- 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Position oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Pat chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. Place onion, garlic, and thyme inside the chicken cavity. Tuck wing tips back and under and tie legs together with kitchen twine.
- Brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken, breast-side up, on a baking sheet.
- Roast chicken in the preheated oven, rotating the baking sheet halfway through if the chicken is browning unevenly, until the skin is golden brown, flesh is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 75 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the oven, cover loosely with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before carving