How to Roast a Chicken

First of all, why should you roast a chicken when a rotisserie chicken costs $6.00 and there’s considerably less (as in none) work?  Because it’s delicious is why, and your house will smell amazing, and you will impress your husband, and you will magically transform into Betty-Freaking-Crocker if you do.  Promise.

Don’t check out when I tell you there’s 10 steps, because 8 of these steps are insanely easy.  I’ll tell you which steps are hard when we get there. 

Here we go:

1. Salt the chicken

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Rub your raw, skin-on (and completely thawed!) chicken down with salt, inside and out.  And not a little salt, a lot of salt.  Be generous.  Tie the legs together with baking twine, and twist the wings behind the chicken’s back so it looks like it’s lounging on the beach. Be gentle while you do this so you don’t tear the skin.

2. Air chill all day

Put your raw chicken back in the fridge, uncovered, for the rest of the day.  The goal here is for the skin to get dry.  The drier the skin, the crispier it is on the finished bird.

3. Bring to room temperature

An hour before your chicken goes in the oven, pull it out and set on the counter to come to room temperature.

4. Chop veggies

While your chicken is coming to room temp, chop whatever veggies you plan to bake with your chicken.  Throw those veggies in the roasting pan to wait for your chicken.  I recommend heartier veggies chopped into larger pieces so that they hold up in the oven.  For this dish I used carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, and parsnips.  Other veggies that are delicious: garlic cloves, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, any kind of squash.

5. Rub it down

Also while your chicken is coming to room temp, make your rub.  Use whatever flavors suit your fancy.  This time I used olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper, garlic, and thyme.  Pat the chicken dry again and then slather the rub allllllll over that chicken before putting her in the oven.  Bonus points for inserting a head of garlic (cut crosswise) into the chicken’s cavity. 

6. Add bacon

Breasts tend to finish before thighs and legs, so to prevent dryness, I layer raw bacon on the breasts to infuse with fat and flavor.  Pull the bacon pieces off 15 minutes before the chicken is done so the color browns evenly.

7. Roast

Roast your chicken uncovered at 425° for 15 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350° for the remaining baking time.  Use the high heat method column. The amount of time listed is time at 350°, in addition to the 15 minutes at 425°.

8. Let it rest

Hard Step: The chicken is done baking when the thigh’s temperature is 165°, or when juices run clear.  Pull the chicken out and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes.  That’s right.  Do not touch it for 20 minutes.  This is CRUCIAL for all the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat, creating a tender, juicy meal. Don’t worry- it won’t get cold. It will still burn your fingers a little when you’re pulling it apart to serve.

9. Stop picking at it

Hard step: Stop picking at the chicken while it rests.  Knock it off.

10. Eat the chicken

Carve and eat the chicken. Usually the legs and thighs will fall off the bones at this point. Slice the breasts off the bone into slabs of delightful white meat. Enjoy!

Here’s what I’ve found to be true of roast chicken: the skin is flavorful and delicious, the meat is juicy and tender, the leftovers (if any) are just as good hot or cold the next day.  Also, those veggies that have roasted in chicken schmaltz are the most savory and least virtuous version of vegetables ever to grace a table, and they are my favorite.

I really hope you give this recipe a shot!  It’s worth the time, plus it looks fancy with almost none of the work that pretention usually requires.  Happy roasting!

In honor of citing my sources, here are the two sites I used when deciding how to go about this chicken roasting:

http://dish.allrecipes.com/the-best-roast-chicken/

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-roast-a-chicken-guide