Is it safe to use delayed start oven timer for chicken?

[MischiefTheChicken]

I’m sure I’m not the first person to ask this but I can’t find anything in search (have also Googled and can’t find an answer).

We go to church on Sunday mornings and are out of the house from about 10am till nearly 1pm. We cook our main meal when we get home but if it’s a roast (especially chicken) it can be about 3.30pm by the time we sit down. A friend told me they always put a roast in before leaving the house and set the oven to come on later, leaving them time to get veg etc sorted when they get home but without eating too late. I said I thought this sounded a bit dangerous because of the time at room temperature and then the oven gradually heating up, but she says it’s fine (and also their oven only takes 5 minutes to preheat, mine’s more like 20).

If I was going to do this I’d probably want to put it in at about 10ish, then have the oven come on at about 12. So 2 hours at room temp and then 15-20 minutes before it gets to its cooking temp. Is that safe? Is it more safe for eg beef than chicken?

Why not put the meat in a slow cooker ?

Because she wants a roast chicken? Duh.

OP i wouldn't worry personally.

I always take my meat out to come to room temperature anyway before cooking it and using the delayed start just means it comes to room temp in a cold oven.

We have done it pretty much every weekend during rugby season for years and we are all still alive.

I wouldn't be happy with that from a food safety point of view, especially in the summer months. Have you tried spatchcocking the chicken to reduce the cooking time. Should cook in 30-45 minutes depending on the size.

I'd be ok with that. Meat cooks better from room temp and it will come to safe cooked temp before you eat it.

Now add roasties on another shelf and put a veg steamer on a smart plug/timed plug and you'll be eating within minutes of coming home!

It will be fine unless you live in a very hot country ( even then it will probably be ok ) but if you are really concerned how about putting a hand full of ice cubes / frozen lemon wedges in the cavity to keep it cool.
They will be defrosted by the time your oven comes on so shouldn't affect the cooking time

I have been doing this for years without problems

I roast chicken in a chicken brick (one of the lovely original Habitat ones). They are supposed to be started off in a cold oven (which is then set to 225C) for an hour and half (then 15 minutes resting out of the oven), so ideal for using on an oven timer/when you're out.

Lovely juicy roast chicken with a crispy skin

I can see where you got your name from.

It would be fine

Or get an air fryer - whole roast chicken in 55 mins!

Thank you all for your feedback. It sounds like it will probably be fine but I’m definitely now off to investigate chicken bricks @prettybird! And I am grateful to you all for the extra suggestions eg the ice cubes.

I am a big fan of my slow cooker and use it often but the results are very different from oven roast meat, which is what we would sometimes like to eat (and I could not fit a whole chicken in it).