Foolproof Roast Chicken (Slow Roasted)
Here's a foolproof way to cook a perfect roast chicken with juicy meat & crispy skin! We're cooking to temperature, not time which ensures perfectly cooked meat.
Servings: 4 People
Equipment
- Large Roasting Tin With Rack
- Digital Food Probe
Ingredients
- 1.75 - 2 kg Whole Chicken (See Notes)
- 1 Bulb Of Garlic
- 1 Lemon
- 10 Rosemary Sprigs
- 10 Thyme Sprigs
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- Sea Salt
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken onto a rack set inside a roasting tin. Pat the skin dry then let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.If your chicken is trussed, untie it first.
- In the meantime, preheat an oven to 160°c/140°c fan (320°f/284°f).
- Next, cut the bulb of garlic in half & the lemon into thick slices. Stuff into the chicken's cavity along with the fresh herbs.
- Drizzle the veg oil over the chicken then use your hands (or a pastry brush) to massage into the skin.
- Generously season the chicken all over with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper then place the chicken into the preheated oven.
- Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 65°c/150°f. This will take around 1-1½ hours. Start checking the chicken after 1 hour.Probe the chicken in the thickest part of the breasts & thighs.
- Next, turn your oven up to 220°c/428°f then continue cooking until the chicken's skin is crispy & the internal temperature has reached 73°c/163°f. This will take another 10-15 minutes.Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 75°c/167°f but to avoid drying the meat out, we take it out of the oven a few degrees lower than this then let the chicken rest. The internal temperature will rise to 75°c/167°f as the chicken rests.
- Once cooked, loosely cover the chicken with foil & leave to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- To carve, cut the legs off at the thigh joint, remove the wings & cut the breast meat off the bone (either in slices or as whole breasts).
Notes
1. Whole Chicken - You'll need a whole chicken for this recipe, weighing 1.75 - 2 kg. This will comfortably serve 4 people. This method of cooking also works for larger/smaller chicken just keep in mind that the cook time will need to be adjusted, however we're cooking to temperature so there's less chance of overcooking the meat!
2. Internal Temperature - To avoid overcooking the chicken, we’re cooking it to an internal temperature of 73°c/163°f. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 75°c/165°f but the internal temperature will rise a couple of degrees when it comes out of the oven. If you’re worried about undercooking chicken, take the chicken to 75°c/165°f in the oven.
3. Chicken Carcass - Once you've carved your chicken, the leftover carcass can be used to make stock, gravy or soup!
4. Leftovers - Leftover roast chicken needs to be stored in the fridge & will keep for up to 3 days. You can serve leftover roast chicken cold or hot. If serving hot, make sure that the internal temperature reaches 75°c/167°f.
5. Cooking In An Aga - For a full, step by step guide to cooking a roast chicken in an Aga, check out our best Aga roast chicken recipe!