Never underestimate the power of a roast chicken. It's an infallible Sunday dinner, and the leftovers (if you're so lucky) can be used for sandwiches, salads, and quick meals all week long.
Roasting a chicken doesn't have to be a special weekend affair, either. A small bird really only takes about an hour to cook, so we can easily make it on a weeknight. Put it in the oven when you get home from work and let it cook while you wind down from the day. It's that simple — and here's how.
You can use a roasting pan for chicken if you have one, but don't feel like you need to go out and buy one. Most of the time, I just use my trusty cast iron skillet. You can also use a stainless steel skillet, a large casserole dish, or even a pie plate. Anything oven-safe that will comfortably hold the chicken will work!
You can also cook the chicken by itself right in the pan without a rack or anything else. Lifting the bird will improve the air circulation around it and help it cook a bit more evenly, but I find that this matters more for a giant Thanksgiving turkey than it does for a little weeknight roast chicken. This said, I do like to occasionally go for a 2-in-1 meal and roast the chicken on top of a bed of chopped potatoes, onions, and carrots; the veggies roast in the juices from the chicken and I get an easy side dish to serve with the chicken!
As far as actually roasting the chicken goes, it's all pretty hands off. Rub it with a little oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then pop it in the oven for an hour. Go about your business — finish the rest of your dinner, fold some laundry, pour a drink. The chicken is done when it smells so good you can't wait a moment longer.
Pretty easy, right? This is why roast chicken is one of my standby meals for small dinner parties and casual weeknight meals alike — foolproof and irresistible.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the rack in the lower-middle of the oven. Prepare a work station with your chicken, the salt and pepper, and lemon wedges nearby.
How To Roast a Perfect Chicken
Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on the size of the chicken
What You Need
Ingredients
1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken
Olive oil or softened butter
1 tablespoon salt
Pepper
Lemon, optional
Fresh herbs, optional
Garlic cloves, optional
Equipment
Roasting pan, 10- to 12-inch oven-proof skillet, casserole dish, pie dish or other oven-proof dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the rack in the lower-middle of the oven. Prepare a work station with your chicken, the salt and pepper, and lemon wedges nearby.
- Remove the giblets: Reach inside the cavity of the chicken and remove the bag of giblets (if you can't find them, check in the neck cavity). The giblets can be discarded, saved for stock, or used to make gravy later on.
- Pat the chicken dry: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels or a kitchen rag. Make sure to absorb any liquid behind the wings or legs. Blot inside the body cavity too, getting the chicken as dry as you can, inside and out.
- Rub the chicken with olive oil or butter: Rub oil or softened butter all over the chicken, paying special attention to the breast and the drumsticks. be generous here! The oil will help the skin crisp and become golden.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper: Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Again, be generous here!
- Place lemons and garlic inside the chicken (optional): If desired, stuff the inside of the chicken with halved lemons, whole cloves of garlic, or herbs. This adds subtle flavor to the chicken (and the roasted garlic can be spread on bread!)
- Place the chicken, breast-side up, in the pan: You can roast the chicken by itself in a pan, or lift it off the pan using a roasting rack or roughly chopped vegetables (see Recipe Note).
- Lower the oven to 400°F and roast the chicken for 50 minutes: Put the chicken in the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 400°F. Set a timer for 50 minutes and let the chicken roast undisturbed.
- Check the chicken: The chicken is done when it registers 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, when the wings and legs wiggle loosely, and when the juices run clear. Continue roasting the chicken and checking it every 10 minutes until it is done. Total roasting time will be between 50 minutes and 1 1/2 hours — exact cooking time will depend on the size and type of your chicken.
- Rest the chicken: Once finished cooking, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 15 minutes. During this time, you can prepare a salad or side dish or whisk some flour into the pan juices to make gravy.
- Carve the chicken: Carve the chicken into the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, and serve. Pick any remaining meat off the bones and save it for other meals. Leftovers will keep for about 5 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes:
- You can change the flavor of the chicken by adding a spice rub along with the salt and pepper. We like Chinese 5-spice blend, za'atar spices, and ras el hanout.
