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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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can you roast vegetables in the pan with this?
Hi Sheryl, yes you can. However, the high temperature and amount of time it takes to roast the chicken, you may have to add the vegetables later in the cooking time. I will put this on my list to test next week so I can be more informed and update the post. It actually sounds really obvious – who WOULDN’T want to roast vegetables with their chicken?! In the meantime, if you want to try yourself, just keep an eye on the vegetables. Add them later, make sure they are coated in oil, perhaps add extra liquid to the bottom of the pan. You just don’t want them to scorch. I’ve had this problem (the scorching) with other roast chicken recipes that just assume it will all cook together fine and perfectly (such as Ina Garten’s). But it didn’t work (everything burned). The process needs some attention. Thanks for the question!
Delicious recipe! I bought a whole chicken on a whim because they were on sale but had no clue how to cook one. I assumed it would take forever to cook but that was not the case at all!
I will say that when I opened the oven to baste for the first time I was wecomed with a face full of smoke. There were no juices at all. I poured about half a cup of water in my pan and that fixed that! Great mix of spices – better than the store. Chicken turned out perfect and moist.
This looks great! Question: if I were to bake the chicken in the oven, and then transfer to a slow-cooker…would I add the juices from the oven pan to the slow cooker as well? Thanks!
Hi Amber! Yes! Why not? I don’t think it’s required, but why waste them? I would definitely do that. I will update the recipe so this is clear. Thank you for the question!
Great recipe. My family gobbled it up happily.
This is such a great, simple recipe! I’m glad I came across your blog!
Do you cook on 425 the whole time. I have a 6 lb hockey. Or do you turn down after a while?
Hi Kimberly, I cook it at 425 the whole time. I baste it periodically so it doesn’t dry out. You could definitely turn it down after a while if you wanted to. I have seen recipes like that, and especially since it’s a 6-pound bird. I just don’t know exactly what the cooking time would be if you turned it down at some point. You’d just have to check it, but obviously it would work! Thanks for the question. It’s a good one.
Do you cook it the entire time in the oven on 425 or lower it at some point. Thank you
I made this last week with a 4 lb chicken and it was the most tender, most juicy rotesserie chicken we have ever had! I’m making it tonight, but the only chix available were slightly larger (mine is about 5.5 lbs) how much longer would you extend cooking time for?
Hi, Sarah! I would actually just check it at 70 minutes and in 10-minute increments after that. It might end up being the same. When I do 2 chickens, it’s the same amount of time (obviously that’s two chickens, not 1 chicken double the size, but I still thought it would take longer and it didn’t). Sorry I don’t have an exact answer, but it will probably be close to about the same, possibly 10-15 minutes longer. Thank you!
This is in the oven now, hopefully you get to answer it in time lol! It’s been in about 20 minutes and there’s no juice to baste it with, is that OK?
Hi Amanda! What I do if there is no juice (and I need to update the recipe to say this, so thanks for reminding me) is to brush it with extra olive oil. That’s what I do. It’s not required, but if you are worried about the chicken drying out, do that! I hope you love it. I make 2 of these every weekend! Thanks for your comment!
HI. Have a a George FOREman rotisserie and i am just wondering how long would you rotisserate for and at what temperature