Easy Roasted Whole Chicken

[noboundaries]

I always try something new in the oven before moving it to the smoker or grill. I can hardly wait to try this process outside in the Kettle. Be my guest to beat me to the punch. In the Kettle, I'd close the top and bottom vents after the initial cooking time.

Roasted Chicken - Amer. Test Kitchen

My wife saw this recipe and process on PBS's America's Test Kitchen. They were testing roasted 3-4 lb whole chicken recipes with their electric ovens set at 450F when they lost power 30 minutes into the test. The power failed to come back on. After 30 minutes, they removed the chickens from the ovens, temped them, saw they were safe, and ate chicken that was so juicy it was like it had been brined!

I immediately tried it with two 6 lb whole chickens. I made adjustments to the initial cooking time, using 45 mins since they were larger birds and two of them. I also set the oven to 170F after the 45 mins instead of turning it off.

The result? Exactly like theirs! WAAAY juicy, tender, and soooo easy, not that roasted chicken is hard.

Ingredients
1 or 2 Whole chicken(s)
1 Tbs salt per chicken (can use garlic salt or rub of choice)
½ Tbs ground black pepper per chicken (Can omit pepper if using a rub)
Olive oil to coat chicken(s)

Directions
Preheat oven AND roasting pan to 450F. Remove chicken from wrapper. Pat dry with paper towels.
Rub olive oil all over the birds.
Generously coat with the salt and pepper, or garlic salt, or rub of your choice.
Safely remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and place the bird(s) breast up in the hot pan. Immediately return to oven.
Set timer according to the following:
3-4 lb bird - 30 mins
4-5 lb bird - 35 mins
5-6 lb bird - 40 mins
If roasting two birds in the same pan, add 5 minutes to the above timings.
When the time expires, reduce heat to 170F and set timer for 30 minutes.
Temp of breast should be 155 to 160F when removed from the oven.
Allow to rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
Part and serve.

 

[gmc2003]

Sounds like a cool way of roasting a bird. I remember someone mentioning something similar(I think it was a turkey or a roast) where they'd pop it into the oven at like 500* and shut the oven off and let the meat cook while the oven cools down. Dang I wish I could remember the post.

Chris

 

[noboundaries]

I forgot to mention what started all this. My wife told me the story, then said "I could do that."

I had to make a trip to the grocery store to buy what I needed to make a pimento cheese recipe. Her words, "I could do that" meant I didn't have to cook that night.

I got home from the store, showed her the birds, and said to her, "It's 5 PM, better get started on roasting the birds." She laughed and answered, "I said I could do that, not I would do that."

And the rest is history.

 

[thirdeye]

Good read. This is another thing for me to try. There are some things we use rotisserie chickens for but the ones from Sam's club have a high amount of sodium . A 3 ounce serving is 550mg. This method could allow a chicken to stay healthier.

I'm testing a dry brine product from Naturiffic called Harvest Brine. I'll report back as I get more results.

 

[chopsaw]

I saw that episode . I've been testing whole birds in the Dutch oven . Pre heated at 425 , bird goes in and the oven turned down to 325 . Wonder if the effect is the same . I would have to know how the temp changes in the dutch oven compared to the ambient in the oven itself I guess .
Would love to see a pic of your results .

 

[noboundaries]

Would love to see a pic of your results .

Skin was crispy last night. Not so much after a night in the fridge. If you expand the pic on the parts you can see how juicy it is.

I used Lawry's Garlic Salt (green cap) instead of the salt and pepper.

 

[chopsaw]

That looks fantastic . I like the skin rendered out of the oven , crispy on fried . Really nice .

 

[Chasdev]

Hot and fast is the only way to cook yardbird, whole or pieced out they love high heat/short time cooking.
We also like the cooks kitchen and test kitchen shows, next bird for us is the spatchcocked bird under a brick trick/over potatoes we saw a few days ago.
Their cubed pork butt with herbs in the oven is also a winner FWIW.

 

[jcam222]

Sounds like a cool way of roasting a bird. I remember someone mentioning something similar(I think it was a turkey or a roast) where they'd pop it into the oven at like 500* and shut the oven off and let the meat cook while the oven cools down. Dang I wish I could remember the post.

Chris

Maybe a prime rib post Chris? I’ve used the Chef John method many times for great prime rib. It’s a similar process with cooking at 500F for a period of time based on meat weight and then shutting off the oven.

 

[bdawg]

Sounds like a great experiment that I'm gonna try too!

 

[chopsaw]

It’s a similar process with cooking at 500F for a period of time based on meat weight and then shutting off the oven.

I've seen Alton Brown do the same . I agree , it works .

 

[noboundaries]

I've been testing whole birds in the Dutch oven . Pre heated at 425 , bird goes in and the oven turned down to 325 . Wonder if the effect is the same . I would have to know how the temp changes in the dutch oven compared to the ambient in the oven itself I guess .

I've done chickens that way, and baked in a clay pot instead of a DO. They both produce similar results as this technique. I've also done whole chickens with beer cans, a standing rack, roast and flip, a v-rack, and covered to uncovered in a metal roasting pan. I've brined so many ways in all kinds of juices, sodas, seasoned waters and broths. I've used many injections, rubs and fats on and under the skin. Many others have been as moist as this one.

I do prefer smoked whole chickens. A 4-hour brine in seasoned OJ or pineapple juice gives my absolute favorite flavor profile when smoked with hickory, mesquite, or oak. But NOTHING I've done was as simple and easy as this technique for delivering moist chicken. The flavor profile is pretty simple. So for the oven, an injection might tweak the flavor a bit.

 

[chopsaw]

I'm right there with you . Done them just about every way there is as far as cooking , brined or injected .

A 4-hour brine in seasoned OJ or pineapple juice gives my absolute favorite flavor profile

My favorite is Pop's overnight with 1/2 tsp of lemon extract per gallon .
I bet the pineapple is really good .

So for the oven, an injection might tweak the flavor a bit.

I injected the Dutch oven birds with Tony C's roasted garlic .
Fresh herbs in the pot .

 

[thirdeye]

Now that we're talking hi-temp and roasters.... I have two Magnalite roasters, numerous Dutch ovens and even a Rommertopf clay roaster, mine is so old it's unglazed. This is looking better all the time.

 

[noboundaries]

Oh, and one more BTW. Yesterday, my wife bought the ATK cookbook with this recipe at Amazon l. It's a hardback about 1 1/2" thick and as heavy as an encyclopedia volume, back when they printed encyclopedias. It was delivered earlier today.

 

[chopsaw]

Nice . I have a boxed set of the dvds here somewhere .

 

[chef jimmyj]

Great result with an interesting method. Will have to give this a shot...JJ

 

[SmokinAl]

Looks fantastic!
I hate dry chicken, & yours sure looks juicy!
Al

 

[noboundaries]

Thanks, everyone. I made a quick lemon sauce last night to bump the flavor. It wasn't the same sauce as the cookbook. It's a lemon sauce like you get when ordering lemon chicken at a Chinese restaurant. Chicken was still moist!

 

[Bearcarver]

That Looks Excellent, Ray!!
Nice Job!
Like.

Bear