Traeger Garlic Herb Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables
This easy Traeger whole chicken is roasted with garlic herb butter, potatoes, carrots and onions all on one sheet pan for the perfect Sunday family dinner.
Creator: Leslie Stokes
There is just something about a whole roasted chicken on a Sunday that feels like the ultimate family dinner. It feels cozy and a little special, but it doesn’t have to mean spending the entire afternoon in the kitchen. And you guys know if I can turn dinner into a sheet pan meal, I probably will, especially on the traeger!
This Traeger Garlic Herb Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables is exactly the kind of dinner I love making for my family. Everything cooks together on one large sheet pan—the whole chicken, buttery baby potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic—and by the time it comes off the grill, you have an entire Sunday dinner ready to pile onto a big serving platter.
I recently got a Traeger and one of the things I’ve been loving is using it for more than what you would traditionally think of as “grilling.” I wanted this recipe to feel like something I would normally roast in my oven, just cooked outside on the Traeger instead. You still get that classic garlic herb roasted chicken flavor, but with an extra layer of flavor from cooking it on the wood-fired grill.
And the best part might be the vegetables. They roast right alongside the chicken, soaking up all of that garlic herb butter and the drippings from the chicken as everything cooks. The potatoes get golden, the carrots caramelize and the onions get soft and sweet. It’s simple, flavorful and exactly what I want from an easy Sunday dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Traeger Whole Chicken
This is one of those recipes that looks impressive when you bring it to the table but is surprisingly easy to make.
Everything goes onto one sheet pan, which means there aren’t a bunch of different sides to prep or dishes to wash afterward. Once the chicken and vegetables are prepped, the Traeger really does most of the work.
I also love that this isn’t your typical BBQ or smoked chicken recipe. There’s no heavy barbecue sauce or complicated smoking process. It’s really just a classic roast chicken dinner with garlic, butter, lemon and herbs that happens to be cooked on the Traeger.
It’s perfect for a Sunday dinner, but easy enough that you could absolutely make it any night you have a little extra time to let the chicken roast.
A Sunday Dinner Made on the Traeger
When I think about Sunday dinner, I think about something warm and comforting that everyone can sit down and eat together.
But I also don’t necessarily want to spend all Sunday afternoon cooking.
That’s why this dinner works so well.
Instead of making a chicken in one pan, potatoes in another and vegetables somewhere else, I put everything onto one large sheet pan. As the chicken cooks, all of those juices and garlic herb butter make their way down into the vegetables.
By the end, you essentially have your protein and sides completely finished at the same time.
I transferred everything onto a large platter before serving, and I love doing this for family dinners. Put the whole golden chicken in the center, tuck all of those roasted potatoes and vegetables around it and finish everything with some fresh herbs and lemon.
It looks like you put in so much more effort than you actually did.
The Garlic Herb Butter Makes This Chicken So Good
The flavor here is classic for a reason.
Butter, fresh garlic, rosemary, thyme and lemon make the simplest whole chicken taste incredible. I like getting some of the butter underneath the skin over the chicken breasts and then rubbing the rest all over the outside.
As the butter melts, it helps flavor the chicken while also dripping down onto the vegetables.
Make sure you pat your chicken really dry before adding the butter. Removing that extra moisture helps the outside brown much better.
And don’t skip seasoning the vegetables themselves. They will get plenty of flavor from the chicken as it cooks, but starting them with olive oil, salt and pepper makes sure every part of the sheet pan tastes good.
Why Cook a Whole Chicken on a Traeger?
One of my favorite things about cooking this recipe on a Traeger is that you’re essentially using it like an outdoor wood-fired oven.
Cooking the chicken at 375°F gives you that roasted texture and golden skin you expect from an oven-roasted chicken while still adding a subtle wood-fired flavor.
It’s also just really convenient. Especially when I’m making a bigger family dinner, I love being able to move the main dish outside and keep my oven and kitchen free.
And because everything is on one sheet pan, you don’t need any special smoker setup. Prep it inside, carry the pan outside, put it on the Traeger and let it cook.
What to Serve With Garlic Herb Roast Chicken
Honestly, you don’t need much. That’s the beauty of cooking the potatoes and vegetables right on the sheet pan.
For our family, I love putting everything onto one big platter and serving it family-style.
If you want to add something fresh, a simple green salad with a lemony vinaigrette would be perfect. Warm crusty bread would also be really good for soaking up any buttery juices left on the platter.
And if you’re making this for a bigger Sunday dinner, you could always add green beans, a simple arugula salad or another seasonal vegetable.
Can I Make This Without a Traeger?
Yes! Even though I made this recipe specifically on my Traeger, the same concept works really well in the oven.