- You can also make a 2-in-1 meal by roasting the chicken on top of a bed of potatoes, onions, carrots or other veggies. Take a look at this recipe for instructions and inspiration: Viking Chicken.
This post has been updated. Originally published February 2010.
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(Image credits: Leela Cyd)
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This is great, a really helpful step-by-step! I *love* roast chicken but have never really mastered it. Have to admit, the thing that's intimidated me about it most is the mess/contamination risk of dealing with a big raw chicken... (I had salmonella poisoning as a teenager, so I'm a bit wary.) Any tips for managing that? For example, the picture above with the olive oil bottle makes me wonder if you have to stop and wash your hands before you can pick up the bottle! And if you're pouring the chicken juice down the drain, what's the best way to clean the sink?
Also, any tips for checking/ensuring done-ness when you don't have a thermometer? (Or is that one of those things I really should just go and buy for my kitchen...?)
02.08.10 12:44PM@Brooklynnina, yes, it's good to stop and wash your hands at several points in this process. But I also like to measure out ingredients ahead of time; that's why we specify prepping a little bowl of salt and pepper, so you don't have to worry about cross-contanimation.
And yes, for this and other meat recipes, it's really helpful to have a thermometer. You can also look to see if the juices are running clear, but I think it's much safer and easier to use a thermometer.
02.08.10 12:51PM@Brooklynnia - as for the olive oil bottle step, I usually pour out the olive oil I'm going to need into a little bowl before touching the raw chicken and then use a brush to paint it on the chicken to avoid contamination issues. Or, as I did this weekend, melt butter with some crushed garlic and then paint that onto the chicken. The recipe I used was the one from American Test Kitchen's New Best Recipe cookbook which is a bit different, but equally as straightforward as this one. The chicken came out beautifully (if I don't say so myself).
As for the doneness bit, some say that if you move the leg and it feels loose in the socket its done. But a cheap kitchen thermometer would be more accurate and useful for lots of other things.
02.08.10 1:38PMEvery time I get a chicken out of the little plastic bag, I wash it, and I notice it has "hairs"...like tiny little soft hairs in every follicle that previously held a feather. I always go on and roast the chicken, but then the chicken comes out all golden and beautiful AND ALL I CAN SEE IS A HAIRY CHICKEN.
Please tell me I'm not alone and this is normal and how to get rid of the chicken hairs because I stopped making roast chickens about a year ago after I realized that it wasn't a fluke chicken.
Thanks.
02.08.10 1:46PMLOL stickyheels. I notice that too, but usually only when I buy a super-fresh, locally butchered bird. If you buy a more "processed" bird, like a free-range chicken from Whole Foods, you might not get the feather issue.
02.08.10 1:50PMThe last kosher chicken I bought was quite hairy. It was a little bit unnerving.
02.08.10 1:51PMI would pick up an inexpensive thermometer. I'd rather shell out a few dollars for an accurate thermometer than spend a night in the ER from eating uncooked chicken.
02.08.10 1:54PMVery early in my marriage, I tried to make Ina's Perfect Roast Chicken. I had carved it before I realized it wasn't cooked all the way through. i was so upset.
Fast forward 8 years later, and I've never tried to roast a whole chicken again-but recently I bought a chicken and stuck it in the freezer. I am determined to make this work!
Thank you so much for giving tutorials-they help me tremendously!!!!
02.08.10 1:57PMEmma, an hour, really? I usually have to let my 4 pound birds go for at least an hour and a half, sometimes more like two and I've never managed to find a 3-4 pound bird in the grocery store.
I do find that not stuffing it helps, but not enough. Roasted chicken has to remain a weekend thing for me.
02.08.10 2:02PMI'm so excited for the tutorial on carving a chicken. This is the one thing that has stood in my way of making a roast chicken.
02.08.10 2:24PMI was with Tiamat_the_Red up until the part about 1 hour not being enough. I normally roast my birds somewhere between 45-50 minutes. I check my chicken's temp after 45 minutes and go from there. I start with a room-temperature bird, tho, so that might account for the additional 10-15 minutes in the oven. Also, I usually have a 4-4.5 bird.
