This is exactly the chicken I’ve been wanting to make for a while now. If you’re a friend of mine on Instagram, you’ve already heard about my extreme excitement with this chicken. I just might have danced around the kitchen for a few moments after I tasted the first bite.
I’ve tried my hand at cooking whole chickens repeatedly over the past few years. I tried everything from simple sauces to complicated sauces, spice rubs with long ingredient lists, specific instructions for when and how to flip the bird mid-process. Not only was I over-complicating the heck out of a simple roast chicken, I was stressing myself out! I was using multiple pots, racks and tools and all I needed in the end was a baking sheet.
How To Roast A Chicken
I finally decided to stop looking for the perfect roast chicken recipe and simply try a method that has proven reliable for roasting other meats. A basic combination of spices and oil is all this herb-rubbed pork roast requires and it gets rave reviews every time I make it. Why shouldn’t that work with a roast chicken? I used a mixture of fresh rosemary and dried thyme, because that was what I had on hand. I often use sage or herbs de Provence with my chicken marinades, so those would likely be great in the mix as well. For busier days, this Slow Cooker Whole Chicken is fantastic as well. It’s incredibly simple. The chicken goes into the slow cooker with just a few minutes’ effort. I like to serve roast chicken with Slow Cooker Creamed Corn or this Cheesy Corn Casserole. These Crock Pot Baked Potatoes are an effortless side dish that works with any dinner. Leftover chicken is fantastic with tender white beans, roasted green chile in this Green Chile Chicken Chowder. Trussing: Take it or leave it. If the legs are sticking out too much, you can pull them together a little bit using kitchen twine. (I ignore them, if they aren’t sticking out very much.) Pulling them together prevents them from over-browning and/or cooking too quickly. Trussing is done mostly for aesthetic reasons, so it’s up to you. Cooking times: When I’m cooking meats in the oven, I usually take them out of the refrigerator up to an hour before I’m going to cook them. This way the meat isn’t super cold going into the oven. It will cook a little faster and the times are more predictable. When the bird is deeply golden brown and the skin starts to look crispy, it is done. You’re looking for 165 degrees in the meaty part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. If you cut into the bird straight from the oven, the juices won’t have a chance to distribute fully through the meat and they will drain out onto the cutting board.
