Maybe this is lame, but I've never cooked a whole chicken.

I just bought one, giblets and all, and I'm planning to cook it this weekend to give me some more primal options. I mean, I can buy two organic, cage-free chicken breasts for $8 or I can buy a whole organic cage-free chicken for $12(depending on the size, prices vary I guess). I can make my own chicken broth with a whole chicken, as well as eating some of the liver. I don't plan on eating anything else though.

Liver kind of grosses me out, but I'd like to try it at least once. It's pretty good for you, in moderation, I've read.

How the **** do you cook a whole chicken? I imagine I could do it like I cook chicken legs, rubbing it in olive oil and seasoning and baking it. I'd like to remove the giblets first I think.

I have one of those table top rotisseries. It was a pretty inexpensive one and I've had it for years. Man...I love that thing. The chicken is never dry and its just so tasty.

I actually cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker for the first time about a month ago and it was delicious! I rubbed it with a bit of olive oil and cajun seasoning as well as some onions on the bottom. Next time, I will add celery, carrots and maybe some thyme or rosemary to flavor more of the juices after it cooks. Easy chicken broth right there after straining. Easier than the oven, for sure.

The only "sucky" part of it is that it becomes so soft and ready to fall apart after it's done so can be somewhat messy.

As for the giblets and the neck, I don't eat them. I read that you can use them for flavoring your stock but some people don't like the taste of liver, kidneys or heart so that kinda scared me and I don't want to ruin a whole chicken or stock in case it tastes terrible.

When I cook a whole chicken, I put it in a roaster pain in the oven with chicken broth around it. I also cover it with foil to keep the moisture in. You can season it however you'd like, but I personally use Tone's Rosemary Garlic seasoning. If you cook it this way, be sure to baste the chicken just like you would a turkey.

You can also save the broth to use again at another time.

I couldn't survive without my Cuisinart Rotisserie machine... Makes the best chicken i've ever had. Rotisserie seasoning or Lemon and Black pepper and you just turn it on. And it keeps it warm until you get home. Perfectly cooked every time.

Only pain is that you have to wrap the chicken with twine to hold it together as it rotates. But so worth it.

I cook whole chickens all the time. Yes, DEFINITELY remove the giblets first. Put them in a big pot in the fridge for now.

All I do is rinse the chicken off, put it in a roasting pan, and throw it in the oven at 375 until its done. How long it will take depends on the size.

I can't tell -- are you planning to eat the chicken, or just use it for broth?

What I do is carve off all the chicken for dinner. Then after dinner I put the carcass, the giblets (but not the liver), some carrots, celery, and onion, and a bay leaf in a big pot. Fill it with water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for as many hours as you've got. When the water gets low, just add more.

Voila. Chicken and chicken broth.

I freeze the chicken broth in 1 cup increments, and then just pull out of the freezer as needed.

When I roast a chicken, I brine it overnight in saltwater. Before I cook it, I rinse it off and dry it. I cook mine in a cast-iron dutch oven. I stuff it with lemon or orange slices, onions, and garlic. It keeps it really moist. I put some butter or olive oil under the skin (I don't do low-fat, so this works for me) and maybe more garlic under the skin, for flavor. I brush it with a little more butter or oil, depending on what I feel like. I sprinkle it with salt and pepper, though sometimes I add some other herbs, like basil and oregano. I put it in the oven at 375 F for about 2 hours, until it's up to 165F. I don't cover mine usually, because it keeps the skin from getting crispy and with the stuff inside of it, it stays moist. I also baste it with the drippings, every 20 mins or so. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting it.

DH followed a Jacques Pepin recipe, you cut out the backbone, heat up a skillet that you could put in the oven (no plastic handles), flatten the chicken, sear in the hot pan, cook for about 5 minutes then in the oven @425 for about 30 minutes.
Jacques does it with a dijon mustard sauce (crust he called it), but you could do whatever you want, it cooks pretty fast, he put a little slit in the skin by the leg/thigh and by the wing so heat could get in, DH just lets it in the oven for a bit after turning it off and opening the door to let the heat out, practically falls off the bone, breast is super moist.

I like cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot as well. It is so simple and easy and tasty even if you don't any other ingredients.

If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll brine the chicken overnight and stuff the cavity with citrus fruit, onions, and herbs. For regular weeknight cooking, I just rub it with coconut oil and seasoning and roast in a cast iron pan with root veggies. I have a meat thermometer, so I cook at 400 degrees until the thermometer says it's done!

and YES, you have to pull the giblets and neck out before cooking - I use mine in chicken stock.