There is nothing I hate more than overcooked chicken. The picture above shows the thigh temp to be 176.5 (though I don't know when it was taken). I pull my bird from the oven when my insta-read tells me the thigh is around 150 degrees and then I allow the carryover heat to continue cooking the meat for an additional 15 minutes (the temp usually increases by 10 degrees in that time). I end up with a juicy, perfectly-cooked chicken every time.
02.08.10 2:24PM@faith & @heather77 - these are definitely not "farm fresh" chickens! These are come-shrink-wrapped-in-plastic from the bird section of my Harris Teeter chickens.
I feel that with all the chemical processing and machine mutilations of these birds I should be able to successfully purchase a genetically-enhanced chicken WITHOUT HAIR.
02.08.10 2:30PM@stickyheels - haha that is too funny. Sad and funny. One would think...!!
02.08.10 2:34PMThanks everyone for answering my salmonella-fear-based questions! I am adding a meat thermometer to my "Kitchen Stuff to Buy" list right now...
And also very much looking forward to the upcoming chicken-carving tutorial--yet another roast chicken stumbling block for me. :)
02.08.10 2:57PMThis is great, it's just like the Roast chicken I do (from Julia Child's very simple Roast Chicken in a Casserole recipe). It's sooo quick and easy too, and yet it looks like you slaved over it all day LOL.
02.08.10 3:18PMHere's a post from my blog from the second time I made it: http://ift.tt/1qEqVB4
The other great part is I had an excuse to use my new Staub La Cocotte :-)
This method looks much simpler than my usual approach, which involves turning the slippery chicken at least once, while cursing and grasping it for dear life.
02.08.10 3:27PMI have to second the Julia Child method - still super simple, but you just have to watch the clock so you can turn the chicken from side to side. I think this really helps keep the breast meat juicy. It works well to flip the bird with tongs inserted into the cavity.
I just made one last night and it was so delicious! The juiciest chicken ever, and such a nice light flavor from the butter, salt and pepper. The leftovers will be great for enchiladas another night.
I keep seeing that Purdue commercial where the poor housewife says she's "roaster-phobic" and ends up cooking a pre-treated chicken in a plastic bag. So gross! Really, making roast chicken is just about the easiest thing ever - just get a meat thermometer so you can cook it to the proper temperature. And it's so much juicier than rotisserie chicken from the store!
One question for the crowd - does anyone else have trouble getting kosher chickens to brown? I had to set mine under the broiler at the end.
02.08.10 3:55PMBrooklynnina, I don't use a thermometer at all, I tip the pan to let the juices run out of the chicken - when it's clear, it's done. If the juices are pink, it needs more time. Also, if you wiggle the leg around, if it's loose, it's done. Be careful that you don't overcook it. I think it's good to have a general idea when it should be done. Also, I like to have the other elements of the meal be flexible as to serving time, so that all I'm waiting for is the chicken.
02.08.10 4:07PMMy husband and I make roast chicken once a week. Then we make chicken stock, and chicken pot pie or a shepherd's pie (with chicken.) We just rub it in a mix of olive oil, salt, and pepper. If we have fresh rosemary or basil on hand, we stuff that under the skin. Poke holes in a orange or lemon, stick it in there- you're done. Also, we have one of those tiny apartment ovens, so we have to roast it in a cake pan. Our friends laugh, but it tastes great.
02.08.10 7:41PM@ Tiamat - I think timing the cooking on a chicken is just one of those things you have to fiddle with - just because there are so many little factors like the weight of the chicken you find, the temperature of the oven at the beginning, the kind of pan you're cooking it in, etc. My chickens always seem to average out to about an hour, but sometimes a little less and sometimes more. For what it's worth, the original Jamie Oliver recipe specifies 1 hour and 20 minutes, but our bird was definitely done at an hour.
Also, yes, it's becoming harder and harder to find whole chickens under 4 pounds!
02.08.10 8:58PMIf only this had been posted yesterday! Just roasted my first chicken last night. It was pretty easy, but I definitely went out and bought a thermometer. Between the chicken and my meatballs that never seemed to cook (accidentally turned off an unfamiliar oven!), this weekend taught me I desperately needed one!
