1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper both inside and out.
2. Refrigerate the chicken for an hour or overnight, uncovered, if you have that time.
3. Prepare the oven by heating it up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. In a roasting pan or a big ovenproof skillet, place the chicken breast-side up.
5. Fill the hollow with herbs and use kitchen twine to bind the legs together – If you don’t have any twine, just leave the legs alone.
6. After 50 minutes of roasting, baste the chicken with the pan juices.
7. Continue roasting for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken’s juices flow clear when probed with a knife.
8. Allow 10 minutes to rest before carving.
9. Serve and enjoy.

If you’re interested in more recipe ideas and variations you could try, you can watch this video recipe to see more ways to cook a 12 lb chicken.