Baked chicken in parchment paper is covered in compound butter then baked until tender and juicy in a parchment paper bag.
Baked chicken is one of my favorite meals. It’s so easy to make and can be made in very different ways. This chicken though, I keep super simple. It has an herbed butter spread that is placed under the skin and on top, then sprinkled with sea salt and pepper.
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Why you should use parchment paper to bake this chicken recipe?
Baking a whole chicken in parchment paper traps in the mess so you can cook, carve, and serve it all in one dish. Drain the juices that are left over, then throw the parchment paper away. No scrubbing pans.
Ingredients
This whole roasted chicken in parchment paper has-
- Whole roasting chicken.
- A butter compound made with unsalted butter, minced garlic, and fresh herbs added. Rubbing the butter over and under the chicken skin is a simple way to add tons of flavor to the chicken as it bakes.
- Ground sea salt and black pepper.
How to make baked chicken in parchment paper step-by-step
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Start by measuring the parchment paper for the size of the baking dish. I measure out a piece of parchment the length of the dish (I used 9 x 13) then double it over.
Remove the chicken from the packaging, make sure to remove the giblets, and drain any liquid from the cavity.
Place the chicken in the baking dish.
For the compound butter: add the softened butter, fresh herbs, and minced garlic to a small dish and stir together.
Pull the skin of the chicken up and take half of the butter mixture, and spread it under the skin. Place the skin back down and rub the other half of the butter all over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
I did use kitchen twine to bring the legs of the chicken together, but if you do not have twine you can skip this step OR you can even take the steps to truss your chicken. Follow this helpful post from Fifteen Spatulas, Should you Truss a Chicken or Not?
Fold the other half of the parchment paper over the top of the chicken, then tuck the ends in. Fold the excess together and fold in the sides to create a bag.
Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
Remove the chicken from the oven. With a pair of scissors, carefully cut away the top piece of parchment paper.
Take a baster and squirt the juices over the top a few times, then place the chicken back into the oven for 30 minutes more.
FAQ’s
What temperature should a whole chicken be cooked to?
Use a temperature gauge on the thickest part of the chicken to make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken is cooked to between 165-175 degrees.
Tips & Variations
- Be sure to remove the giblets and drain the juices from the cavity before adding it to the baking dish.
- Add different flavors to the compound butter like Cajun, Greek, or Italian seasonings.
What should you serve with baked chicken?
Remove the chicken from the oven, remove the twine and slice. You can take the drippings from the pan and make some homemade gravy. And here you are……
From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!
Baked Chicken in Parchment Paper
Equipment
- parchment paper
- 9 x 13 baking dish
- twine (optional)
Ingredients
- 5-6 pound whole chicken with giblets removed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs I used basil and Greek oregano, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Measure the parchment paper for the size of the baking dish, then double it over.
- Remove the chicken from the packaging, make sure to remove the giblets, and drain any liquid from the cavity.5-6 pound whole chicken
- Place the chicken in the baking dish.
- Add the softened butter, fresh herbs, and minced garlic to a small dish and stir together.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Pull the skin of the chicken up and take half of the butter mixture, and spread it under the skin. Place the skin back down and rub the other half of the butter all over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.1 tablespoon sea salt and black pepper
- Fold the other half of the parchment paper over the top of the chicken, then tuck the ends in. Fold the excess together and fold in the sides to create a bag.
- Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the oven. With a pair of scissors, carefully cut away the top piece of parchment paper.
- Take a baster and squirt the juices over the top a few times, then place back into the oven for 30 minutes more.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, remove the twine, and slice. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for making this recipe:
- I did use kitchen twine to bring the legs of the chicken together, but if you do not have twine you can skip this step OR you can even take the steps to truss your chicken.
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Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Erin@BottomLeftoftheMitten
This is a great post explaining very nicely about how to bake chicken in a parchment paper. Usually i have only seen people using aluminium foil and I am not always comfortable in doing so. Thanks for sharing.
Parchment is a great alternative to foil, I replace it whenever I can. Thank you!
This chicken was delicious. Super easy to prep, the compound butter made all the difference. I had never baked chicken this way and I am now a fan, will cook it like this regularly. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I am so happy you liked it! Thank you so much.
I’m going to try it tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you, Joy! I hope you enjoy it.