02.08.10 9:31PMI discovered this key to moist chicken accidentally - start with the bird breast-side down and just turn breast side up for the final 15 minutes to crisp the skin. It bakes with the juices settling in the breast meat and the result is really incredible.
02.08.10 10:03PMThe other great tip is to separate the skin from the breast meat (you can tuck your fingers in there to make a pocket without tearing the skin) and rub some oil/salt/herbs in that pocket. The result is crispy crispy skin and lightly salted breast meat.
02.08.10 10:06PMQuestion that I've always wondered about:
What does the butter/oil rubbing do for the chicken? And how? I've heard that it is what makes the skin crispy. I'm trying to figure out if I can cut down on the oil.
Also, Heather77, hairy is nothing! In Asia, many of the chickens (even the shrink wrapped ones from supermarkets) come with their full head and feet! Most unnerving thing for me was getting one with its eyes open! Ugh!
02.09.10 2:22AMGreat idea about the za'tar spices! I just got some in the mail, and am wondering what to do with them!
About salmonella and washing chickens...
The latest advice, from the UK government food safety people at least (and it makes sense to me!), is NOT TO WASH YOUR POULTRY. Apparently, studies have shown that it just spreads bacteria all over your kitchen -- your sink, counters, splashes on the walls, etc., etc. Cooking the chicken will kill any bacteria, but it will be much harder to decontaminate your kitchen...
...makes sense to me...
http://ift.tt/1qEqW7W
02.09.10 3:33AMI would think it would be safe to rinse off the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels if you were very careful. Unfortunately, most people aren't very careful.
02.09.10 3:09PMI'm a big fan of Julia Child's Butterflied Roast Chicken recipe from "The Way to Cook."
It's as simple as anything, and can be adapted to add wet seasoning rubs, any roasted vegetable, and requires no trussing, racks, or butcher twine.
I make this at least once a week, and it's a no-fail dish in my house.
A version of that recipe is here:
02.09.10 4:12PMhttp://ift.tt/1tWaRbl
I'm a big fan of Sally Schneider's "New Way to Cook" and with her roasted chicken recipe she includes a variation where you butterfly the chicken (remove the backbone) and the cooking time drops to 45 minutes (at 500 degrees F). We have an awesome digital kitchen thermometer that beeps when it's reached the desired temperature. We *love* it, as it leaves me free to play and read books with my daughter, but the food never gets overcooked!
02.10.10 1:35AMEvery time I roast a chicken the fat splatters all over the inside of the oven and then the smoke almarm goes off. What am I doing wrong?
02.16.10 2:31PMMade this last night--my first ever roast chicken! Seriously easy and delicious. Thank you!
02.19.10 10:49AMI couldn't get this to turn out-my chicken was way underdone, even after being tested with a thermometer. I seem to have a problem with roasting a whole chicken, I think I'll just make it with chicken pieces, that way, I know it will get done.
That being said, I LOVED the result of the crispy skin. FABULOUS!
02.21.10 6:19PMYes to the breast side down at the beginning when roasting a whole chicken. Results in an unbelievably moist breast meat. Also the butterfly method is not only faster but gives you the backbone to freeze for stock. Both ways are great
06.03.10 9:22PMThis sounds like a delicious recipe but the only problem I have with this recipe is that it does not mention washing the chicken after cleaning out the cavity of it.
10.10.10 3:00PMI think it would be safe to say that this is the reason why Salmonella poisoning is rampant these days. I learned from my parents and grandparents to soak you chicken in salted garlic water for about 20 minutes prior to seasoning and cooking it so I am going to make that suggestion also for this recipe or any chicken recipe.
