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Simple Oven Roasted Whole Chicken

Whole Roasted Chicken
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The easiest dry cooking method for oven roasting a well-seasoned, juicy, crispy-skinned whole chicken.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into 5 rounds (if you are not using a roasting rack pan)
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • kitchen twine

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. If your oven has a convection setting, this is the perfect time to use it. The more air, the crispier the skin.
  2. Place the slices of onion in a large oven-safe dish if you are not using a roasting rack pan. I have roasted chickens in all kinds of oven-safe dishes, dutch ovens, and cast iron skillets. The slices of onion act as an edible “roasting rack”, lifting the chicken off the bottom of the pan and allowing for a bit more air circulation. The onion incorporates a little moisture, but it also results in the most flavorful morsels to eat alongside the chicken so in my opinion it’s worth it and the chicken still comes out crispy.
  3. On a clean surface dry chicken with paper towels, inside and out. Make sure to remove the bag of giblets before roasting. The neck is sometimes included in the bag and is a great addition to throw into the stock later put it off to the side in your roasting pan. It’s also important to note that whenever you are handling raw chicken, it’s important to clean all surfaces, utensils, and hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
  4. Sprinkle around one tablespoon of kosher salt inside the chicken. Place chicken on top of onions or roasting rack.
  5. Cut a piece of kitchen twine and slide it under the tail skin (found directly under the drumstick area). Bring the twine up and around the drumsticks, tying them together tightly. This is the abridged version, so I’d recommend watching a video if you want to learn the more comprehensive technique. Trussing a chicken helps it cook evenly and prevents the breasts from drying out. If you don’t have twine, don’t worry. It’s still going to be delicious.
  6. Generously season the outside of the chicken with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
  7. Cook in the oven around an hour or until the chicken reads 165 F. The time completely depends upon the size of the chicken. Insert a kitchen thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can also check to see if the chicken is done by making sure the juices run clear when pierced with a knife and if you twist one of the drumsticks, the bone should twist easily and feel loose. Keep in mind the chicken will continue to cook for a few minutes after it is removed from the oven.
  8. When it’s completely cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Find it online: https://highdeserttable.com/simple-oven-roasted-whole-chicken/