This simple, foolproof oven roasted whole chicken recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners!
A super simple recipe for oven roasted whole chicken!
Who says roasting chicken is exclusively a weekend affair? Survey says… NONE, especially with this simple and satisfying weeknight roast chicken recipe. It comes straight from the food nerds new cookbook The American Test Kitchen, The Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book: The Revolutionary Guide That Teaches You How to Cook Meat and Poultry with 425 Bulletproof Recipes.
This carnivore-pleasing tome is not the first ATK book in my collection. Over the years I have accumulated more than 30 of their books. (I’ve lost count, actually.) I don’t like to think of myself as a hoarder; I just can’t resist the lure of guaranteed-to-be-amazing recipes that have been tested dozens of times. The ATK crew did all the tweaking and testing so you and I can follow their recipes knowing that even stupid people like us can’t mess things up too much.
Another winner, chicken dinner winner from ATK!
ATK’s dishes are always solid, but his recipe for Weeknight Roasted Chicken is a real game-changer. No fancy ingredients or techniques needed; just take a whole chicken, salt, pepper, a little fat, a piece of string and a meat thermometerAND SOON-CHANGE-O!—in less than 5 minutes the chicken will be ready for the oven.
Best of all, The book of flesh reveals the secret to moist chicken: turn off the oven halfway through cooking.
I tried it. Works. It is brilliant.
How to prepare whole chicken in the oven
Place the oven rack in the center position, place a 12 inch baking pan on it, close the oven door and turn the heat up to 450°F.
Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl and take the melted ghee.
Dry the chicken with paper towels.
Truly. Don’t skip this part. Nobody likes handling a plain chicken.
Trim off any excess fat around the open cavity and trim away any extra skin.
(If you happen to spot any remaining feathers, just pluck them. Don’t be picky with me.)
Brush the entire surface of the bird with melted ghee. If your chicken is still cold from sitting in the fridge, the ghee may clump up a bit upon contact with the bird, but it’s not a big deal.
Do you see my face? It’s not a worried expression.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper mixture all over the surface and inside of the bird. Then massage the dressing with your hands.
Place the chicken wings behind your back to prevent them from burning in the oven…
…and tie the legs together with a piece of kitchen twine.
Delicate, right?
Now the bird is ready for the oven. Place the bird in the hot pan in the oven breast side up. Remember your pan is hot, don’t burn your hand.
Roast the chicken until the chicken breasts reach 120°F and the thighs reach 135°F, about 25 to 35 minutes. (If you haven’t already invested an instant read thermometer, I recommend you do it. It’s a great insurance policy against ruined dinners.)
Turn oven off immediately, leaving chicken inside until breast reaches 160°F and thighs are 175°F, about another 25 to 35 minutes. Again, use your meat thermometer to check that your bird is done.
Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 20 minutes.
I used a pair of tongs to transfer the roasted chicken from the pan to the plate, but I found that the teeth of my tongs tore the beautifully crispy, golden skin. The solution? Now I insert the handle end of a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula into the cavity of the bird to lift it up and out and to drain any excess juices from inside the chicken.
While the chicken rests…
…we have time to prepare a quick pan sauce!
Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan. Leave the extra Right and brown bits in the pan. Then, she heats the contents of the pan over medium-high heat. When the liquid begins to boil, add the shallots. Cook the shallots until softened.
Then pour in the broth and mustard, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced to ¾ cup.
When the sauce is ready, remove it from the heat. Take cold butter or ghee (use the latter if you’re on a Whole30!) and slowly whisk it into the sauce along with the lemon juice and chopped tarragon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the chicken with the sauce!
Voila: the perfect roast chicken!
