This is the easiest buttermilk whole roasted chicken that only requires 3 ingredients to make! When it gets cooked to perfection it will have the crispiest golden skin on the outside and the most moist tender juicy meat on the inside, just like a turkey!

When it comes to Thanksgiving and holidays, to say I love hosting is an understatement. You could say that it’s my thing. I’ve hosted Friendsgiving every year and there are so many reasons I love it. For one, I love bringing all of my friends and family together and having all of my favorite people in one place. The energy that radiates through out our home during this time seriously brings me so much joy and warms my heart. Second, the food of course! I love eating it, cooking it, serving it, etc. Last, it makes me realize how lucky and grateful I am for the friends, family and food overall.

When hosting friendsgivings, I always hosted them ahead of time (before Thanksgiving day) as most people do. I knew that all of my friends and family would be having turkey with their families on Thanksgiving day, so I always wanted to serve something else for the main protein and main attraction. In addition, cooking a whole turkey seemed so intimidating and such a process. So, I thought that a whole chicken would be a great substitute. This buttermilk chicken is the perfect solution! It looks like a mini turkey, but doesn’t taste like one. Plus, it is 10 times easier to make than an actual turkey and requires less ingredients!

While this buttermilk whole roasted chicken requires a longer prep process, it is worth it! It needs to be marinated in the buttermilk brine at least a day ahead of time. Once it is done marinating for a minimum of 12 hours, it needs to sit out at room temperature for an hour before cooking. Then, it gets cooked in the oven for an hour. However! It is still very minimal effort on your part with the brine requires only three ingredients, you place in the fridge, remove from the fridge then place in the oven. It truly is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

I recommend serving this buttermilk chicken over a bed of garlic herb fingerling potatoes. If you are serving over the fingerling potatoes, you can cook these the last 20-30 minutes before the chicken is done so these will be done around the same time. But, if you would like you nix the potatoes, you can absolutely just serve the chicken on its own. When this chicken gets baked, it has the crispiest golden skin on the outside and the most moist, juicy, tender meat on the inside. It will not disappoint and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

A NOTE about the chicken: you will want to make sure that the legs and wings are tied with twine before you even begin marinating. It will help keep the chicken tight and together from start to finish. If the chicken does not already come tied and you are unsure how to do this, you can easily ask someone at the store to tie it for you before you purchase.

Did you make this? If so, make sure to tag and follow @prettyplatebymichelle on instagram or leave a comment below and let me know what you thought! I would love to see your Pretty Plate and hear from you!