How to Make the Best Roast Chicken

Moist and delicious roast chicken is an easy simple dish that anyone can make. Pair with some roasted vegetables or a side of greens for a healthy, easy meal that you will be happy to serve to your family.

Have you ever walked through Costco and watched with admiration as their rotisserie chickens slowly roasted? I have many times and I often left there with one under my arm, rushing for the door so I could quickly get home and eat it up.

I have to say I love a nice roast chicken, but I have to admit that for years the idea of roasting a chicken myself was seriously intimidating to me. So what did I do? Avoid it at all costs and let Costco cook them for me.

That plan worked fairly well for years until I started learning a few things.

First, I learned that heating food up in plastic wasn’t a good idea because it released chemicals into the food. Well, that nice rotisserie chicken from Costco was usually pretty hot and it was placed in a plastic container. So what did I do? I took it out of that plastic thing as soon as I got home!

Then I started learning about GMOs and knew that I wanted to stay away from them when feeding my family. This included chicken that was given feed with GMOs. Since there was no way of finding out what those Costco chickens were fed and I figured it was likely GMO feed, I stopped buying them.

This created a problem because I loved roast chicken! On top of that, I was also learning about the benefits of consuming homemade bone broth and needed to find some bones fast!

So I knew it was time to bite the bullet. I found a farm that had pastured poultry and supplemented with non GMO grain. So I bought some chickens and after many years of procrastination, decided to finally roast my own chicken.

I couldn’t believe how simple it was! Why had I put it off for so many years?

I have been hooked ever since and I now start to panic when I have less than ten whole chickens in my freezer at any given time.

We roast at least one chicken every week over here. I love it because I can get multiple meals out of one chicken and use the bones to make bone broth too.

This recipe for roast chicken takes no time at all to prepare, but it does take a bit longer in the oven than some other roast chicken recipes. Through lots of experimentation my husband and I have found that it is the best way to get the perfect, moist, roast chicken.

So now instead of standing at Costco with a big smile on my face drooling over their chickens, I just have to open up my oven, grin, and have a little patience.

If you have been putting off roasting your own whole chicken, I hope this will inspire you to give it a try. I promise you will be happy that you did.

Enjoy!

Thawing a Whole Chicken

Since most whole chickens come frozen, it is important to give yourself a few days for thawing before cooking. It typically takes about 3-4 days for a whole chicken to thaw in the fridge.

This can vary a bit depending on where your fridge is located and the outside temperature. We usually thaw our chicken in a second fridge that we have out in the garage. When the temperatures are warmer, the chicken tends to thaw more quickly than when the outside temperatures are much colder.

How to Feed Your Family For Days With One Roast Chicken

One of the best things about roast chicken is that it can feed your family for quite a few days. Below is one example of how you can use your roast chicken for multiple days. This would be ideal for a family of four.

Day 1 Eat half of the chicken with a side of roasted vegetables.

Day 2 Remove the rest of the meat from the chicken. Use half of the meat that is left (1/4 of the chicken) to make a chicken curry.

Day 3 Use the bones to make homemade bone broth. Make a pot of homemade wedding soup with the rest of the chicken meat and the homemade bone broth.

Day 4 Use the bones again to make a second batch of bone broth. Store the broth in your fridge to make

kid-friendly quinoa, greens, and basil soup later in the week.

Other Ways to Use Roast Chicken

• Grab a bunch of greens and veggies from your garden for a delicious salad and top with the roasted chicken.
• Make a chicken pot pie.
• Make a batch of homemade mayo and make some homemade chicken salad.
• Shred the leftover cooked chicken and throw it in a freezer bag. This can be used to add to soups or a casserole.
• Make a quick chicken cacciatore by shredding some of the chicken and adding it to the instant pot with a chopped onion, pepper, and mushrooms. Add some tomato sauce and spices. Cook for 15 minutes and serve over pasta or polenta.
• Freeze the bone broth to use later.
• Shred the chicken, add some taco seasoning, and a little water to a skillet and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Use the seasoned chicken to make tacos or a burrito bowl.

Ingredients

• one whole chicken
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or your oil of choice)
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

How to Roast Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or casserole dish.
4. Pour the oil all over the top of the chicken.
5. Sprinkle the seasonings on the chicken and rub them onto the skin.
6. Place the lid on the roasting pan. If you are using a casserole dish, cover the chicken with foil.
7. Roast the chicken in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
8. After roasting for 1 hour and 15 minutes, remove the lid or foil and roast for another 45 minutes.
9. Check for doneness. Roasting times will vary depending on the size of your chicken. In general it is approximately 20-25 minutes per lb. Use a meat thermometer to check it. For chicken, it should be 180. The skin should have a nice dark golden brown color to it and the juices should be clear when you cut into it.