February 27, 2020

Roasted Chicken

By Ange's Table

Chicken. Roasting a whole chicken. This is one skill I think everyone should learn.  This one is not so much a recipe, but steps to take for a juicy bird with tasty skin. 

Making a whole roasted chicken always feels like a mini Thanksgiving for me.  I love having stuffing and cranberry with my chicken.  What do you like with yours?  

I wash my chicken.  I wash all of my meat.  It is packaged in a solution.  Not good eats in my mind. 

I know there are people who will call me crazy and say that this is how you get sick with salmonella.  I feel like I am an intelligent person, and I wash my sink directly after washing the chicken off.  You do what makes you happy.  

Roasting a whole chicken is easy, I promise.  Just follow my steps, and you will have the most delicious chicken, every time.  

Have a bed for your chicken, veggies or a metal rack
Liberally salt your chicken
Roast uncovered rotating pan at the half way mark
Loosely cover with foil after you take it out of the oven
Then put a towel over it all and walk away!
Move the chicken to a cutting board, discard the veggies in pan
Make sure to scrape up the yummy bits on the bottom of the pan
Juicy, flavorful chicken

The secret to moist chicken is letting it rest.  When we let meat rest after cooking, it has a chance to reabsorb all its juices.  Do not do anything to the chicken for 25-30 minutes. 

During this time make your sides, a salad and set your table. 

Oh, call the family in to dinner too.  If your house is anything like mine, it takes the teenager a few calls to come out of his room.  

Whole Roasted Chicken

  • whole chicken, size varies
  • 1/2 large onion, quartered 
  • 1/2 large orange, quartered
  • 1/2 large lemon, quartered 
  • Seasoned Salt Mix
  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Kitchen twine or meat roll skewer 
Pre-heat your oven to 375’F. 
Line an oven safe dish, large enough for your chicken with half of your cut up onion and citrus fruit and olive oil.
 

Wash your chicken, making sure to remove anything packaged inside the cavity.  Move cleaned chicken directly onto your lined pan.

Squeeze citrus juice from remaining pieces over chicken, then place inside cavity alternating with remaining onion.  Use meat roll skewer to truss legs together.  Flip wings back and under breasts so the tips won’t burn.

Liberally salt the whole chicken.  You want a nice crust of salt on the skin. 

Roast in oven 35-60 minutes, rotate pan 180′, and roast an addition 30-60 minutes, depending on your chicken size.  Be sure the internal temperature reaches 180′ for poultry.  

Remove chicken from oven, loosely cover with foil.  Then place a towel over the foil covered pan.  Let rest 25-30 minutes.

Move chicken to cutting board.  Remove citrus and onion.  You can pull the chicken apart, or slice as desired.

Stir juices in pan, scraping up the bits from the bottom.  This is your jus.  Pour over your chicken as desired.  

 

Once your learn these steps, you can change the flavors.  Prefer lime over orange, use that.  Don’t like citrus, use onion and garlic instead.  Have a bunch of fresh herbs, stick them in the cavity too.  The possibilities are endless.

 

Don’t forget to come on back and leave me a comment, and photo of your chicken.  

Connect with me on Instagram @Anges_Table