How do I cook a perfect roast chicken?!

[Luisaa]

My whole chickens usually turn out dry :(

I’m hoping to achieve a super tender, juicy chicken with crispy skin (I just have no idea how…).

I have a fan oven and always just go by the cooking instructions but should I really be covering the chicken (which I never do), cook on a lower heat for longer and then remove the foil and ramp up the temp at the end for the crispy skin?

Annoyed at myself for not practicing this earlier in the year!!

No don’t cover it. Buy a high quality chicken and season the skin with salt and pepper and add a desert spoon of goose fat on top. Pop into a hot oven at around 180 degrees for 15 minutes and then reduce to 160 degrees for remainder of time. Place on shelf 1/3 off the bottom. Use higher shelf position for potatoes.

Cooking - 15 mins per lb and 15 minutes added on. So a 5lb chicken is 90 minutes. Check it’s cooked by separating leg from breast and making sure juices are clear. Any sign of pink “blood” cook for another 15 minutes. Over cooking dries it out so judging when it’s cooked is critical. Check your oven temps are accurate.

Do you have an airfryer? I’m a pretty decent cook but would never roast chicken in the oven again. Airfryer all the way. Comes out so tender and juicy.

I once cooked a chicken with a beer can (may had been a bottle) in it. Standing up. It was red stripe. It was tender and delicious. Takes a lot of oven space tho.

Follow the online recipe for Clodagh Rogers Friday night chicken. It's delicious & pretty simple.

I’ve a Miele oven and it’s a perfect roast every time.

Get a good food thermometer

it’s been the answer to not overcooking roasts of every type in our fan oven

with ours - and I am working on my technique -
following the instructions results in dry overcooked roast meat, and a bad reputation, so I am reducing the cooking time by five or so minutes and with the thermometer to check the temperature of the meat I can know it is fully cooked

rest the meat a short while before carving

i am no chef though

I do Jamie's method with the lemon inside the chicken, it never fails me.

I think it's this although I don't think I have ever separated the skin!

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken/my-perfect-roast-chicken/

YY this is a good point - the packet instructions will err on the side of overcooking so that they reduce the risk of anyone getting food poisoning, so you can afford to cook it for less time if you know how to check it's properly cooked, of which a food thermometer is one way.

I like the ones you cook in the roasting bag and then cut the top off to brown the top for the last 20 mins. Always turn out fabulous. Most supermarkets have them.

Personally, I cook a roast chicken at 200°C from a cold oven usually knock about 20-30 mins off cooking time, but use a meat thermometer to make sure it has got to an internal temp of 72°C. Never dry. Marion Grasby does a 2kg chicken at 250°C for 1hr 20 mins!

https://www.marionskitchen.com/salt-and-pepper-roast-chicken/

If you have an air fryer

https://lovefoodnotcooking.com/recipes/air-fryer-roast-chicken/

I put some butter under the skin, a bit of olive oil, salt and black pepper on the top, lemon and garlic cloves inside and roast for 1 hour 20 on gas mark 5. Juicy and crispy skin every time.

@yetanotherchristmas 250 degrees! That would be grilling temp in my oven. Thats not a roasting temp if centigrade.

Probably would be in mine too, but that’s what her recipe states. I stick to 200°C so can but the cooking time and get moist meat with crispy skin.

Spatchcock it. (Cut the spine out and lay it flat. If you want to tan you don't curl into a ball and tie your legs together with string, you lay flat).

Spatchcock your chicken and cook it fast. Then rest it for t least 20 mins

Small/medium chicken 1.8 kg
Lemon sliced in half in the cavity (or an onion if you don’t have a lemon)
oil on top with salt and thyme or any herbs you like
heat oven to 200 c
roast for 20 mins
turn temp down to 160 c
cook for another hour
check internal temp with a thermometer
cook for longer if needed (checking internal temperature every 5 mins)
remove from oven
place foil on top and leave to rest for 5-10 mins

If you tell us:
What size chicken do you buy? And (apologies) how much do you spend on it? (Better welfare chicken results in better taste)
What oven settings and timings do you do?

Then we can advise. Can’t say what’s going wrong till we know what you’re doing.

Seasoning and butter should give a nice crispy skin

I use this recipe

https://cafedelites.com/garlic-herb-butter-roast-chicken/

For crispy skin & to serve 2-3 rotisserie style, air fry it.

If you want juicier meat & to stretch it further, you can't beat the beer can up the bum method. I'd suggest a can of cider for great gravy. Park the chicken on top of the can, roast for about 90 minutes. Remove everything carefully from the oven, rest the chicken to one side, make gravy with the juices & can contents.

Easier? Lemon in the cavity, sit it on a base of roughly chopped onion/carrot/celery & just roast for about 90 minutes. Then use the flavoured veg for gravy.

Chicken is one of the few things I can actually cook! Turns out perfect every time and this is what do:
Cover in foil, take off only for the last 20-30 minutes.
Baste in oil. Rebaste 3-4 times during cooking, using the juices from the tray.
Sprinkle with some herbs and spices for flavouring.
Just normal fan oven.
Take out and leave for 10 minutes to soak up the juices, or pour over the meat once carved.

I generally don't stick half a lemon and a sprig of rosemary up my arse either.

Stick half an onion and some butter up its jacksie and roast it breast side down for the first half of the cooking time. It doesn't need covered.

Let it rest for at least 1/2 hour.

Does your oven usually run hotter? Mine does and I’ve learnt to lower the temp slightly, and reduce cooking time for a few mins.