Roast the chicken and vegetables on a large sheet pan at 375°F and use the same internal temperature guidelines to determine when your chicken is finished.
You won’t get quite the same subtle wood-fired flavor, but it will still be a delicious sheet pan roast chicken dinner.
How Do I Know When a Whole Chicken Is Done?
The safest and easiest way is to use an instant-read meat thermometer.
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone. The chicken is ready when the breast reaches 165°F. I also like checking the thickest part of the thigh, which is even better when it reaches around 170–175°F.
Depending on the exact size of your chicken and your grill, expect a 4- to 5-pound whole chicken to take roughly 1¼ to 1¾ hours at 375°F.
Always cook to temperature rather than relying only on time.
How to Store Leftover Roast Chicken
Store leftover chicken and vegetables in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
You can reheat everything together for another easy dinner, but I also love using leftover roast chicken for lunches throughout the week.
Pull the remaining meat from the bones and use it for salads, wraps, sandwiches, chicken salad or an easy bowl.
It’s one of the reasons I love roasting a whole chicken—Sunday dinner can easily turn into meal prep for the beginning of the week.
Tips for the Best Traeger Roast Chicken
Start with a chicken that’s around 4 to 5 pounds. A significantly larger chicken will take longer to cook, which can make it harder to time the vegetables perfectly.
Cut the vegetables into fairly large pieces. They’re going to be roasting for quite a while, so you don’t want tiny carrots or potatoes that are completely done before the chicken.
Use an extra-large, heavy-duty sheet pan with a rim. The rim is important because the chicken will release juices as it cooks, and you want all of that flavor staying right there with the vegetables.
A meat thermometer is also your best friend when cooking a whole chicken. Cooking time is always an estimate because every chicken and grill can cook a little differently. The internal temperature is what tells you when it’s actually ready.
Finally, give the chicken time to rest before carving. Ten to 15 minutes allows the juices to redistribute and gives you a much juicier chicken.
I hope this meal prep helps you! Don’t forget to follow along on social media for more Meal Prep + healthy recipes!
Traeger Garlic Herb Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables
Equipment
- Traeger
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 whole chicken 4–5 pounds
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 4 cloves garlic finely grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon halved
- A few sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme
For the Potatoes and Vegetables
- 1½ pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes halved
- 4 large carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 large yellow onion cut into thick wedges
- 1 head garlic halved crosswise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh parsley rosemary or thyme, for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
Let's Make It
- Preheat the Traeger to 375°F.
- Remove the chicken from its packaging and remove any giblets from the cavity. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, grated garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Carefully loosen the skin over the chicken breasts using your fingers. Rub some of the garlic herb butter underneath the skin, then spread the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken.
- Place the lemon halves and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine if desired.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, onion and halved garlic head to a large rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss until evenly coated.
- Make a space in the center of the sheet pan and place the chicken breast-side up in the middle. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken in a mostly even layer.
- Place the entire sheet pan directly onto the preheated Traeger.
- Cook for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, tossing the vegetables carefully once or twice during cooking. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken and your grill.
- Begin checking the chicken with an instant-read thermometer. The thickest part of the breast should reach 165°F, while the thigh should be around 170–175°F.
- If the chicken reaches temperature before the vegetables are as golden and tender as you’d like, transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest and return the sheet pan of vegetables to the Traeger for another 10–15 minutes.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10–15 minutes before carving.
- Transfer the chicken to a large serving platter and arrange the roasted potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic around it. Spoon some of the buttery pan juices over everything and finish with fresh herbs and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Use the largest rimmed sheet pan that comfortably fits on your Traeger so the vegetables have room to roast rather than steam.
- Cut the vegetables large: Since the chicken needs more than an hour to cook, larger vegetable pieces hold up better.
- Cook to temperature: The exact cooking time will vary. Always use the chicken’s internal temperature rather than the clock to determine doneness.
- For crispier skin: Pat the chicken thoroughly dry before adding the garlic herb butter.
- Oven instructions: Prepare everything exactly as directed and roast on a large sheet pan in a 375°F oven until the chicken reaches the appropriate internal temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 6 servings:
Calories: 515
Protein: 36g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fat: 29g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 780mg
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the size of the chicken, amount of skin consumed and exact ingredients used.
Meal Prep in 1 Hour
You can use any two of the meals in this series to get your meal prep done in just about and hour, give or take!
Having your breakfast and lunch ready for the week helps you stay on track with your nutriton, saves you time and money! I truly beleive that meal prep does not need to be over complicated, take too much time or be boring!
I always get asked- “do you ever get tired of eating the same thing all week?” and the answer is, no! Not when the food taste good! I give plenty of variety in these preps and keep it simple!
As always, thanks for being here and remember, don’t over complicate the process! Take a deep breath, you got this!
