Easy Roast Chicken

This roasted chicken is tender and juicy, with the most beautiful crispy skin.  I love this recipe, and I think you will be too because it’s so easy to make. Even though it’s a very basic recipe this roast chicken is very flavorful and can serve as the foundation for several other recipes such as homemade stock, chicken noodle soup, and of course as a succulent main dish.

Ingredients

• Chicken:  You’ll need a whole chicken.  I prefer fresh, never frozen, but a frozen chicken will work if that’s what you have on hand.  If frozen, make sure you completely thaw it.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Garlic Powder
• Kosher Salt: I recommend Kosher salt.  Table salt can be used in place of Kosher, just remember that table salt is saltier so you’ll need less.
• Fresh ground pepper:  Store bought table ground works well if that’s what you have on hand.

How to make Easy Roast Chicken

This recipe comes together easily.  You’ll find the full recipe below but here’s a rundown with some tips:

• First, prep the chicken by removing any pin feathers, rinsing it inside and out, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Truss the chicken – this will help the chicken to cook evenly and provide more crispy skin (see the tip below).  Drizzle Olive Oil over the chicken and work in with your hands.  Sprinkle garlic powder, salt and pepper onto the chicken.

• Roast the chicken until an instant read meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of a thigh reads 165°F.

• Let the chicken rest for 15-minutes before carving.

Easy Roast Chicken Tips

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  It’s true that you can roast a chicken anywhere from 225 to 425 degrees.  I’ve found that 400 is the ideal temperature for this recipe.  It allows for juicy meat and shortens the cooking time.  If you have something else in the oven at 350, just throw the chicken in with it and know the chicken will take a few minutes longer to cook.  Cook until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh is 165-175 degrees F.

Truss the chicken.  I’m guilty, it used to be, when a recipe called for “trussing a chicken,” I’d quickly get a “deer in the headlights” look, and immediately turn the page to another recipe.  Then I discovered this really easy, non-traditional truss method that will result in an evenly cooked, crispy, golden brown chicken.  Trussing will give more crispy skin and allow the chicken to evenly cook.  Something that is difficult to achieve without trussing.

I prefer using a “V-Rack” style roasting pan because it will hold your chicken above the fat drippings and allows for greater air circulation.  If you use a flat bottom roasting pan I encourage you to use a rack in the bottom so the chicken is above the drippings during roasting.

Storage

1. Carve your chicken as soon as possible.  It’s easier to carve when it’s warm and you can even use your fingers if you don’t need nice clean, pretty cuts.
2. Place the chicken in an airtight container.
3. Store in the frig for 3-4 days.

Easy Roast Chicken

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This Easy Roast Chicken will truly be one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make.

• Author: Foodie Noise
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 75 min
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: American, Poultry
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: America

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 Chicken, Whole, 5-6 pounds
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, place the oven rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven.
2. Rinse chicken inside and out, remove any pin feathers, and pat dry with paper towels.  Bring chicken to room temperature.
3. Truss the chicken and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of Olive oil, using your hands to rub over the entire chicken. Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons of fresh ground pepper, patting the seasoning in with your hands.
4. Spray an oven-safe pan with non-stick spray, place chicken with the breast side up in the pan. Roast the chicken for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving.