Best roast chicken

(AnnaLeeThal) #1

This is it. The best roast chicken you can make at home. Simple. Juicy. Salty. Crispy skin.

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1.)Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Prepare your bird: take out any innards, rinse with cold water. Dry thoroughly inside and out with paper towel. This is an important step because you don’t want any steam!

2.) Place bird in a cast iron skillet or baking vessel of your liking. I use a chicken fryer, it has taller sides. Salt bird generously, rain the salt over the entire bird. You want to use 2T or so of salt to create a salt crust. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the back. Sprinkle with a little fresh cracked pepper if you desire.

3.) Bake at 425F for 1 hour, or until breast is registering 160F. This is for a 3-4 pound bird. Time may vary based on size.

This feeds us for a couple meals. 1st night roast chicken, then I take the remaining meat off and make bone broth with the “frame”. Leftover meat is great in chicken soup, on salad, etc…

#2

I can actually top that. Try this - cook it upside down. The breasts stay much moister.

(AnnaLeeThal) #3

I never have dry breasts cooking it like this. The chicken is pretty juicy too.

(AnnaLeeThal) #4

But seriously, all the meat is juicy like this, but I will try it upside down sometime, will report back on the juiciness factor.

#5

Also you get a different kind of skin action going on from underneath.

(AnnaLeeThal) #6

Love roast chicken skin. I steal it from my daughter. Well, she peels it off, I take it off and eat it. Some day she will learn what she is missing.

(kimberlynwebb) #7

I used to toss the skin. Makes me sad to think of all the pounds of crispy goodness I tossed away over the years.

(AnnaLeeThal) #8

Oh the humanity!

(matt ) #9

The best roast chicken is pieced out then laid skin side down in a hot cast iron on the stove top for about 8-12 minutes. Then flipped and tossed into the the oven til its done.

That’s the short version.

(Terri) #10

It looks great @AnnaLeeMI! I need to make more whole chickens–so easy and practical! Thanks for sharing this approach!

(Terri) #11

One of the most heated sibling arguements in my family growing up is who would get the skin! :joy::joy::joy:

(thefeatherdustersllc) #12

I LOVE roast chicken!! I like to brown the chicken on both sides and the top, on the stovetop, before I pop it in the oven, in my cast iron skillet. Delish! And oh so crispy!

(carl) #13

If you want ULTRA CRISPY SKIN, thoroughly dry the bird with paper towels, separate the skin from the flesh with your hands, combine salt and seasonings with a tbsp of baking powder, apply liberally to the outside, then chill overnight uncovered in the fridge.

I did this once and it was amazeballs

(AnnaLeeThal) #14

Yes, having the bird dry is so important so it doesn’t steam! I will have to try the baking soda method

(thefeatherdustersllc) #15

I do it like that, yummo!

#16

Heston Blumenthal low and slow is awesome the best roast chicken every. YouTube it, promise you will not regret it.

(Larry Lustig) #17

Two other tips:. Insert the salt _under_the skin of the bird and / or rub the skin with HWC before roasting.

(Samuel Ashford) #18

I do a lot of leg quarters like this. Preheating the oven with a 3.72/lb hen as I type. Can’t wait! Thanks!

(Ren) #19

To get the great cripsy skin with nice color this is what I do for whole birds (turkey included)

Remove from package,a nd pat dry with paper towel. Place on a rack and tray and put in fridge for 4-8 hours, uncovered so the skin will get nice and dry.

I then will run my hand under the skin to pull it away from the meat some.

Rub with some sort of fat, and season. I prefer to use softened compound butter that has rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. I spread the compound butter under the skin and ontop of it.

Back on a roasting rack or smoke at 350-400 degrees till breasts reach 165F and thighs are 180-185F

21lb turkey - cooked at 350 in the smoker

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Big roaster chicken - cooked at 375 in the smoker

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