I realize now things have gotten out of control. What started as a simple pursuit to find the ultimate method to roast a chicken has taken up way too much of my time. I like to roast a chicken at least once a week. But this is less a ritual than a weekly torture session. Rather than repeat the same well-worn recipe that has been time-tested and approved, I try something new every single time. I usually sit there with my poultry carcass and admire certain qualities of the technique du jour while damning the rest of it as a failure.
The self-deprecation comes at a price, but it is not without warrant. A perfect roasting technique using a whole bird is is almost an oxymoron. Dark meat cooks slower than white meat, and so no matter what school of thought you subscribe to, roasting a whole chicken requires some kind of compromise. There are things you can do to the chicken before it enters the oven, like salting, brining, stuffing with herbs, onions, or other veggies. But once it enters the oven you have to chose your method, and that will rear its ugly head in endless debate. You can cook it at a straight 375-425, and come out with a fairly good bird. But some say purely high heat is the way to go, around 500. Some want only low heat for a long time, around 250 for around 3 hours. While others want a combination of all of the above.
We've roasted many, many, many, many chickens. And this is not the perfect one. It's just another sad tale in the quest for the unattainable goal. But it is a worthy candidate, if only for the juicy white meat it leaves behind.
This recipe was inspired by a few places. First was a message a while back in Chowhound about slow-roasted chicken, which I've stored in the back of my brain for a while waiting to use. And the other was a book called In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal, chef of the world renowned Fat Duck outside of London. The latter recipe might be the most ridiculous recipe I'd ever read. He blasted it with heat at first, and then used extremely low temperatures for many hours. Unfortunately, my oven couldn't reach that low so I had to adapt.
This recipe starts it moderately high, cools it down for an hour, and then blasts it with heat at the end. It takes some time. While most roast chickens are finished in an hour, this takes over two. What you gain is juiciness. Nothing is dry, and by the end your plate will have pools of chicken juices, which, if you have the right side items, could be a blessing. But what you lose is a little of the succulence. Juiciness is not the same thing as roasted flavor, and some of the white meat was particularly lacking in depth. Thus is the tricky game you play when roasting a chicken. And it's why I keep coming back to it.
This is a bare bones recipe, one that I suggest you jazz up a little bit with herbs, a lemon, or some kind of spice rub. Also, a side note. I didn't use as nice a chicken as I normally try to. Fairway was having a sale on kosher chickens, which I realize now is a mistake. I'm not sure if anything was done to the chicken, or if it was just cheap because it was a poorly kept chicken. Anyway, next time I'd just pay a little more for a decent bird.
Slow-Roasted Chicken
- 1 chicken
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Then rub in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 250. Cook for an hour. Crank heat to 450. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the inside temperature reaches 160.
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Hope you don't mind a long response.
I have roasted many chickens as well and have roasted them as follows with always exceptional results. Buy a high quality chicken. Most markets offer Murry's or Bell & Evans–I usually buy these if not buying from one of the local Greenmarkets.
1 chicken
1 lemon–cut in half
2 sprigs rosemary
6 garlic cloves–smashed
olive oil
s & p
Make sure the chicken is at room temperature. Pre-heat oven to 450. Rinse the bird and dry with paper towels. Salt(kosher) & pepper(fresh) inside very well. Cut one half of the lemon in quarters. Stuff the bird with 1 sprig of rosemary followed by the lemon quarters and garlic and the second pc rosemary. Agressively salt and pepper the outside and using a mircoplane grader–grade the lemon peel from the lemon half on the breast-side of the bird. Add that half of lemon to the opening of the chicken cavity, cut side in. Put bird in a low sided baking dish breast-up. I use a gratin dish. Do not tuck the wings under. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast in upper third of the oven for 20 minutes with the legs to the back of he oven. After 20 minutes lower the heat to 400 and turn the pan so that the legs are now facing front for 30 minutes. Roast for another 30 minutes. Turn the chicken again and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes. I usually est. 20 minutes a pound. Remove from the oven. Remove lemon, etc from the chicken and let it rest for 15 minutes or longer. The skin should be crisp and the meat tender and moist. Filling the cavity slows the cooking of the breast meat as well as flavores the bird while allowing the legs/thighs to become well cooked and tender. One more thing, squeeze the lemon pcs into the juices.
