No. 6: Roast Chicken
bring some roasty goodness to your weekend
Knowing how to roast a whole chicken is one of the most practical, inexpensive, and reliable skills you can have in the kitchen - and the best part is that it’s truly not that hard. With grocery prices still on the rise, simple switches in cooking can really add up. Chicken breast or thighs can often go for $6 - $9/lb, whereas whole chickens start as low as $2/lb. Plus, just take into account how much you can get out of a chicken. It’s a delicious comfort food right out of the oven with some roasted potatoes and veggies, but the leftovers will last you for days (or weeks, if you make and freeze your own stock).
Before roasting the chicken, we like to start by breaking it down and brining it overnight (or up to a few days). These simple steps will do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the taste and cook of the chicken. The brine will tenderize and flavor the meat, and breaking it down will make it easier to evenly sear it in a hot pan before putting it in the oven, which leads to golden, crispy skin. If you’re hesitant or nervous about breaking down a chicken, check out the video on our Instagram!
While I will always stand behind conveniently grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the store (even throughout the Costco Chicken Soapgate Scandal), roasting a whole bird will impress everyone - hopefully yourself included!
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, 4 - 6 lb
Kosher salt*
⅓ cup olive oil
1 ½ tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
Black pepper
2 tbsp neutral oil (canola, avocado, grapeseed, etc.)
Directions
Start by breaking down the chicken. Remove the neck and innards, which are usually in a little bag inside the chicken. Set aside. Next, remove the wings and legs. Cut around the base of each appendage and then use your hands to pop the bone out of place. From there, use the knife to finish cutting through the connective tissue. Repeat with the other appendages and set them aside.
Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut down one side of the spine, starting at the tail. Then cut down the other side to remove it completely and set aside. Cut off any excess pieces of skin. Place the innards, spine, and excess skin in a container in the freezer and save for making stock later.
In a large container or bowl, mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup of salt.* Stir until the salt is dissolved. Place your broken down chicken in the brine and let it sit in the fridge overnight or up to a few days.
At least 30 minutes but no more than 2 hours before you’re going to start cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge to let it start coming up to room temperature. Remove the chicken from the brine and place on a large plate or cutting board. Use paper towels to dry it off as much as possible. The more moisture it has before cooking, the harder it’s going to be to get a good sear.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and make a wet rub for the chicken. In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 ½ tbsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp onion powder, and black pepper to your taste preference. Set aside.
When you’re ready to cook, add 2 tbsp of neutral oil to a large, oven-safe skillet. Place your chicken pieces in the cold skillet and turn the heat to medium-high (putting the chicken in the cold skillet and then turning on the heat leads to more even browning).
After about 5 minutes, carefully check the skin side of the chicken - you should have a nice color forming. Let it cook for a couple more minutes, and when the skin is golden brown, flip over each piece so the skin side is up. Use a basting brush or spoon to spread the olive oil rub all over the pieces.
Place the skillet into the preheated oven and let roast for 45 - 60 minutes (we highly recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure its doneness). When the deepest part of the breast reads 155 - 160 degrees F, remove the skillet from the oven. Please note that the USDA recommends chicken be cooked to 165 degrees - it will continue to cook as it rests out of the oven. Let the chicken rest for at least 30 minutes before digging in.
*We use Diamond Kosher Salt, and for this recipe, it’s especially important for the brine. The “saltiness” of different brands of salt can vary a lot due to the size of the crystals. Check out this conversion chart if you use a different brand!
