Quick Roast Chicken

Quick Roast Chicken
Roasting is a simple, classic way to cook a chicken, and the resulting birds are delicious every time.

This recipe is as basic as it gets - with just 5 minutes of prep time, you can pull the finished roast chicken out of the oven in roughly 45 minutes. Give it a try! This recipe is based on the simple roast chicken from Bouchon by Thomas Keller.

Cross-reference: How to Truss a Chicken.
 
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Step 1Gather tools and ingredients

Gather tools and ingredients
You'll need:

- one chicken
- a paper towel
- large-grain salt (kosher or large-flake sea salt are fine)
- pepper
- a clean (and cleanable) surface to work on (I use the interior of the butcher paper the chicken came in)
- a piece of clean natural kitchen twine long enough to truss the chicken, at least 30 inches. Use cotton, hemp, etc - nothing that will melt, discolor, or otherwise isn't fit for contact with food and/or heat.
- an oven-proof pot
- an oven
- meat thermometer, preferably instant-read
- soap and water to clean yourself up
- bleach to clean any bits of counter contaminated with raw chicken
- a sharp knife or kitchen shears
- a spoon
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36 comments
Sep 15, 2010. 8:48 PMjessyratfink says:
Just wanted you to know I tried your way tonight and loved it! This is definitely the weeknight winner. It was nice to have dinner on the table under an hour instead of almost two with my way of doing it. :D

Plus, I have to say I loved doing it in the pan... it's so much easier to do a nice sauce that way!

Sep 17, 2010. 7:53 PMjessyratfink says:
Fresh lemon juice and a little butter and some reduction. Twas delicious. :)
Oct 8, 2009. 2:57 PMPeale says:
Thanks for the comments back, Canida, and for the patch. 

Another way of preparing a whole chicken is the butterfly method.  Pretty much you remove the spine by cutting it out with poultry scissors, then remove the keelbone.  It will lay very flat after that.  Then you can broil it and it'll cook very quickly and evenly. I like to start inside-side on top first, then flip it over to finish cooking and brown the meat.
Oct 8, 2009. 3:51 PMAZ Girl says:

Sounds like a great cooking method?
What is the keelbone? 
What temp do you use for brioling? 
How close do you place the chicken to the broiler element? 
How long do you cook on inside and outside? 
This method soulnds great but need more instructions.
Oct 11, 2009. 2:50 AMmdeblasi1 says:
AZ Girl,
The keelbone is the equivalent of the ziphoid process on your own body.

To all,
Remember that if you debone the chicken before you actually serve it, throw the bones into a covered pot of hot water on low, by the next morning you will have some tremendous chicken stock.

Jul 6, 2010. 7:30 AM0311 says:
I thought that only ships & sailboats had keelbones!
Jul 6, 2010. 12:21 PMPeale says:
You're thinking of the keel. :)
Oct 8, 2009. 4:15 PMPeale says:
After you unfold the chicken it's the bone right in the middle that separates the breasts.  There's a good chunk of cartilage attached to this bone as well that can come out if you desire.

I can't say anything about other stoves, but mine has a "broil" setting on the temperature dial, it's above the 500 degree mark.  I like to keep the chicken pretty far away, at least 9-10 inches.  

I cook until it looks done, then flip it and do the same for the other.  Then I check the internal temperature with a digital probe thermometer.

Oct 8, 2009. 4:44 PMcowscankill says:
Aw man... That looks tasty! I wish I could buy a chicken... To bad I can't walk to the store x_x
Oct 8, 2009. 6:56 PMcowscankill says:
Brilliant! Pigeons always hang out beside my pool!
Oct 8, 2009. 1:05 PMYabloko1943 says:
Many years ago, a friend of mine had baked a chicken and had stuffed carrots and I think, potatoes in the chicken. All I remember was that it sure tasted great. Regarding the salting of chicken have you folks thought of using celery in place of salt? Of course, using herbs in chicken is great; it is the herbs that distinguish one chicken dish from another.
Anyone for chicken mole'?
Oct 8, 2009. 2:41 PMYabloko1943 says:
Hi!
My mother used to make chicken mole for us once in a while and this was her basic recipe. First, Mom usually used chicken breasts; but you could use chicken wings too. Place  the chicken in a pot of cold water, and put enough water to cover the chicken.  Boil the chicken and save the stock.  Add a can of dry Mole powder (It  seems I can't  find it in powder form anymore, so just use the mole from the jar or from the can) Rosarita or Old Pueblo will do. Mix the stock with the Mole sauce together  along with the chicken.  Mother used to say, "Never place a cover or even a cloth over the pot once you have the chicken and mole sauce together; otherwise, the chicken will be too watery." She always added a tablespoon of peanut butter to add richness to the mixture. 
Now for the side dish, fry rice 1/2 cup in a  pan using olive oil. When rice is brown, add 6 oz can of  tomato sauce add a little bit of water so that rice will absorb the tomato sauce. Garnish with cilantro (coriander)
. Got flour, or corn tortillas?
Please don't forget your re-fried (pink) beans.  Get pink beans, boil for about 2 hours, add salt to taste.
Next day, portion off some of the beans and fry them. 3rd day, fry fried beans add cheese (Jack is good). Add from beans from the first pot. Add more cheese. Mix well.
4thday: re-fry beans again add more cheese. Now you are cooking! The refried beans are good for breakfast, with eggs! Re-fried beans are great in burritos anytime!
That is enough for a simple but great Mexican meals!  Enjoy!
Oct 8, 2009. 8:06 AMJarrydGothix says:
I suggest a carving instructable! I am kind of dumb when it cames to carving despite making roast chicken for years and just use kitchen shears.
Oct 8, 2009. 8:12 AMPeale says:
I posted this on my blog a few years back. I went back to dig it up. Incredibly informative. And of course you can apply this to chicken as well as turkey. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/dining/21carv.html?_r=1&em&ex=1195794000&en=70aa1e3aa59cbcae&ei=5087">www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/dining/21carv.html</a><br />
Oct 8, 2009. 9:01 AMGitarGr8 says:
I will also season underneath the skin of the bird, with garlilc, rosemary, and other spices I have on hand, as well as stuff the cavity with lemon, parsely or cilantro, rosemary and garlic. These both seem to impart a lot of flavor to the meat.

