The Only Roast Chicken Recipes You'll Ever Need

Oven-roasting a chicken requires as few as two ingredients: salt and of course the bird itself. Once the bird is seasoned, just put it into a hot oven; the skin will turn golden brown and crisp as the tender meat cooks. That's it; that's really all it takes.

But shall I go on? Fine, if you insist.

Chicken is one of the most versatile meats in the world, and roast chicken in particular is one of the most versatile dishes. It can be seasoned any way your palate desires; all that matters is that the basic technique stays the same. 

This dish is just a simply seasoned roast chicken, but it stands out in the way in which the oven temperature in adjusted throughout the cooking process to create irresistibly crispy skin: "Put the chicken in the oven and blast it at that high heat for 40 minutes. You might think you're going to burn it. Don't worry. You won't. No need to open the oven to check. You don't want to lose that heat. After 40 minutes, turn the temperature down to 175 degrees F and leave the chicken in there for another 40 minutes." Click here for the recipe.

Big flakes of freshly cracked black pepper, charred lemon, and sweet fennel lend big flavor to an otherwise simple dish. Click here for the recipe.  

This roasted chicken calls for the classic Greek flavor combination of garlic, oregano, and lemon. For this recipe, click here.

Black pepper and coriander are stirred into a savory lemon curd and then brushed under and on the chicken's skin. The result: citrusy and tender meat with crackling chicken skin. For this recipe, click here.

Here, a delicate yet rich white wine sauce accompanies roasted chicken thighs. For this recipe, click here.

The turmeric is responsible for the gorgeous color here. The flavor is earthy and slightly bitter but is contrasted by the delicious flavors of sweet dates and lemongrass.  For this recipe, click here.

Three ingredients and an oven: Dinner is served. For this recipe, click here.

This roast chicken is cooked in a heavy Dutch oven. Piney rosemary, sweet celery root, salty-rich slab bacon, crushed juniper berries, and calvados infuse this chicken with crazy good flavor. Check out this recipe here.

If you're a fan of drumsticks, this roast chicken is for you. The drumsticks are tossed in coconut oil, chopped rosemary, chopped fresh thyme, and salt and roasted in the oven. Check out this recipe here.

Dark meat stays deliciously moist and is difficult to overcook — and it's more budget-friendly. For this recipe, click here.

The key to this chicken is a technique called "spatchcocking." Using scissors, you remove the backbone and flatten the chicken with your hand, breaking the rib cage, so the chicken lies flat. This technique speeds up the cooking time and helps the breast and legs to cook more evenly.  Click here for the recipe.

For when you don't want to spend time fretting over the oven, place your chicken in the slow-cooker. You'll still get that wonderfully homey roast chicken, but with far less effort. Find the recipe here.

This beautiful dish has a decidedly feminine flair, complete with a silky pink sauce and a flower garnish. "But don't let that prevent you from serving these chicken breasts to the manliest of men," writes Jill Silverman Hough. "It's amazingly seductive." Click here for the recipe.

What makes this dish special is the combination of sage, rosemary, lemon, and tarragon stuffed into the bird's cavity. It smells divine when roasting, and the meat acquires a lush citrus-herb flavor. For this recipe, click here.