This one-pan, whole-roasted chicken recipe makes a delicious dinner. Learn how to produce lovely golden skin and juicy pieces by using these straightforward methods.
I learned the fundamental methods for cooking oven-roasted chicken in culinary school. But as time went on, I tried to find ways to improve it even more. In my preferred method, the bird is roasted on a bed of vegetables, producing incredibly tender slices and a delicious included side dish. In addition, I’ll demonstrate how to make gravy using the defatted pan juices. It’s a delicious sauce that shouldn’t be skipped thanks to the herbs, aromatic vegetables, and drippings!
Getting portions that are evenly cooked and obtaining a golden surface are the two biggest challenges. A concerted effort is made to keep the lean breast moist as the dark meat bakes. With this technique, the chicken is first cooked with the legs and thighs facing up before being turned over to finish cooking the white meat. Trust me, it’s worth it!.
Cast iron skillets’ thick, heavy walls effectively retain and distribute heat for even cooking. Because the sides are just over 2 inches high, hot air can circulate inside the container for better browning. A small roasting pan can also be used, but I prefer the skillet for making gravy, which I highly recommend.
A hot oven makes a difference
This method uses a high oven temperature of 475ºF (246°C). Preheating immediately dries the surface to promote the formation of crusts, which jumpstarts the browning of the skin. 30 minutes of roasting the chicken in the oven should be followed by letting the temperature rise.
Let it sit without any ingredients for a few minutes to raise the temperature because I’ve noticed that the steam from the ingredients lowers the heat. You could even raise the temperature dial by 25 to 50 degrees before bringing it back down and adding the chicken again. Breast skin won’t brown as much if the temperature isn’t hot enough.
The chicken is lifted off the pan by roasting it on a bed of fresh vegetables and herbs. By doing this, the meat is kept from steaming in its own juices. This also makes for more flavorful gravy or au jus. You can add additional ingredients, such as red potatoes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash, to change things up.
To get rid of moisture from the surface and the cavity, use paper towels. This helps the skin crisp quicker, instead of steaming. The chicken can also be placed in the refrigerator uncovered for a few hours prior to cooking because the dry, circulating air does an excellent job of wicking up extra moisture.
Don’t forget to season the inside of the chicken cavity. More flavor is added to the meat and the drippings for the gravy by massaging crushed garlic cloves, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper into the meat.
Trussing lessens the likelihood that the exposed cavity will cause the chicken breasts to dry out. All you need for this method is about 3 feet of kitchen twine. Start with the chicken’s legs facing you, then tuck its wings behind its back.
Place the string under the neck region, then gather its two ends to run along the body’s sides. At the tip of the breast, tightly tie the string to give them a plumper appearance. The legs should then be tied together to close the cavity opening.
Melted butter is brushed over the skin to increase flavor, color, and crispness. For extra crispy skin, you can also use ghee or olive oil, but the skin won’t be as dark because they don’t contain any water. When heated to a high temperature, the butter’s milk solids take on a golden hue and emit a rich, nutty aroma that is reminiscent of browned butter. Salt and pepper seasoning contributes to the dish’s more savory flavor.
Due to the thighs and legs cooking first when roasting breast-side down, undercooked areas are avoided. This is because the dark meat has more fat and connective tissue. Compared to the very lean breast pieces, it takes longer to cook. An added benefit is that the skin on the bird’s underside will be extremely golden and crispy.
To finish cooking, flip the chicken over using paper towels. The skin will be very pale in color, as you’ll notice. Don’t worry, more butter will help with the color change if you brush it on and roast for about 30 minutes. If you prefer, you can also finish by briefly broiling the surface to achieve the desired color.
Prior to carving, let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes. This prevents dry and chalky slices by allowing the majority of the juices to redistribute into the muscle fibers. Carryover cooking has less of an impact on a whole chicken. Due to the hollow cavity’s ability to let steam escape, less heat is retained inside. Once you take it out of the oven, it’s best to get it to almost the serving temperature.
The most precise way to determine when something is done is with an instant-read thermometer. In the thickest part of the breast and thigh, insert the temperature probe. Be careful not to hit the bone.
The ideal temperatures for the breast and thighs are respectively 160–165°F (71–74°C) and 165–170°F (74–77°C). The white meat will appear to have clear juices while the dark meat may appear to have a more pinkish hue. When it’s fully cooked, you’ll also be able to easily pull the wings and thigh away from the carcass.
There will be a ton of fond (delicious pan juices, drippings, and food particles) on the bottom of the skillet. Remove the vegetables, then add the liquid to a fat separator. Don’t let this go to waste. To make the pan sauce, only use the juices and additional chicken stock or broth. Making the roux with flour and butter thickens the gravy a little bit more.
Updating Our Classic Roast Chicken Method
While Kitchn’s original instructions for a straightforward roast chicken are excellent, we’ve discovered that a few minor adjustments result in an even better chicken. You’ll find those updates in the recipe below.
I had to try it out for myself, using my preferred roast chicken preparation methods: a salted bird that was dried in the refrigerator, brought to room temperature, trussed, and cooked at 450 degrees with lots of salt. I placed it on its bed of potatoes, garlic and onion breast-side down, despite the fact that it felt unnatural, for the purpose of scientific research.
Now that I have a meat thermometer, I no longer cook chicken breasts past the USDA-specified 165 degrees, and I typically remove them from the oven a few minutes early so that they can come to room temperature while they rest.
Some kitchen practices aren’t changed until someone points them out. I still remember my first roommate’s horrified expression as she saw me pour French press grounds down the kitchen sink drain. Then there were the pans that I would discard after a sear (while also creating an amazing sauce that only took three minutes)
Some of my birds are perfect—all glossy and golden. Some are fine, with skin that’s not as burnished as I might like. But these days, few of my chickens turn out dry. So I was intrigued that some cooks swear by flipping the bird—so to speak—to cook it breast-down in the pan. The theory goes that the fat chicken butt and legs will drain into and over the breast, keeping it moist.
Same goes with roast chickens. My first ones were less than ideal. After rinsing them in the sink, I would put them in the oven while they were still wet. (I no longer rinse, and I am aware that a crisp-skinned bird requires good drying.) After a few years of haphazard cooking, I discovered my first cookbook, Appetite by British chef Nigel Slater, which solved the majority of my poultry-related issues. It would be awesome if I could prepare an herb butter and smear it between the skin and the breast. Even better, if I could quickly prepare a bed of potatoes and onions as a side dish.
FAQ
Which side of chicken faces up?
Place the chicken breast-side up in a shallow ovenproof dish, such as a roasting pan, cast iron skillet, frying pan, baking dish, pie plate, or any other. The chicken can be roasted in a pan by itself or lifted out of the pan using a roasting rack or vegetables that have been coarsely chopped (see Recipe Note).
What is the smooth side of a chicken breast?
It is incredibly simple to determine which side of skinless chicken breasts is which. Even though the cut side was made with a very clean knife, the skin side is much smoother and firmer. Additionally, the shape is obvious because the side with the rounded hump is the skin side.
