EASY ROAST CHICKEN RECIPE + WonkyWonderful (2024)

FAQs

Does chicken roast faster covered or uncovered? ›

Uncovered baking typically requires less time to cook compared to covered baking. The direct heat exposure allows for faster cooking, which can be advantageous when you're looking to save time or achieve a faster cooking process.

After a few tests, I've found that roasting a 4 to 5-pound whole chicken is best cooked at 425°F (220°C) for 70 to 90 minutes uncovered. If you find that the chicken skin is getting burnt, you can quickly top it with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes. Just keep in mind that all ovens heat differently.

The slow-roasting method means both will turn out tender, and although the skin won't be crispy, it's a fair tradeoff for some of the most succulent meat you've ever tasted. So the next time you're craving roast chicken, try low and slow and enjoy an extra-tender take on the classic.

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.

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.

Simply insert your food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken (for a whole chicken, that would be the breast). You know your chicken is cooked when the thermometer reads 180°F (82°C) for a whole chicken, or 165°F (74°C) for chicken cuts.

Weigh your chicken and calculate the cooking time according to the guide below. Sit the bird in a roasting tin slightly larger than the chicken, and don't cover it with foil or you won't achieve a crisp skin. Basting your chicken during cooking will help keep the meat moist.

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.

Oil or butter on the chicken before roasting is optional. Truss the chicken: Trussing is a traditional method for tying the chicken's legs together. Although techniques for bigger poultry like turkey require tying up the whole tail end, for a simple roast chicken, just bring the drumsticks together with kitchen twine.

What is the best temperature to roast a chicken? ›

For tender, fall-off-the-bone meat and soft skin, roast whole chicken at 325° F (162° C) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the weight. For firm, juicy meat and crisp, golden-brown skin, roast whole chicken 425° F (218° C) oven for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on size.

Result: Baking tends to produce a more evenly cooked chicken with tender meat and a crispy skin.

The word bake is usually used when a dish is covered in sauce or cooked in a covered pot. Roasting is often more simple, usually involving a meat or vegetable being coated in oil or another fat, seasoned, and then cooked in an open pan or on a rack.

It is completely up to you and as tempting as it is to flip it when you're using the oven method, it is not necessary. The outer part of your chicken will cook to brownish in color as it continues to cook through the inside, if you flip it over sometimes both sides will become dry.

If you're in a hurry, you'll want to know how long you bake chicken at 400°F: Follow step 1 above, then bake the chicken pieces, uncovered, in the 400°F oven 25 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink or until chicken is done (using baked chicken temperatures above).

Don't crowd your meat in the pan – leaving some space around and under the meat allows it to heat evenly. To give your meat a flavourful crispy exterior, cook uncovered on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan.

Also, roasting tends to be done in an uncovered roasting pan, whereas baked goods may sometimes be covered. When it comes to temperature, roasting requires a higher oven temperature of above 400°F for the cooking process, while baking takes place at lower oven temperatures around 375°F and below.