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Learn how to make rotisserie chicken at home with my super simple spice rub (4 ingredients plus salt & pepper). Or, recreate that same delicious flavor for your next oven-roasted chicken!
Table of Contents
Rotisserie seasoning ingredients
I’ve perfected the rotisserie chicken dry rub, which can be made in big batches to use when you need it. Just add a chicken and oil, and you’re good to go!
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken: 4 to 5 pounds of chicken pieces such as breast, thighs, or quarters may be substituted for the whole chicken. Reduce total baking time to 30 to 45 minutes.
Rotisserie instructions
First, you’ll need a great rotisserie oven. The one I own has been discontinued (the Cuisinart Rotisserie Convection Toaster Oven), so I recommend the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer. It has a program for making rotisserie chicken, and it’s highly rated with 4.5 stars from over 55,000 reviews on Amazon.
The below cooking times are based on my rotisserie oven, but times for other rotisseries may vary.
- Truss and skewer the chicken (giblets removed). Coat generously with the dry rub. Insert the rotisserie skewers into the rotisserie.
- Cook according to rotisserie manufacturer’s instructions (for my Cuisinart rotisserie, it’s one hour on the “Rotisserie” setting). Let it rest about 10 minutes before carving.
Oven instructions
If you make it in the oven, it’s a roasted chicken. But if you use the same spice rub, it tastes just like a rotisserie chicken.
- Truss the chicken (giblets removed), then coat with olive oil. Coat generously with the dry rub. Place in a roasting pan, baking dish, or cast iron skillet.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 70-80 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Baste the chicken every 15-20 minutes with juices from the bottom of the pan (or olive oil). After baking the chicken, you can devour it immediately or place it in a crock pot for a few hours to keep it warm for later.
Recipe tips and variations
- Trussing the chicken: This falls under “optional yet recommended.” Trussing your chicken ensures an evenly cooked, juicier bird, but you don’t have to if you don’t want.
- Basting: If you go the oven route, it’s critical that you baste the chicken every 15 minutes or so. It’s a high-temp oven for crispness, but that means you can scorch the skin if you don’t keep it moist.
- Make ahead: After rubbing on the spice blend, the chicken can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Slow cooker: The skin won’t get crispy, but the chicken will still be tender and delicious. Transfer your spice-rubbed chicken to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- Leftovers: Cool leftovers quickly and store covered in the refrigerator. Use within 3 to 4 days.
- Making 2 chickens: The baking time is the same if you want to roast 2 chickens instead of 1. Make extra for a friend in need or for your favorite recipes.
- Chicken gravy: Use your pan drippings, chicken broth, cornstarch or flour, and salt and pepper to make delicious chicken gravy anytime.
Recipes for leftover chicken
Stews and Soups
Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Casserole Recipes
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Salad Recipes
Chinese Chicken Salad
Casserole Recipes
Recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini
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How to Make Rotisserie Chicken
Learn how to make rotisserie chicken at home with my super simple spice rub (4 ingredients plus salt & pepper). Or, recreate that same delicious flavor for your next oven-roasted chicken!
Equipment
- Rotisserie oven (We recommend the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer)
- Roasting pan (This one for GraniteWare is perfect for the oven)
- 3 feet Kitchen twine
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
To prepare the chicken:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Remove giblets and truss the chicken (this is recommended for even cooking, see note 2).
To make the chicken in a rotisserie:
- Skewer the trussed chicken. Rub the spice mixture all over the outside of the chicken (no olive oil necessary).
- Insert the rotisserie skewers into the rotisserie. Cook according to rotisserie manufacturer's instructions (for my Cuisinart rotisserie, it's one hour on the "Rotisserie" setting). Remove from rotisserie and let rest 10 minutes before carving.
To make the chicken in the oven:
- Move an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the trussed chicken in a roasting pan, baking dish, or cast iron skillet. Brush the outside of chicken with olive oil. Rub the spice mixture all over the outside of the chicken.
- Bake uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 70 to 80 minutes. Baste the chicken periodically (every 15-20 minutes, see note 3) with accumulated juices or olive oil. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving.