I just roasted my first chicken, yep, you read that right, my first chicken, well, actually my second, but my first successful one. I used a pot roasting method from Nigel Slater. I basically braised the chicken with sweet wine for an hour, and then blasted it with heat for 35 minutes. It was DIVINE! I'll have to try this (or one of your other methods) next. Can't fall in love with the first method that crosses my path, can I?
Vogue magazine food editor Jeffrey Steingarten [were you as surprised as I was to find out that this magazine filled with stick figure models not only has a food editor, but also has a test kitchen?] has roasted many chickens in search of the perfect bird. For him, filling the bird with all kinds of herbs and aromatics has little effect on the final taste. So your recipe sounds right on the mark. Barbara Kafka is a proponent of roasting hot and fast–we're talking 500ºF here. I've never been able to do that without my smoke detector going nuts, but it does make for some crisp skin.
I tried this recipe last night, only substituting the salt and pepper for creole seasoning. I followed the times and temps religiously but needed to put most the breast and the drumsticks back in the oven at 350 degrees for another fifteen minutes. It was a four-pounder.
Very juicy bird, excellent overall. Thanks.
here's the recipe for the best roast chicken you will ever eat. I've made this for several parties and folks universally praise it as the finest they've eaten. and it's easy.
1. buy a nice bird.
2. preheat oven to 375.
3. liberally cover it with koser or other coarse salt.
4. let it sit for 30 minutes.
5. wash the salt off with cold water.
6. liberally apply the goya brand seasoning adobo (they've got a few flavors, a couple of which have MSG–use the original; it doesn't)
7. place in roasting pan breast side up. (speaking of roasting pans, i strongly believe it's worth investing in a nice one with a rack–makes a huge difference. i have costco's and love it–costs 30 bucks and can hold two chickens or a turkey)
8. roast it for an hour and a half or so–I'm not real precise about it. you know it's done when it looks it and when you prick the skin at the base of the drumstick and the fat is liquified. also the drumstick will move easily when wiggled.
9. when the bird is roasting, baste occasionally.
10. take it out of the oven and let it sit for 30 minutes before taking the knife to it.
try it. trust me.
My hubby is great at roasting birds. For chicken, cornish game hens and poussins, he likes to to use a signature recipe for soy butter to baste, and push herbs and garlic up underneath the skin. All this helps contribute both flavor and texture, by crisping the skin and allowing flavors to infuse just underneath the skin. These methods are only for those who love to eat, lick their fingers and then take a happy nap afterward!
I put herbs inside chicken then cook my chicken on a rack breast side down in a 180c oven for first hr then turn breast side up until done depends on size maybe 30 more mins rest 10 mins soo succulent and juicy
To get a really perfect slow roasted bird you need to cook it at 200F. When the internal temp has reached 155-160F take the chicken out of the oven, but leave the pan inside, turn it up to 450-500F, when that temperature has been reached put the chicken back in the pan with and pour in a cup or more of water…the steam that is created will brown the bird, cook until the breast temp is 170F and VOILA!!! great slow roasted chicken.
I have roasted many whole chickens, and everyone LOVES one recipe…..
I cover it in..
Butter (I like I can't believe it's not butter) even inside the bird and in the pan
Lawry's season all
McCormick Roasting Rub
I baste the chicken every 30 minutes
I bake it at 325 for 3 hours. I am telling you it is AWESOME. Not for the dieter though.
these are all plain recipes, i can buy a roasted chicken at walmart tnat will taste the sam and save from not using my oven, water for dishes and ingredients..
Phil, there is no way that a roasted chicken bought at a store tastes as nice as a home-roasted chicken, even if it just has a few herbs and salt. The store-bought ones (believe me, I've tried them all, from sheer necessity), are over- cooked and dry compared to what you can easily create at home … just try it and see.
