and continue roasting 15 minutes. Baste chicken with pan drippings, reduce heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C), and continue roasting 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

We didn't have time to do this and the chicken turned out SO FABULOUS, so I wouldn't worry about this step. We didn't use a rack in the roasting pan and it was fine. We added just a bit of water to the bottom of the pan.