Learning to roast chicken can seem like a big deal, but it’s really pretty simple. Here’s a recipe and step-by-step video to get the perfect roast chicken.
This is the first part of a three-part series where I’ll show you how to use every part of this bird!
I don’t know about you, but when I first roasted a chicken I felt a bit intimidated. OK—a lot intimidated. Roasting a chicken just seemed like such a big extravaganza. But, it turns out, it’s really pretty simple to roast a chicken.
Here’s my quick video on how to roast chicken and root vegetables
What you’ll need to roast a chicken
- A chicken (we try to buy from local farmers, as the quality is significantly better than store-bought varieties)
- A selection of root vegetables. In the video above we use potatoes, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, and turnips. That said, what you use is up to you. Try a few different options to see what you like best.
- Seasoning. I like sea salt, mixed herbs, pepper, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. Again, this particular combo is up to you. Experiment to see what you like best.
- Butter. Lots of it. Butter is the magical cooking elixir that makes everything golden brown and delicious.
- Garlic. A big flavor booster that actually has some proven health benefits, too!
You also need a good roasting pan. Choose one that’s roomy and deep enough to catch all of those delicious juices the chicken releases during cooking.
How to roast chicken—a step by step guide
Chop all your vegetables thinly – in quarter-inch discs or even thinner. This is the most time consuming part of the process, so get a chopping buddy to speed things up!
Place all of your chopped vegetables in the bottom of your roasting pan.
Add butter on top of the vegetables – maybe about four tablespoons in all.
Add salt, pepper, and seasoning to taste.
Place your chicken breast-side-down on the roasting rack. Add salt and spices atop the skin. Bonus: Place slivers of butter beneath the skin for extra flavor.
Preheat oven to 450.
You’ll cook the bird for 20 minutes this way. Then flip it breast-side-up on the rack and cook for another hour at a slightly reduced temperature of 350.
How big is your bird? A great rule of thumb is to cook it 20 minutes for each pound. You may want to invest in a meat thermometer to ensure you get this right.
Bon appétit!
Take your bird out of the oven and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Your vegetables should be cooked through and infused with tasty chicken drippings. And your bird should be juicy and delicious.
Enjoy a deluxe chicken meal with family or friends. Then pick all the meat off the bird and store it for leftovers.
Got a stock pot? Wonderful! We’re going to put those chicken bones to great use. But that will have to wait until next time.
This was part one of a three part series
What about you?
What’s your favorite way to roast chicken?