You guys still did not solve my "hairy chicken" problem. :'(
11.16.10 3:17PM@stickyheels: you can pull broken quills from chicken with a pair of needlenose pliers. It's super easy if you do it after cooking. It can be done before cooking, but it's harder to get a good grip on either the chicken or the quills. You can try pulling them out with your fingers (after cooking only) as well, but they may break leaving part still stuck down in the skin. Hope this helps, even months later. :)
Also, to anyone with splattering chicken, you might try increasing the amount of vegetables underneath and really packing them in close together. I put a bit more than twice as much veggies as called for in the recipe in my pan and had very very little splattering in my small oven. I think having so many veggies for the fat and juices to drip on helped. If the drips hit the pan directly, they will jump and splatter from the heat. I used: brussel sprouts (cut side down), carrots, red bell pepper, celery, onions (cut smaller than shown in intructions to make them fit better).
04.05.11 11:02AMDoes it really matter if the chicken is breast-side up or not? Just attempted this for the first time.. and.. I didn't put it in breast-side up. :\ Will this affect the end result? It is all going to fall to bits? Help!
01.29.12 11:20PMI do not recall it being a problem growing up, but now that I am a dad I find that often roasting a chicken ( or a pork roast) uncovered means that the inside of my Bosch oven is coated, rather than just splattered, with grease that then tends to pool on the oven floor.
What, if anything, am I doing incorrectly or overlooking?
Keeping one's kitchen clean overall, and as one prepares a meal is normal, being germ phobic is not, in my opinion.
02.08.12 2:23PMBeen doing this for years. It seems the cast-iron skillet method is the latest craze. I haven't tried that yet, but I might.
As to cooking time, an hour should be right, if you're cooking at 450. I follow the Joy of Cooking technique: Preheat the oven to 450, and turn it down to 350 when you put the chicken in. Then cook for 20 minutes per pound.
And I never take the bird's temperature--I just wiggle the leg. If it's loose, it's done. Never had a problem. (And let's face it--none of our ancestors had a Thermapen, and they managed!)
02.08.12 2:45PMpliers for removing the hairs or if they're really fine a torch or lighter would work...
03.22.12 11:25PMAs for cooking a long time and it not being done maybe you're oven temp is off. Its not as noticeable on shorter runs in the oven for things like cookies but more prominent for roasting chickens.
I've recently discovered the joy of a whole chicken, too. In fact, I did one just last week. I start by rinsing the whole bird and patting it dry (the towel immediately goes in the wash). Then I slip slivers of butter under the skin (0.5 Tbsp per bird). Next, I drain and wash a soda can and refill it with wine and slip the whole can into the bird. It's a variant on a redneck technique using beer. I let it cook at 375 until I remember that it's in there, which is usually somewhere around the hour to hour and a half mark, and check the temp with a meat thermometer.
I can't WAIT to try the lemon idea with some Herbes du Provence!
06.26.12 4:46PMI buy boxes of non-latex (some people are allergic to latex) examining gloves and use them all the time in the kitchen. Great for handling raw chicken — when you're done blotting and seasoning and have your bird settled in its pan toss the gloves into the trash. I also use them for chopping onions and garlic, and forming meatballs or drop cookies into balls.
To keep "raw chicken contamination" to a minimum make sure you have everything you're going to need all gathered together — your "mise en place." Another reason I like using the gloves... if I find myself about to reach for a seasoning I've forgotten those blue gloves tell me to STOP, take the gloves off, wash my hands, and THEN grab what I need.
08.08.12 9:01PMVery nice use of black cast iron! I roast everything in cast iron now. In fact I have a Lodge 17" skillet that I use to roast 2 chickens at a time.
11.01.12 11:29AM@mbm77: Even though I own a Thermapen, I never use it on roast chicken. The leg-wiggle has worked for me every time!
11.12.12 5:31PMThis is my favorite roast chicken recipe: http://ift.tt/1tWaTQn .
03.19.13 8:03PMI applaud you for trying to make a roast chicken 8 years ago...but fear not, a roast chicken should never be something to shy away from. My grandmother taught me at a very young age how to make a roast chicken and it has always been my go to dinner choice when cooking for company. The trick is good seasonings, a nice hot oven and patience. Good things can't be rushed and a roast chicken is definitely a good thing. Good luck on your future attempt at roast chicken!
04.06.13 3:11PMI'm very excited to try this recipe this fall. There is nothing better than the smell of a roast chicken throughout the house.
09.02.13 1:10PM