There is nothing more appetizing than a juicy tender, roasted chicken sitting on your dinner table. If you usually buy those 'days old' rotisserie chickens from the grocery store, just know that you too, can make a fresh roasted chicken like you see in the grocery store (and, for half the price!). Do not shy away from the whole chicken; it is easier than you know.
The options for meals from a whole herb seasoned roasted chicken are endless, so you should consider adding this recipe to your collection so that you are always ready with a healthy and delicious dish. Here, we will go over step by step, exactly how you stuff, roast and carve a whole chicken.
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Ingredients
When roasting a whole chicken, you have many choices for herbs and spices. For this chicken we used lemon, garlic and rosemary.
- 4-5 pound chicken
- 1-2 lemons
- rosemary
- salt and pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
Instructions
How To Stuff A Whole Chicken
- To stuff the chicken, sprinkle salt and pepper generously inside the chicken cavity. Next, add the lemon, garlic cloves and herbs inside the chicken.
How To Truss A Whole Chicken For Roasting
To truss the chicken, (which is simply tying the legs so that the stuffed ingredients don't come out during baking), use butchers twine or other study string and tie the legs together (but not too tightly).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the outside of the chicken, and place in oven safe pan. Roast for 80 minutes or until temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven; let set 10-15 minutes minutes. To keep your chicken moist, pour the juices from the baking pan over the chicken. If you prefer your chicken a little more crispy, place it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes (watching carefully).
How To Carve A Whole Chicken
There are many ways to carve a whole chicken. The most important factor is not the order, but that you have a very sharp knife. We suggest that you place the chicken on a solid surface, slice the legs and thighs off, cut in half through the center and then the wings. Finally, slice the breast meat.
Now that your chicken has been carved, you can decide how to serve it. You have many options--salad, tacos, pitas or season it or serve the pieces with side dishes, such as rice. Here, we added smoked paprika, cilantro and lemon.
Substitutions
This is a basic herb stuffed whole roasted chicken. You can switch things up and use your favorite herbs, like thyme, basil, mint, oregano, cilantro, dill, tarragon or sage. Each combination will give you a completely different flavor experience.
Variations
This recipe was a basic lemon, garlic and rosemary herb chicken. You can also make a whole chicken with completely different flavors like:
- Barbecue
- Teriyaki
- Italian
- Thai
- Jamaican
You can also use this chicken to make Greek Chicken Fajita Pitas, or add to a salad Creamy Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
Equipment
The most important tool that you need for carving a whole chicken is a solid, sharp knife and cutting board. Here are some options.
Storage
The cooked chicken will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
Top tips
Although you can cook chicken with an oven temperature and time as your guide,a good method to gage whether your chicken is cooked properly, is to use a meat thermometer. Here are some recommendations if you want to add this useful tool to your kitchen.
Food safety
When working with raw chicken, it is important to remember food safety.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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