Roasted Parmesan Crusted Whole Chicken

Roasted Parmesan Crusted Chicken is super easy to make and insanely delicious. The parmesan creates a salty, crispy crust and keeps the meat super juicy. You will love this roast chicken recipe!

Just look at that Parmesan crust. It’s wildly crispy, deeply golden, and honestly kind of outrageous — in the very best way. Parmesan-crusted chicken is every bit as good as it sounds, and then somehow even better once it comes out of the oven.

The chicken stays tender and juicy inside, while the outside turns into this salty, cheesy crust that’s impossible to resist. Give yourself about ten relaxed minutes of prep, slide it into the oven, and dinner is basically done.

It’s one of those recipes that makes you look like a total rock star when you serve it — beautifully roasted, crackly on top, and impressive on the plate. How easy it is to make? That can stay our little secret.

Two other recipes you don’t want to miss are my lemon garlic herb butter roast chicken and my cranberry roast chicken with orange and rosemary.

What to serve with Parmesan-crusted chicken

I think that roast chicken is always best served with some traditional sides.

You can keep life super simple by putting some mini potatoes and carrots in the oven and cooking them alongside the chicken. Mashed potatoes are extra delicious with the slightly lemony gravy poured over the top.

The last time I made this baked parmesan whole chicken, I served it with my recipe that I like to call The Best Stuffing Recipe. It totally deserves the title of best. (It’s what’s on the plate in the picture below.) If you decide to go crazy and make this chicken with your Christmas dinner (and I think that’s a GREAT idea), then make sure to serve it with this stuffing.

I almost always serve roast chicken with a simple green salad. Sometimes the salad is as easy as some arugula tossed with my Lifesaving Lemony Salad Dressing. Other times, I throw in some toasted nuts, other veggies, and maybe some parmesan or goat cheese.

No matter what you serve it with, make sure to save the juice that’s at the bottom of the roasting pan. It’s slightly lemony and super delicious.

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4.97 stars (29 ratings)

Roasted Parmesan Crusted Whole Chicken

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

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Roasted Parmesan Crusted Chicken is super easy to make and insanely delicious. The parmesan creates a salty, crispy crust and keeps the meat super juicy. You will love this roast chicken recipe!

4

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 lb. whole chicken
• ▢ 2 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (divided)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic (very finely minced)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon each: sea salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 medium onion (chopped)
• ▢ 1 lemon (sliced)

Instructions 

• Turn your oven to 425 degrees. Dry the chicken with a couple of paper towels.
  3 lb. whole chicken
• In a small bowl, mix the butter, 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese, parsley, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  2 tablespoons salted butter, 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon each: sea salt and pepper
• Using your fingers or a spoon, carefully separate the skin from breast meat and as much as possible on the legs. Tuck half of the parmesan butter under the skin and spread the rest on top.
• Place the onion and lemon slices in the bottom of a small roasting pan or heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot and place the chicken on top.
  1 medium onion, 1 lemon
• Roast for 45 minutes then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and roast for another 45 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of parmesan cheese on top of the chicken and pop it back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
• Let the chicken rest of 10 minutes before carving it. Pour the juice at the bottom of the roasting pan into a bowl and serve it on the side to pour over the chicken.

Notes

Young chickens are usually called broilers or fryers and are between 2 ½ and 4 ½ lb.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 818kcal (41%), Carbohydrates: 6g (2%), Protein: 65g (130%), Fat: 58g (89%), Saturated Fat: 19g (119%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 23g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 273mg (91%), Sodium: 641mg (28%), Potassium: 740mg (21%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 810IU (16%), Vitamin C: 25mg (30%), Calcium: 101mg (10%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.