How to Roast a Whole Chicken

It’s that simple.  Keep reading for more details on how to roast a whole chicken.

Roasting a whole chicken may seem intimidating at first.  We are used to clean cuts of chicken breast, skins, bones, tendons removed.  The prepared chicken breast is great as a filler, but is often lacking flavor.  Some people may ask why on earth would you roast your own chicken, when you can buy one already cooked at a grocery store.  My answer to that is having the ability to control the spices and seasoning.  I have no idea what the butcher is putting in those grocery store rotisserie chickens.  They are often over-salted and doused in additives.  Get over your fear of handling of handling a whole chicken; maybe pretend you are working in the kitchen at Downton Abbey and get back to the basics.  Some recipes over-complicate the process.  I promise it’s easy, and you will be happy with the results.

Step 1: Remove the chicken from the package.  Rinse the carcass, inside and out, with cold water.  If desired, remove the giblets.  In all cases make sure there is not plastic or other unwanted objects in the body cavity.  After rinsing, pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  This will make it easier to season the chicken.

Step 2: Seasoning.  Decide where you want to go with this chicken.  What big plans do you have for the finished product?  Will extra meat be used in a traditional chicken noodle soup, or for simple enchiladas, or both?  Will this be a stand-alone dish, or used more for ingredients for something else?  Are you in a hurry, then quickly cover the chicken in olive oil and steak seasoning.  There is no magic recipe, at the very minimum add just salt and olive oil.  You will be surprised at how tasty a roasted chicken can be at home.  Here are a couple of my favorite combinations:

Lemon and herb roasted – for this traditional flavor place 1/2 a lemon, garlic cloves and a large piece of onion into the cavity of the chicken.  To that add herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme. (Name that song).  If your herb garden is alive and well use fresh herbs.  If not, dried herbs also work great.  This tastes great with steamed vegetables, simple buttery mashed russet potatoes or roasted red potatoes.

Mexican Style with Fuego Spice mix – prepare fuego spice mix and combine with olive oil.  Rub on chicken.  This is great when preparing Mexican dishes with the left-over meat.  Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and onions to contrast the bold flavor of the chicken.  If you don’t want to make a special spice mixture, taco seasoning is fine.

Chicken seasoned with my favorite spice rub.  Recipe found here.

Chinese style chicken – coat the chicken in peanut oil instead of olive oil.  Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger) and 1/4 cup minced scallion or onion.  Brush over the chicken half-way into roasting.  Serve this with stir-fried vegetables and rice.

Caribbean Style – mix together 2 Tablespoons orange juice, 3 Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and salt and pepper to taste; brush this on the chicken halfway through roasting.

Step 3: Roast at 450F for 20 minutes.  Place the chicken in a roasting pan or heavy duty baking dish breast side up.  Today I am using a pyrex lined with aluminum foil.  Someday I’d like a fancy French dutch oven.  For now, this works great.  I’ve even had excellent results with a disposable tin.

Step 4:  Roast at 400F for 40 minutes.  This time is approximate.  The best way to know that the chicken is done is by using a digital thermometer and making sure the innermost part of the thigh reaches 165 F.  Without a thermometer you will need to slice the chicken and make sure the juices run clear.

I am roasting my chicken in my totally retro outdoor oven.  It is still 80 degrees outside and I don’t want to heat up my house by using the wall oven.  Instead, I’m using an inexpensive digital thermometer to monitor the chicken.  The alarm sounds when the temperature reaches 165F.  This will help give perfect results every time.

NOTE:  when there are 30 minutes remaining during the baking I add cut up vegetables.  Simply slice them up and toss in a bit of salt and olive oil.  Today I am using a small red onion, three cloves of garlic and 3 medium-sized sweet potatoes.

Step 5:  When the internal temperature reaches 165F remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest, covered in aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes.  A fancy french roasting pot fit with a lid would be perfect for this.  Rest time allows for the juices to settle in, and prevents too much evaporation and drying out of the meat.  Slice and serve.

This chicken still has a couple of meals left in it.  I’m thinking for this week it will be used for tortilla soup and rolled tacos.