Best Roast Chicken Recipes Of All Time

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
• Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven and a roasting tray to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
• Pick and finely chop the soft herbs, halve the lemon and tear the bay leaves.
• Rub inside the chicken cavity with sea salt, then carefully grab the skin at the tip of the chicken breasts, making sure that it doesn't rip, and pull up gently. With your other hand gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast - it's normally connected by a little bit of tissuey-type stuff, and you can either leave this attached in the middle and make two little tunnels either side or you can try to cut away the middle.
• Sprinkle a little salt down the gaps that you have made, push in most of the chopped herbs and drizzle in a little oil.
• Push the lemon halves into the cavity along with the bay and rosemary sprigs, then pull the skin of the chicken breast forward so that none of the flesh is exposed, tuck the little winglets under, and tie up as firmly as possible.
• Rub a little oil all over the chicken skin, scatter over the remaining chopped herbs and season very generously with salt and black pepper. Slash each thigh about 3 or 4 times to allow the heat to penetrate directly.
• Remove the hot tray from the oven and drizzle with a little oil. Put the chicken into the tray, breast-side down and leaning to one side, then place in the oven. Roast for 5 minutes, then lean it to the other side, still breast-side down. Cook for another 5 minutes, then place the chicken on its bottom and cook for 1 further hour, or until golden and cooked through - the skin should be really crispy and the herbs will flavour the meat- this really must be the best roast chicken. Trust me - it's not fiddly, it's pukka.

BEST ROASTED CHICKEN YOU'LL EVER HAVE!!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Wash and completely dry the chicken, inside and out, (this is the key, you do not want the bird to steam).
• Sprinkle liberally with freshly cracked pepper and Kosher or Sea salt (if all you have is table salt use only a little).
• Place in a roasting pan sprayed w/ a tiny amount of oil.
• Roast uncovered in a 450 oven for one hour.
• Let the chicken rest 15 minutes on a cutting board.
• Slice chicken and serve with the pan juices.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Remove giblet packet from cavity of chicken and pat bird thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place 1 tablespoon butter into chicken cavity, sprinkle salt and black pepper into cavity, and stuff cavity with onion, celery, and lemon pieces. Loosen skin over breast and thigh of chicken with your fingers and insert garlic slices under the skin. Place the chicken breast side up on a rack set into a roasting pan.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; add dried parsley and Italian seasoning. Pour half the butter-herb mixture over the chicken and rub the seasoned butter onto all parts of chicken. Reserve remaining butter mixture.
• Roast chicken in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove and turn chicken so breast side is down. Pour remaining half of seasoned butter over the chicken, brushing it over all parts of the bird. Return to oven and roast an additional 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roast chicken until skin is crisp and brown and the juices run clear, 1 hour and 20 more minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let chicken rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before serving.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Rinse and pat chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels. Mix margarine, garlic salt, black pepper, thyme, parsley, and rosemary in a bowl and rub the outside of the chicken thoroughly with the margarine mixture. Place any remaining margarine mixture into the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken into a glass baking dish.
• Bake chicken in the preheated oven until browned and the juices run clear, about 2 hours. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Loosen skin on chicken breast; rub butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over; place lemon halves inside cavity. Set in a baking pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven, basting after 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest before carving, about 15 minutes.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450F and cover a roasting pan with foil.
• Thoroughly dry the chicken with paper towels, inside and out. The goal is to have as little steam as possible.
• Salt and pepper the chicken inside the cavities and under the wings.
• Truss the bird to ensure it cooks evenly, the wings and legs don't burn and the breasts are semi-covered and will not dry out as quickly.
• Salt and pepper the chicken with a nice, liberal sprinkle. This will result with a crispier and more flavorful skin.
• If using paprika, sprinkle it on now.
• Place prepared chicken, breast side up, in the middle of a roasting rack that has been placed in the roasting pan. Using a roasting rack ensures the chicken will cook evenly and won't stick to the pan.
• Do not baste the bird or open the oven door until 60 minutes have passed.
• After 60 minutes, test the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh. *See notes
• The chicken is done when internal temperature reads 170-175F. (Note: Thomas Keller states the chicken is done at 165F, but I prefer 175F.) (**Julia Child's recipe calls for chicken to cook between 170-180F and some other recipes say 180F.) P
• Keep in mind, chicken breasts cook more quickly than thighs.
• Turn off oven, remove chicken from oven and transfer it to a cutting board to rest 15 minutes. Do NOT touch for 15 minutes. Let the chicken rest to allow the juices the chance to soak into the meat instead of ending up on the cutting board.
• While the chicken is resting, remove and discard any gelatinous fat from the roasting pan. Remove the foil, but let the chicken drippings to drip back into the pan. Add ¼ cup unsalted butter and herbs to pan drippings, stir well and place the pan back into the oven to let the herb butter mingle a few minutes.
• After chicken has rested, cut it into serving pieces and serve with the warm herb butter.
• Enjoy!