Rotisserie chicken is easy and versatile with crisp skin and juicy meat! This recipe can be cooked on a rotisserie spit, in the oven, or the air fryer.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Juicy and tender with a smoky, savory seasoning and crispy skin.
- Technique: Dry the skin well, season all over, and tie the legs for even cooking.
- Time-Saving Tip: Mix the seasoning ahead of time and store it in a jar for a quick grab-and-go rub.
- Freezing: You can freeze leftover cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Perfect for soups or casseroles later!
Ingredient Tips For Rotisserie Chicken
- Chicken: Choose a whole chicken about 3.5 to 4 pounds with the skin intact. If cooking in an air fryer, be sure the whole chicken will fit.
- Oil: A little oil helps the seasonings cling to the skin, making it extra crispy. Any oil or cooking spray works. Melted bacon grease will give rotisserie chicken a smoky flavor.
- Seasonings: Use your favorite seasoning blend, my chicken seasoning, or keep it simple with seasoned salt.
Cutting Rotisserie Chicken
Always let rotisserie chicken rest after cooking so the juices can recirculate into the meat. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F before carving.
Storage and Leftovers
The best way to store leftover rotisserie chicken is to remove the meat from the carcass. Keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.
The bones can be used to make chicken stock. Use leftover chicken in a classic chicken salad, chicken salad sandwiches, chicken soup, chicken fajitas, or a hearty chicken stew.
Did you enjoy this easy Rotisserie Chicken? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
- Rotisserie Oven or rotisserie spit
Ingredients
- 1 small whole chicken about 3.5 to 4 lbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder. Add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper (more or less to taste) and mix well.
- To prepare the chicken, dab the skin dry with paper towels.
- Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and season generously with the spice mixture.
- Gently fold the wings behind the chicken. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Ensure the cavity is empty.
To Cook on a Rotisserie
- Center the chicken on a rotisserie spit. If using a grill rotisserie, preheat to medium heat, 350°F. (see notes for oven directions).
- Cook chicken for 18-22 minutes per pound, or until the chicken reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer. A 3.5lb chicken will cook for 60-80 minutes.
- Once the chicken has reached the right temperature, turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rotate for 15 minutes without heat.
- Remove from the rotisserie and serve.
Notes
To Roast in the Oven
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Preheat oven to 450°F. Place chicken, breast-side up, in a cast iron skillet or in a small dish.
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Roast 12 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F and cook an additional 60-70 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.
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Rest 15 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I’m wondering what adjustments to make on the seasoning for a 5 pound chicken and also length of time in the oven? My son and I are attempting this recipe for Christmas and would like and tips. Thank you!
Hi Jamie. For a 5lb chicken, cook it at 450°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F with the chicken in the oven and cook it for approximately 80 minutes more or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
There should be enough seasoning for the chicken, you can increase it slightly if you’d like (you can click the PRINT button on the recipe and increase the servings to 6 to increase the amounts of the seasoning). Let me know if you have any other questions. Merry Christmas!
I made the Rotisserie chicken on the BBQ and it was great except it didn’t get crisp. I followed the recipe except I did marinate the chicken in the oil and seasonings. Could that have been the problem ,as I want to make it again ?
Thanks!
We have never tried marinating it the oil and spices so that may be the issue. If you make it again without marinating it, we would love to hear how it turns out!
Made this evening in oven and was extremely tasty! I did double the seasoning as I had a pretty large roasting chicken. Definitely putting on the meal rotation!
I baked this for the first time last night. It was fabulous. I followed all directions even the 1 hour in the fridge before baking. It took longer to bake b/c the chicken was larger than requested. I and my family loved it. Tasted like the best Rotisserie Chicken, esp. over any I’ve bought in Salisbury, N. C.
We will have leftovers tonight, but with different sides. I will definitely be making this again, often. Thanks !
I read this whole thing. I want to make this soon, but one question I have is it didn’t say to bake covered or uncovered ?
I want to do this correctly like yours. It truly looks delicious. Thanks !
Uncovered to get that nice crispy skin! Enjoy Barbara!
Your receipe’s loke so fresh and flavourful. Going to make the Rotisserie Chicken in my skillet, as we ,do not have our grill setup for a Rotisserie. We do many Beer Can Chicken’s on our Charcoal grill, and they turn out so juicy and good. What type of air fryer do you have? Haven’t made the investment yet! Thank you for sharing your receipe’s. I share many of the good ones, with friends and followings.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes! You can find what air fryer I use and my tips for choosing the right one here!