Something else I'll do is use a bit bigger of a cooking dish, and after about 20 mins of cooking, I'll add some chopped vegetables, like potatoes, and carrots, and pour in a liquid. Water will work, but I've found that a bottle of Newcastle makes for the best flavor. This way you have a complete meal all cooking at the same time.

Maybe I should just make an 'ible, huh? Haha
Oct 8, 2009. 8:01 AMPeale says:
One trick you may wish to try is putting flavourful goodness /UNDER/ the skin.  Skin is designed to keep stuff out of the body, and that doesn't change after the bird is dispatched. 

If you gently lift the skin in strategic spots, you can add marinades underneath to add depths of flavor.  I prefer simple ones from kosher salt, pepper, olive oil, maybe a bit of balsamic vinegar.
Oct 8, 2009. 11:39 AMardrhi says:
Unless your kidneys are *severely* challenged, the little bit of salt in this recipe should not be a problem. Resist the temptation to replace it with Mrs. Dash or some kind of "lite salt", because contrary to popular opinion, though they may taste similar on the tongue, they do NOT serve the same purpose during cooking! By all means, if you feel you need to add a bit of flavor with it AT THE TABLE, use Mrs. Dash as much as you like, but salt serves a chemical purpose during cooking that substitutes do not fill. It aids in browning, pulls moisture out of the food, and balances the hydroscopic nature of sugars. And a teaspoon of salt on and around a roasting bird is NOT THAT MUCH, especially when you consider that a lot of it will drip off into the pan.<br /><br />If you have health concerns about sodium, you probably get more sodium from a single prepared food item than you will from a serving of this chicken, prepared with real salt. Instead of worrying about using lite salt or Mrs. Dash on the chicken, read labels on your packaged goods and pare it down there. For example -- A fairly typical "Lean Cuisine" chicken meal has between 600-850 mg of sodium. And they probably already use "lite" salt, because their potassium level is about as high.<br />
Oct 8, 2009. 9:15 AMAZ Girl says:
I do not have an oven safe pan. Can I use Corning Ware?
Oct 8, 2009. 11:34 AMPhoghat says:
Absolutely. Corning ware is the Swiss Army Knife of the kitchen. Also I keep a couple of compound butters in the freezer, depending on what I'm cooking.
EG Take some fresh herbs (for chicken I like garlic and thyme) and mince very fine (or crush) . Mix with softened unsweetened butter  and roll into a cylinder using plastic wrap, twist ends and freeze. To use thaw, allow to soften, and spread under skin using fingers starting at the butt end. I find herbed skin nice but it doesn't get to the meat.
Oct 8, 2009. 3:45 AMSeaLion says:
I want to try!...but I lack a pan that can go into the oven...
Oct 8, 2009. 5:44 AMzer0vector says:
Look for a cast iron pan.  A brand called Lodge is very common in the US, but I'm sure there are others elsewhere.  It shouldn't run you more than $10-20 for a good size pan that can go in and out of the oven and be used on the stovetop.  I use my cast iron pan to cook chicken pretty much like this recipe.  
Oct 8, 2009. 7:58 AMPeale says:
Cast iron is incredibly versatile.  And it's cookware that will last you for life (and probably your heirs lives) if you treat it correctly.  Definitely a worthwhile investment.
Oct 5, 2009. 12:53 PMjcard21 says:
I read your Truss article first, then this Roast article. Both articles AND photos are very good! My only differences (NOT criticisms!): I roast my chickens (4.5 lbs each, 2 at a time) at 350°F for about 2:15 hrs:min. Judging just by your photos, my chickens' skins get very dark/crunchy (which I prefer); yours are just golden (you probably prefer!). Also, I found cooking at a lower temp (350°F) produces juicier white meat. PS: I also use a PYREX digital temp-probe/alarm ($20) full-time in the chicken thigh; an alarm goes off when it reaches my chosen internal temperature. *** Obviously, I enjoyed both your articles!!! I'm definitely going to check out your other articles.
Oct 5, 2009. 7:18 AMGoodhart says:
So WONDERFULLY complimentary the Truss A Chicken -ible, too

Oct 5, 2009. 5:43 PMGoodhart says:
Yes, I was thinking that myself......time to buy some paper for my printer and print these two -ibles off :-) I could use a little lite-salt ®
Oct 5, 2009. 3:39 AMjessyratfink says:
You're right, this is a lot simpler! I think I'll be trying this sometime this week. I always feel as though I need to roast a ton of vegetables with the chicken, but this might be the recipe that convinces me otherwise. :)

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Author:canida
I've been posting Instructables since the site's inception, and now run Community and Marketing. Follow me for food and more!