A juicy, crispy roast chicken with vegetables is one recipe every home cook can—and should—easily master. Show
Roast Chicken RecipeWhy would a little old bird seem so intimidating to me? Maybe because the little clucker has inspired more failed recipe attempts for me than any other recipe I’ve tried to master. Am I alone here? Roast chicken is supposed to be easy. It’s not like you need new technology or fancy schmancy ingredients. It’s one of the basics and cooks have been roasting birds for, like, forever. So what was my problem? I’ve attempted various roast chicken recipes, most of which turned out a bird that was undercooked with juices that were far from running clear and which on the next go ’round resulted in cooking too long for a dry, sinewy meat that nobody in the family enjoyed. My roast chicken attempts were actually becoming a family joke that I found no humor in. But after cooking a lot of whole chickens, I figured out the secrets, and that’s why I’m sharing them now.
I’ve discovered a few tips along the way that create a juicy, tender and superbly flavored chicken that’s good enough to serve for Sunday supper or easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner. Here’s a quick run down that are explained further below:
1. Season generously. Most grocery store rotisserie chickens taste good because the basic chicken meat has been pumped with salt or other brining devices. I’m not a big fan of the Arnold Schwarzenegger “Pump You Up” method, but I do believe in generously seasoning the bird inside and out with a hearty dose of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. If table salt is all you have on hand, use a little less since processed salt has more iodine and will result in a slightly bitter or metallic flavor. Don’t think you have to limit yourself to the seasoning basics. Think about trying herbs and spices to create flavorful variations to give your clucker a unique flavor, like:
see more: 25 Lightened-Up, Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes
2. Add fat and get under it’s skin. To get a crispy skin on your roast chicken that’s juicy on the inside, slather the bird with a butter blend or olive oil. Both work equally well and will turn your bird into a bronzed Brazilian bombshell from the beaches Rio de Janeiro with a crackin’ crispy crust. Try any of these blended butters for maximum flavor. Gently work your fingers between the skin and the meat of the breasts and legs, separating the two from one another and work in another layer of flavor with additional butter or oil. see more: 20 Chicken Dinner Ideas You Can Make On the Sheet Pan
3. Play with your veggies. Veggies play a two-fold role in this roast chicken recipe. First, stuff your chicken with aromatic vegetables and fresh herbs to deliver a lovely flavor from within that permeates every juicy bite of the chicken meat. Some of my favorite vegetables and herbs to use are:
Then, create a natural roasting surface on the bottom of the roasting pan. Scattered veggies not only keeps the skin on the bottom of the bird from sticking to the pan, but imparts flavor throughout the bird. They also create an amazing base for pan drippings. Use a variety of seasonal veggies to gear the taste to different flavors throughout the year. Simply quarter or chop the veggies in large pieces and there’s no need to even peel the skins off. Add 1 cup of water, chicken broth, or wine to the bottom of the pan if you would like. see more: 30 Dinners to Make When There’s No Time to Cook in September
4. The best oven temperature to roast chicken. We’re roasting our chicken, not baking it. That’s why a high temperature will ensure a crispy skin that’s juicy on the inside. Roast your chicken at 425°F and baste occasionally while cooking. TIP: Pull your chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off and ensure a more even cooking time. 5. How to tell when the chicken is done. Plan on 15-18 minutes of cooking time per pound, then add 15 minutes plus resting time. For a 5-pound chicken, I plan on 75-90 minutes for a roast chicken to be done. There are three ways I use to tell if a chicken is done, and I do each of them every time I roast chicken:
see more: 31 Days of Weeknight Chicken Dinners to Make In March
What to Serve With Roast Chicken to Make a Meal
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5 Tips for Juicy Roast ChickenPlan on adding an additional 10 minutes of time for the chicken to rest after it's been cooked. This helps seal in the juices for a tender bite every time. Course Main Course Cuisine American Keyword chicken Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes resting time 10 minutes Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes Servings 4 Calories 140kcal
If you wish for more drippings, add 1 cup of water, chicken broth, or wine to the bottom of the pan before you roast the chicken. Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5445IU | Vitamin C: 32.4mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Roast Chicken Meal Prep IdeasRoast a chicken at the beginning of the week and turn it into more meals all week long.
What’s your favorite chicken dinner or trick to get dinner on fast? Tell us all in the comments below. Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life. We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own. How do you keep baked chicken moist after cooking?Once the chicken gets up to temperature, remove the breasts from the oven and let them rest for about five minutes or so. This lets the juices redistribute in the chicken, locking in the moisture so it doesn't spill out once it's cut. And that's it!
How do you keep a roasted chicken warm and moist?You can also use the warming setting on your slow cooker to keep a chicken warm. Add up to a cup of chicken broth to the bottom of your cooker to keep the chicken moist. What is this? You can keep a chicken warm using this method for up to 2 hours without compromising texture and flavor.
How do I keep cooked chicken warm in the oven?If the chicken is warm, transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish, including the juices from the tray, and wrap it in foil. Heat the oven to 200F and keep it warm for no longer than 20 to 30 minutes. You don't want to keep cooking it you just want to keep it warm.
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