Help! Roasting a whole chicken .....

[Aunt Bea]

I don't know why not AB. You'll likely never be able to use it again for Angel Food cake though. I hardly ever bake and I have one I've used maybe five times in the last 40 years to bake an AF cake, so I'm definitely going to use your idea on my next turkey!

I will cheerfully sacrifice mine to the cause!

 

[Mad Cook]

How do you roast a whole chicken? I have no problem roasting chicken parts, but when it comes to a whole chicken, I just can't get it right. Tonight the chicken is back in the oven for the third time. When I cut into the thigh, it was still pink around the bone. I have followed several recipes, but I still have problems. Tonight, I roasted a 4 pound chicken on a rack at 350 degrees F for
1 1/2 hours. Before I roasted it, I let it sit out to come to room temperature as one recipe suggested. I've checked my oven and the temperature is accurate. I am about to give up and just stick to chicken parts! Any help would be appreciated.

The standard recommendation over here is 20 minutes to the pound plus 20 minutes at 400 degrees F so it sounds as though your oven was too cool and not enough time. Also, did you put stuffing in the body cavity? If so did you weigh it after the stuffing went in or before? It's the total weight of bird plus stuffing if used that counts towards the timing.

Having said that, if the chicken was very young(and most commercially raised birds are) there is often pinkness on the bone itself due to youth. However, if the juices ran pink when you cut into it then always err on the side of caution as undercooked chicken can make you very ill indeed. Sometimes the chicken decides it doesn't want to be ready after the calculated time just to spite the cook and needs as much as 15 minutes longer in the oven.

Just an after thought and probably not relevant here - like other meats chicken needs to stand for a while after it comes out of the oven so the juices are, for want of a better word, sucked back into the flesh.

 

[Mad Cook]

Tell that to the tens of thousands of 'Sous Vide' fans.
The recommended cooking temp. of chicken for dark meat is 167 F.
You need to do some research on what temps. and times are used to kill bacteria.
Sous Vide Time and Temperature Guide | Science | ChefSteps

Don't confuse the OP with "sous vide" information when she is clearly asking about cooking in normal oven - unless you want to kill her. Some of us can read between the lines and realise that you mean the temperature of the bird when cooked properly but even I initially read your comment as meaning the temperature of the oven would be sufficient at 167 degrees F. 167Degs F in a normal oven would barely warm the beast.

 

[Andy M.]

Don't confuse the OP with "sous vide" information when she is clearly asking about cooking in normal oven - unless you want to kill her. Some of us can read between the lines and realise that you mean the temperature of the bird when cooked properly but even I initially read your comment as meaning the temperature of the oven would be sufficient at 167 degrees F. 167Degs F in a normal oven would barely warm the beast.

I believe the 167º refers to internal temperature of the chicken.

 

[Mad Cook]

I believe the 167º refers to internal temperature of the chicken.

Yes Andy, I realise that but Puffin's post was misleading in its wording. I pointed out that I INITIALLY misunderstood his reference to the internal temperature of the meat and interpreted it as meaning the temperature of the oven.

If I was confused after 50 years of chicken roasting, an inexperienced cook cold run into serious difficulties.

 

[Bigjim68]

Tell that to the tens of thousands of 'Sous Vide' fans.
The recommended cooking temp. of chicken for dark meat is 167 F.
You need to do some research on what temps. and times are used to kill bacteria.
Sous Vide Time and Temperature Guide | Science | ChefSteps

I think you are correct. It doesn't matter what the cooking temperature as long as the end result is over 170. A lower temperature results in a more even temp at the end.

I like the vertical roasting method. And a thermometer.

 

[ShellyCooks]

Thanks so much to all of you! I have enough recipes to roast a chicken correctly next week!! Wow! You guys and gals are great!! I think, however, I'll skip the "sous vide" method for now. AND ... I do have a vertical roasting rack for chicken or turkey --- forgot all about it!! Thanks, again, everyone!!

 

[Kayelle]

You are so welcome Shelly, and thanks for your thanks. It's so rewarding to know the OP has read everything offered. Good luck, and happy cooking!

 

[medtran49]

For the sake of easy clean-up, I usually use a "rack" made out of a long piece of foil folded in half, then half again, then kind of crumpled up and bent into a zig-zag to hold the chicken.

For the actual chicken, I roast at 375-400 depending on how fast I want it to get done. I make a butter with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, push some under the breast skin and in the thigh area, then rub the skin, saving the rest to baste later. Usually put in some rosemary and lemon pieces if I have. Then, I always start roasting it breast side down for about 30 minutes, then flip it over so the breast will brown and baste. I base the time on the weight of the chicken because the sizes vary greatly depending on whether we buy it at the grocery or the butcher/wholesale places we buy from. I do let it sit for at least 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven though.

And my chicken comes out tender and juicy, not dry or rubbery even though I cook it at higher heat.

 

[Addie]

Well, this turned out to be the perfect thread. For what its worth, I too thought the member was referring to the temperature of the oven at 165ºF. Very confusing to the OP. And OP was kind enough to respond. Lots of information that seemed to be correct and that the OP can use. This is the kind of thread that should be sticky note for reference only to the question of How to Roast A Chicken.

 

[RPCookin]

I think you are correct. It doesn't matter what the cooking temperature as long as the end result is over 170. A lower temperature results in a more even temp at the end.

I like the vertical roasting method. And a thermometer.

Regardless of method, a dependable thermometer is an essential kitchen tool if you want consistency. Without one, my tendency was to overcook everything to be on the safe side. Now that I have both a Chef Alarm probe and my instant read Thermapen, I rarely miss on the internal temperature that I'm seeking.