How to Roast a Chicken - the quick easy way in only 1 hour!
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How to Roast a Chicken, the quick easy way in only 1 hour! Often the most fuss-free methods are the best and that's exactly the case in learning how to roast a chicken easily and perfectly every single time.
I'll confess that when I first saw chef Thomas Keller's method of roasting chicken I was skeptical. Sure it looked perfect, but of course I like my chicken to be fully cooked while still juicy inside.
I've seen some other rush roasted methods that were a little too close to underdone, which really turns me off. The white meat is never an issue but I don't like it when the dark meat has any pinkish colour close to the bone.
I first thought that the temperature for this recipe was a bit extreme too, I mean 450 degrees F, come on! Then I thought about roast chicken from wood fired ovens I'd tried and quickly changed my opinion. High heat obviously works well there. It turned out to be the best simple roast chicken I've ever eaten.
Chef Keller doesn't use any fat on the outside of his chicken but I do use a tiny bit of olive oil to rub all over the surface of the bird to ensure even browning. I use less salt than in his version too. I don't prefer a crackling of salt appearing on the skin.
Some important tips to keep in mind.
Chef Keller's tips for starting with a dry bird at room temperature are very important. When open roasting large cuts of meat or whole poultry, it is always a mistake to put them straight from the fridge into the oven.
Take the meat out of the fridge at least an hour before roasting it. The closer it is to room temperature when it goes into the oven, the more evenly it will roast.
Adding herb and garlic flavour to the meat is not difficult but don't sprinkle the fresh herbs on the outside of the chicken before cooking. The very high heat will just burn them anyway.
Instead just stuff some fresh thyme or rosemary into the cavity of the bird along with a couple of whole garlic cloves if you like. You can also sprinkle fresh herbs on the outside of the chicken after it is fully roasted and let it infuse flavour into the skin while it rests before carving.
Resting the chicken for a full 15 minutes before carving is also very important to letting the juices settle into the meat. Plus letting the residual heat from roasting dissipate throughout. Any rested meat will always be juicier than if you cut into it straight away.
Follow all these simple but necessary tips and a roast chicken dinner can be easy enough to achieve, even as a welcome weekday comfort food meal.
Looking for more tasty chicken recipes?
Find hundreds of other chicken ideas in our Chicken Recipes Category and in our Quick & Easy Meals Category.
Be sure to check out this collection of our Most Popular Chicken Recipes of the last decade!
One last idea to use any leftover chicken! Leftover Chicken Spaghetti.
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How to Roast a Chicken - the quick and easy way in only an hour!
Often the most fuss-free methods are the best and that's exactly the case in learning how to roast a chicken easily and perfectly every single time.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ to 4 pound whole chicken, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels both inside the cavity and all over the skin surface.
- Bend the wing tips backwards and tuck them under the chicken. Tie the legs together with butcher string.
- Rub the olive oil all over the surface of the chicken. Sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the chicken and gently rub it into the oil.
- Place the chicken on a parchment lined aluminum pan or baking sheet. Roast for one hour or until the skin is evenly golden brown and the thickest parts of the meat register 170 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.
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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 657Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 10gUnsaturated Fat 26gCholesterol 227mgSodium 488mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gProtein 71g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Thank you Barry. Have a good weekend!
Lovely idea, may i make one suggestion,and I promise you that what I am going to suggest will not harm your chicken in any way...I do this for all of my fowl.....About one to two hours before cooking your chicken put it into a large bowl filled with water, and about a cup of salt, I have been doing this for years what the salt does is remove all that nasty looking blood that usually pops up when you are cooking ....Just rinse the fowl of, you will notice that after cooking there is no change to the taste, I do this because I hate the look of clotted blood
Is it terrible that I am 46 and never cooked a whole chicken before?? I have lived alone a long time and just didn't have a reason to. Anyway, it came out perfectly juicy and yummy. Now, if I could just figure out how to not butcher the cuts. Haha
Made it. It was easy and delicious. Used the neck and the juice that ran out when i cut into it for gravy.
How long should a 7lb chicken be cooked using this method?
Thank you!
Cooking times very by weight. Use your meat thermometer to get it cooked perfectly is my advice.
Most often, I cook only a 11/2-2 lb chicken as there’s just the two of us. Would cooking a bird of that weight work just as well?
I am more than happy to praise this chicken. Even with simple salt and pepper seasoning, it is tastier than stuff you buy pre-made in store. Never fails to be perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. And that crispy skin, wow. BUT, this makes a mess of the oven like nothing else. The house smells like burnt grease, my smoke alarm goes off, and I can't use my oven again to cook anything, unless I do a self-clean first. High heat and grease do not a nice pair make! Lots and lots of splattering. If it wasn't for the mess it leaves, I'd be cooking this a lot more.
I was worried about that as our oven is new. Thanks for your post.
Would roasting this in an oven bag work to eliminate the grease splatters?
I'm a little late to the party. Was reluctant to try this recipe. After many years decided to try it. Absolutely delicious! Perfect for a busy day when you want a satisfying dinner. Another winning recipe from Rock Recipes.