Easy and delicious! Works great in my convection oven with rotisserie feature at 400 for an hour and 15 minutes. (It’s usually an hour, but I had a slightly larger chicken.) Chicken was so moist and juicy!
We had your Rotisserie chicken made in our gas cooker. It was so moist and delicious I couldn’t believe how well it came out. Wow. It was just a small 1.2kgs bird.
Then on Friday lunch time we had chicken and mayo sandwiches for lunch then on Friday night I made a big pot of homemade chicken and veggies soup using the leftover chicken carcass and even that come out wonderful. So out of our small 1.2kg chicken my husband and I got 3 meals out of that one bird@
I love that, Hilary! Glad you could make the most of this yummy recipe.
I am wanting to make blueberry muffins using brown flour & oil
Do you have any easy favourites that I could follow, please Holly?
Hi Hilary, I have never tried with brown flour but we do have this easy recipe for blueberry muffins and this delicious blueberry bran muffin recipe you might enjoy!
I am going to try and rotisserate a small chicken for the first time ever, in my gas rotisserie oven in my Luxor gas cooker, tonight … Wish me luck!!
Good luck Hilary!! We can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
I just love your recipes and they are so easy to use.
Hilary Cole
Harare Zimbabwe
Southern Africa
Thank you!! That’s so sweet of you. Glad you are enjoying them as much as we are :)
Best chicken breast I’ve ever made. I usually overcook chicken breast but haven’t as yet. Simple to make!!!
I don’t have a rotisserie but I use my bundt pan. I put foil over the center post as it has a hole in it.
And set the bird over it. (like beer can chicken). Comes out great.
That’s a great tip, Sharon, thanks for sharing!
Sharon Best idea ever. Going to try tonight. Thank you for sharing. *****
OUTSTANDING
NOT EVER AGAIN WILL I HAVE A RUBBERY SKINNED ROASTED CHICKEN!
This is my NEW chicken seasoning I will only use from now on.
I bought my husband a brand new outdoor rotisserie grill for Christmas,
Last weekend we watched our local weather report found it would be a nice hot weekend so I planned to get 2-3 chickens for the rotisserie
I found the regular 3.5 whole chickens were $3.99 lb it was kind of expensive BUT I lucked out found 2 oven stuffer Perdue manager specials 7.49lb @ .99 cents so I got 2 of them
Unfortunate our weather rained all weekend so I ended up roasting only 1
WOW best seasoned roasted chicken EVER was even crunchy crispy skin that I always have a problem achieving crispy skin on roasted chicken
NOT EVER AGAIN WILL I HAVE A RUBBERY SKINNED ROASTED CHICKEN
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Bonny Lynn, even if it was because the weather was rainy! If you still get the chance we love this easy rotisserie chicken recipe too!
When cooking in the oven, do I need to rotate the chicken at all? Totally want to make this!! Have some small whole chickens and been craving a rotisserie chicken :)
I don’t normally, but if your oven has hot spots, you may want to rotate it part way through. Enjoy Mary!
You don’t need to rotate it when cooking in the oven!
I did not rotate my pan, however I used my broiler pan with it’s rack (not the broiler top) and found since it was elevated it was away from the juices and sat higher above the pan it made the chicken super moist and the crispest skin I have ever made before.
Mary, good question! I am going to use my Rotisserie in my gas cooker for the first time tonight, and I also was wondering about the question you have asked?
Hi Hilary, you can rotate this chicken while cooking but this rotisserie chicken recipe might be exactly what you are looking for!
Delicious, very tender and juicy it was a hit with the family.
Am thinking to open chicken rotisserie restaurant, all kinds of chicken dishes.
Thank you for showing me how to make it,.
Enjoy Robert!
Good luck with your rotisserie chicken restaraunt.
I’m thinking of using the rotisserie in my toaster oven for the first time using this recipe. I’d love to line the dripping pan with potatoes, have you tried that? Do you think the timing would be ok to add the potatoes at the beginning? Im worried either the potatoes would over cook or would it slow the chicken cook time. I’ve enjoyed many of your recipes thank you!
I’ve never tried doing that Kelly, so can’t say how the timing would be affected. I’m sure it’d work, you’ll just want to check that the chicken is fully cooked. Let us now if you do try it Kelly!
I used a five pound chicken and just adjusted the amount of spice and time. This is absolutely delicious and I will be using this recipe again. My husband is a diabetic and really has to watch his carb intake. Thank you so much.
You’re so welcome Vicki! We love rotisserie chicken so much too!
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!