Simple Roast Chicken
Chef Thomas Keller’s easy, streamlined recipe for roast chicken uses just six ingredients and produces perfectly crisp skin and juicy, flavorful meat.
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 2–4 servings
Ingredients:
- One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. minced thyme (optional)
- Unsalted butter
- Dijon mustard
Instruction:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
- Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it’s a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
- Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 Tbsp.). When it’s cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
- Place the chicken breast side up in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don’t baste it, I don’t add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don’t want. Roast it until it’s done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the pan juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
- Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I’m cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook’s rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be super elegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You’ll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it’s so good. Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in Thomas Keller’s ‘Bouchon’ as My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken and first appeared on Epicurious in December 2008. For more of our best roast chicken recipes, head this way→
Super Easy Roast Chicken
Learn how to roast a chicken! It’s the ultimate kitchen staple. And this easy roast chicken recipe only requires three ingredients! Watch how I make it in the video above.
Prep: 5min
Total: 95min
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 294 kcal, Carbohydrate 0.1 g, Protein 24 g, Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Trans Fat 0.1 g, Cholesterol 95 mg, Sodium 89 mg, Fiber 0.1 g, Sugar 0.01 g, unSaturated Fat 14 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 (4 to 5-pound) whole chicken (packet of giblets removed)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instruction:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), place a baking rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven, and bring the chicken to room temperature. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Place the chicken breast side up in an oven-safe pan (I prefer cast iron). Truss the legs. Drizzle with oil and use your hands to rub it all over the chicken.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, patting the seasoning in with your hands.
- Roast the chicken for 70 to 90 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Double check doneness with an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 165°F (74°C). Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving.
Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken
Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken packed with unbelievable flavours, crispy skin, and so juicy! Nothing beats an easy to make and even easier to prepare roast chook! Especially when roasted with garlic butter, rosemary, parsley, lemon, and a hint of white wine. Beats any rotisserie chicken!
Prep: 10min
Total: 85min
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 510 kcal, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 71 g, Fat 31 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 234 mg, Sodium 195 mg, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 4 pound (2kg) whole chicken, at room temperature giblets and neck removed from cavity*
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, (melted)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine, ((OPTIONAL) — use a dry wine like a Sauv blanc or Chardonnay)
- 1 lemon, (halved)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves, (minced)
- 1 head of garlic roughly peeled and cut in half horizontally (through the middle crosswise)
- 3 fresh whole rosemary sprigs
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 430°F | 220°C (400°F or 200°C fan forced). Line a baking tray with foil, or lightly grease a roasting pan.
- Discard neck from inside the cavity and remove any excess fat and leftover feathers. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Pour the olive oil, melted butter, wine (if using) and the juice of half a lemon over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity. Season chicken liberally on the outside and inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the parsley.
- Rub the minced garlic over the chicken, mixing all ingredients together over the chicken and under the skin.
- Stuff the garlic head into the chicken cavity along with the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halve. Tie legs together with kitchen string.
- Place breast-side up into baking tray or roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, basting half way through cooking time, until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer.
- Baste again, then broil for a further 2-3 minutes, until golden.
- Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve, drizzled with pan juices and remaining lemon half cut into wedges or slices.
How to Cook Roast Chicken | Jamie Oliver
FAQ
Is it better to roast chicken at 350 or 400?
Chicken breasts cook faster at 400 F than 350 F, which is a benefit. However, baking chicken at a higher temperature will increase the risk of drying the chicken breast out. If you have less experience as a cook, baking chicken breast at 350 F will be easier to monitor and ensure you get perfectly cooked chicken.
How long does it take to roast a chicken at 350?
At 350 degrees you should count on 20-25 minutes per pound for a 3 to 8 pound chicken. As with all meats, check the temperature 15-20 minutes before the time it should be done. You never know how accurate your oven is, and you don’t want to overcook and dry out the chicken.
Is it better to roast a chicken covered or uncovered?
Do you cover a chicken when roasting? We generally like to roast our chicken uncovered so the skin crisps up and turns an appealing golden brown. If the chicken starts to get too dark before it reaches the proper internal temperature, you can tent a piece of foil over the top to protect the skin from burning.
What is the difference between roasting and baking a chicken?
When it comes to temperature, roasting requires a higher oven temperature of above 400°F for the cooking process, while baking takes place at lower oven temperatures around 375°F and below.
