Perfect roast chicken recipe | Jamie Oliver Christmas recipes (2024)

FAQs

What not to do when roasting a chicken? ›

Uncovered Baking: Crispy Texture and Browning

Here's why: Crispy texture. Uncovered baking allows the chicken to develop a crispy exterior. Without a cover, the heat can directly reach the surface of the chicken, resulting in a desirable golden-brown color and crispy texture.

Truss the legs of the bird

It's a little fussy, but trussing a chicken has an important effect on the finished product: when the wings and legs are tucked in close to the body, the end of the drumstick covers part of the breast, making sure it stays moist and helping the chicken cook evenly.

On the temperature front, the differences between roasting and baking are fairly cut and dry. Both roasting and baking involve cooking with dry, ambient heat, usually in an oven. Roasting temperatures are typically above 400 degrees Fahrenheit while baking temperatures are about 375 degrees and below.

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

However, if you do notice during roasting that all of the drippings in the bottom of the pan have evaporated, a splash of water can prevent the pan from scorching and preserve the tasty drippings.

Make the chicken thinner

Thinner breasts or cutlets are less likely to dry out, as they won't spend as much time in the pan. A simple option is to pound the chicken until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, using a meat mallet/pounder, heavy skillet or even a hammer. This is best done between parchment paper or plastic wrap.

Always let your bird come to room temperature, by leaving it outside of the fridge, covered, for an hour before cooking it. Why? Because your bird will cook unevenly otherwise. Many recipes suggest you rinse your bird before roasting it, but for most store-bought chickens this step isn't necessary.

"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."

Pour water into the bottom of the roasting tin, filling it about 1-2cm deep. Cover the chicken with foil and roast for 1 hr. Remove the foil and continue to roast the chicken for a further 20-30 mins until the skin is golden, the chicken is cooked and all the juices run clear.

Do you roast a chicken breast side up or down? ›

Place chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet. Stuff cavity with herbs and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. (If you don't have twine, leave the legs as they are.) Roast 50 minutes, then baste chicken with pan juices.

Use Baking Soda

That prevents proteins from squeezing together as tightly during cooking, leading to really tender, moist chicken.

Temperatures beyond 160°F (71°C) are where the meat becomes irreversibly dry and tough. Temperature tracking is critical. For more information on exactly what's going on with protein fibers during the cooking process, see our post Heat and Its Effects on Muscle Fibers in Meat.

Preheat oven to 400F. Allow chicken to come to room temperature before preparing. Stand the chicken neck side down on a sheet tray with the legs upwards and facing you. Season the cavity of the chicken with 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon salt.

Directions. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Season the beef with salt and pepper; sear in a hot roasting pan with the olive oil to brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Transfer to oven; roast, allowing 15 minutes a pound (450g) for rare or 20 minutes a pound (450g) for medium.

Overcooking might play a role in your chicken's tire-like texture. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.