You guys gotta try my Pineapple roast chicken. All you have to do is stuffed your chicken with pineapple chunks salt and pepper and then pour the juice of the pineapple to the pan with half a cup of soy sauce. Preheat your oven to 500 deg put the chicken in for 20 minutes and then turn down the heat to 315 deg for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Trust me you're going to love this chicken!!! Enjoy!
You won't believe this, but here's what I've been doing since childhood.
Preheat oven to 425.
Place 1 whole cut up chicken in a large vat, cover with cold water — and boil it! (Included salt & pepper in water). Don't be afraid!
Place boiled pieces in baking pan, cover in salt, pepper, basil, and Cayenne pepper. Olive oil if you're worried about dryness.
Cook at 425, 45 min – hour, or until skin is crispy as you like it. Cranking up heat to 500 near the end don't hurt.
You might think this bird would come out as dry as chicken jerky, but it's not. Power boiling renders out some of the fat (and leaves you with great soup stock for later!), but the water seems to retain moisture w/in the meat, and the crispy skin is oh-so-flavorful, especially with a little kick from the Cayenne.
Add green beans and a little pasta, and you've got a classic, healthy, easy dish. A new-old twist on comfort food…
This may not be considered roasting, but I have found if I'm pressed for prep time, slow cooking the seasoned chicken in a crock pot produces fall of the bone juicy meat. Just immerse it in broth and whatever other seasonings you like and it comes out perfect every time.
I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone talk about gently loosening the skin from a whole chicken and rubbing an herb paste (suggestions follow) all over the meat, under the skin; be careful to leave the skin intact. Salt and pepper the cavity and rub with a slice of lemon; you can leave the lemon slice in the cavity. Refrigerate overnight (covered). When ready to roast, lightly rub skin with vegetable or olive oil and then slow roast (uncovered) at 325 for two to three hours, depending on the size of the chicken. Baste occasionally. Chicken is done when drumstick moves easily; skin should be crispy. You can't go wrong…very flavorful and juicy.
Two herb mixes to try: Italian: salt, pepper, crushed rosemary, garlic, and enough lemon juice and olive oil to make a smooth paste; or Moroccan: salt, pepper, crushed saffron threads, garlic, ginger, and enough lemon juice and olive oil to make a smooth paste. I use about 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp rub per chicken. Taste your rub before you use it…it should be zingy.
I followed your recipe and roasted a 3 pound organic chicken tonight. It was excellent. I'm usually prefer dark meat, but the breast was so tender and juicy, I couldn't resist. Thanks.
My personal Chicken:
Take two small chickens (3.5ish lbs)
Cut out the backs and breast bone (butterfly)
Drop them both in a big bowl with a gallon of water with a cup of kosher salt and a cup of sugar and a bay leaf and a hand full of smushed garlic cloves)
Put that in the fridge for two hours.
Take them out, rinse them off, dry them off.
place the flat chickens cavity side down next to each other in a sheet pan.
salt, pepper on top (sometimes some Herbs de Provence)
Place inside oven preheated to as high as it will go (mine goes to 550) on top of a pizza stone that preheated with the oven (let the oven heat for at least 30 minutes).
Turn on the oven fan and wait 15 minutes.
Spin the pan 180 degrees.
15 minutes later, chickens are done and super easy to carve up into really good looking pieces for dinner.
And you have great leftovers too.
One variation is to place a whole lemon cut in half under chicken (one half per breast). I don't think it changes the flavor much but it smells really good.
Hello, I just cooked my locally grown, european style (aged a few months more than USA types) bird this way… stuffing it full of garlic cloves before cooking… and the temperatures and times were absolutely perfect. Best roast chicken I've made. Thank you for the recipe!
Rue: Do you actually mean 315 degrees? or is that a typo and should be 350?
I find the most plump hen there is and place it in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, Liquid Smoke and Olive Oil. Cover. At 10:00 a.m., I pre-heat the Oven to 400*, then lower it to 195* to Slow-Cook the Chicken until 3:30 p.m. basting every hour. I then remove the foil cover, baste again, up the temp to 375* for 15 min. to brown. Very tender & tasty with Q-sauce! P.S. for an extra Kick….I add coke to the baste juice!