Easy Roast Chicken

Recipe from "The Best Recipe"

Adapted by Emily Weinstein

Easy Roast Chicken
Michael Shick
Total Time
90 minutes including prep
Rating
4(274)
Comments
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A 3½ pound bird should roast in 55 to 60 minutes, while a 4½ pound bird requires 60 to 65 minutes. If using a basket or a V-rack, be sure to grease it so the chicken does not stick to it. If you don't have a basket or V-rack, set the bird on a regular rack and use balls of aluminum foil to keep the roasting chicken propped up on its side. —Emily Weinstein

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1roasting chicken (about 3 pounds), giblets removed, chicken rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • Oil for basket or V-rack
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

735 calories; 55 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 56 grams protein; 726 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place shallow roasting pan in oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Remove heated pan from oven and set oiled basket or V-rack in it. Place chicken on rack, wing side up. Roast 20 minutes, then rotate chicken, other wing side up. Roast 20 minutes, then rotate chicken, breast side up. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted in breast registers 160 degrees and in thigh registers between 165 and 170 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 20 minutes. Carve and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
274 user ratings
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Comments

Carol Wheeler

Weirdly enough, all that rotation is unnecessary. Turn the heat up a it and just roast it (after you've really schmeared it with plenty of butter.

NYC cooks

I like to use USC's Michael Romano's prep: salt the chicken all over and leave it the fridge overnight UNCOVERED so the skin gets dry and therefore crispy in the oven.

Michael Thompson

I've used this Cook's Illustrated method of cooking a bird many times. The chicken does come out nicely cooked but the marks on the sides are not very attractive. I've gone back to roasting in a rack and leave the thing alone until a thermometer registers the proper temperature.

Of course, brine the chicken for at least an hour:
2 quarts water
½ cup table salt or 1 cup Diamond Kosher salt.

Save fat - cook upside down

Start off for 10mins breast up, then turn upside down to allow the birds fat to drain through the breast keeping it moist! Or use a large Dutch oven or better still - terra-cotta brick.

marklee

I use a beer can rack without the beer can: no rotating necessary.

Aari

Wouldn’t using an oven on CONVECTION ROAST obviate the turning if the chicken is on a rack?

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Credits

Adapted from "The Best Recipe" by the Editors of Cooks Illustrated

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