To keep the rotisserie chicken warm:
- Place in a slow cooker for up to 8 hours on the lowest possible heat setting.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chicken: 4 to 5 pounds of chicken pieces such as breast, thighs, or quarters may be substituted for the whole chicken. Reduce total baking time to 30 to 45 minutes.
- Trussing the chicken: This falls under “optional yet recommended.” Trussing your chicken ensures an evenly-cooked, juicier bird, but you don’t have to if you don’t want.
- Basting: If you go the oven route, it’s critical that you baste the chicken every 15 minutes or so. It’s a high-temp oven for crispness, but that means you can scorch the skin if you don’t keep it moist.
- Make ahead: After rubbing on the spice blend, the chicken can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Slow cooker: The skin won’t get crispy, but the chicken will still be tender and delicious. Transfer your spice-rubbed chicken to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- Leftovers: Cool leftovers quickly and store covered in the refrigerator. Use within 3 to 4 days.
- Making 2 chickens: The baking time is the same if you want to roast 2 chickens instead of 1. Make extra for a friend in need or for your favorite recipes.
Nutrition
Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 27gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 103mgPotassium: 295mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 541IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg
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I am going to make this Sunday. I hate to seem foolish, but do I cook this breast up or down. In the picture it looks breast down?
As you can tell I am not a great chicken cook.
Breast up! Cook it breast up. Sorry about that, I will have to rephotograph this, ha ha. You are clearly not that bad of a cook! 😀
It won’t dry out in crock pot ? Cooking it right now ! Lol
Hi Monique! It shouldn’t dry out in a crockpot. All the moisture gets trapped in those, so it’s more like steaming. 🙂 You should be good! Thank you! 🙂 I hope you love it!
I have a 11lb chicken how much longer should I cook it?
Hey there! Wow, that is one big chicken. I have never tried this recipe with such a large bird, but here’s what I found on AllRecipes. The cooking method is different from mine, but it sounds logical to me. First, roast the chicken at 450 degrees for 10 minutes (to crisp the skin). Second, roast the chicken at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound (220 minutes). That comes out to 230 minutes total, or nearly 4 hours. I would definitely baste the chicken often to prevent it from drying out. I think it should work but if you’d like to report back and let me know, I would appreciate it! I’ll look for a bird that large so I can test it myself. Thank you!
This dish was a hit with the entire family. Chicken was moist and 10x better than store bought!! We will be making this again and again!
SO GREAT to hear that, Stacy! Thank you. 🙂 It’s a hit for me as well, we make it all the time!
This will be added to my recipe book as ”woah-dang chicken’!!! Amazing!! My chicken was almost 6lbs and 1hr20mins was perfect!! And then I boiled the carcuss for chicken stock! I am done spending $8-$10 on a rotisserie chicken that’s been under a heat lamp for hours when I can get a whole chicken for $5 and make this!! Yes!!
This makes me so happy ‘Gena! I love hearing people will cook more at home – it tastes better, usually costs lest, the benefits go on and on. I love this rotisserie chicken recipe so THANK YOU for giving it a chance. So glad you liked it! Take care. 🙂
This is so easy! In the midwest we have Smart chicken and they are big, clean birds. Not the chicken with yellow skin:( Great meal and hopefully their will be enough leftover for my lunch tomorrow!
Hi Megan
If I wanted to make two 5 lb chickens at once how long should I cook for?
Hi Christina, it will be about the same amount of time or possibly an extra 10-15 minutes. If you have a roasting pan large enough, just nestle them side by side. It will not take significantly longer to roast 2 vs. 1. So roasting 2 is a great idea! Thanks for your question.
I made this tonight and it turned out awesome! Thank you! It’s hubby approved (:
One tip I would give is to make sure you consistently baste the meat as it can dry out quickly.
Hi Courtney, thank you so much! I appreciate the tip too. I will definitely add that in the recipe. Good call. So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks again and take care. 🙂
I tried this recipe tonight and it was absolutely awesome. I will definitely never have to buy another rotisserie chicken and wonder how much MSG and bad oil I am eating. My 7-year-old granddaughter gave it a huge thumbs-up. The spice mixture is perfect, thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that Belinda! Thank you so much for letting me know. 🙂 It’s definitely a favorite around here. I make one every Sunday!
I have got to try this! I imagine it’s even more cost effective if I purchase whole chickens in bulk 😀