Perfect every Time Roast Chicken
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Those of you who have followed me since my first round of blogging (or those of you just pay attention, which really is only like 5% of people, so shout out to those 5% of you 👋 ) will probably recall my cooking origin story: Kyle started doing crossfit in 2009 and wanted to eat a Paleo diet and I was like “well shit, that sounds terrible - guess I better figure out how to cook.” And while you may think I always knew how to throw a 3-course meal together with only frozen shrimp, half-rotting basil, and the self-confidence of a mediocre white man, there was a time I had no clue what I was doing in the kitchen. Me: I’m just like you!
Case in point, the first Valentine’s Day Kyle and I spent together, I wanted to cook him dinner. I made cornish game hen, and probably some kind of vegetable with an appetizer. I was so confused by the timing of everything (the hens were done before anything else so how in the fuck was I supposed to serve it warm??) that by the time Kyle got to my apartment I was a frazzled mess. Now, years later, I look back on that meal and understand why so many people give up on cooking. It takes trial and lot of error to make food taste good and get it on the table while it’s at whatever temperature it’s supposed to be served.
Roast chicken is kind of the signature dish of a lot of home cooks. So when I tell you I’ve put this recipe through a LOT of trial and error, I’m not kidding. In fact, I went a year without roasting a chicken because I could never figure out how to get it fully cooked inside without charring the outside.
Sidenote: “OH A WHOLE YEAR YOU WENT, HUH?!?!? WITHOUT COOKING A CHICKEN!?!?! BOO FUCKING HOO. I’VE NEVER MADE A CHICKEN IN MY GODDAMN LIFE. DUMB BITCH.” I know, right?!?!
Finally feeling brave enough to break out my roasting pan, I decided to try a new technique, starting with super high heat to get the skin crispy, and lower the temperature shortly thereafter to ensure I didn’t overcook the meat. I’ve tinkered with temperature and timings over the years, and this is what I feel pretty damn confident will give you the perfect juicy and crispy chicken every time.
You’ll notice that the recipe doesn’t specify the cooking time exactly - instead, I give you a cook time based on the size of your bird. So bear that in mind before you throw the packaging away. You’ll need to know the exact weight of your chicken to get the timing just right. Also, I’m playing it fast and loose with the amount of butter and salt you need because depending on the size of your bird, it will dictate how much of both you need, though I’d strongly encourage erring on the side of more than you think (most people under season their food). I realize for some of you these approximate measurements will stress you out, but you’ll just need to get over it!! Focus on getting the timing right first. Then you can play around with flavors, though truth be told, the best roasted chicken requires very few ingredients.
How are your poultry carving skills?? Do I need to do a tutorial on how to carve a bird? Let me know in the comments, because the last thing you want after you’ve perfectly roasted your chicken is a mangled bird hitting your plate. To really make it special, hit the hot chicken with some globs of white truffle butter when you plate it and serve with a wedge of lemon. So, SO delicious.
Perfect Every Time Roast Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F. Prep your roasting pan.
- Using a small pairing knife, separate the skin from the meat around the breast, thighs, and legs.
- Working with a tablespoon of butter at a time, smear butter between the skin and the meat and on the of the skin until it's fully covered. I use about a tablespoon per section (one for the left breast, one for the right breast, one for the left leg/thigh, one for the right leg thigh).
- Salt the inside of the cavity, then place the herbs, lemon, and garlic in the cavity.
- With the bird breast-side up, tie the drumsticks together with the kitchen twine. This helps ensure the bird cooks evenly.
- Place the prepped bird onto your roasting pan. Generously salt and pepper the buttered chicken all over (a solid tablespoon of salt...be generous). Then, drizzle the chicken with olive oil.
- Place chicken in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, turn the heat down to 350 and cook for 16 minutes/pound. So, if you have a 5 pound chicken, you'll do 20 minutes at 450, then 80 minutes at 350, for a total of 100 minutes.
- When chicken is done, allow it to rest for 10 minutes or so before carving. Serve hot with a dallop of truffle butter for a real treat.
