Chicken is often the subject of popular meat of choice due to its low fat and caloric content and how versatile it is. It is much healthier to consume than red meat, and it can be fried, boiled, grilled, cut up or baked directly in the oven, the latter option of which is the method of choice in this article. Roasting or baking whole chicken can turn out to be excellent, regardless of whether or not you endeavor to stuff it.
The best thing about making chicken is its ability to go with many kinds of herbs and spices or it can go as simply as with basic salt and pepper. When a whole, roasted chicken is served piping hot right from the oven, it can turn any otherwise casual dinner into a very special occasion for everybody involved. To complete a wholesome, hearty meal that the entire family is certain to enjoy, make sure to include the dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, petite peas and roasted potatoes.
For this delicious experience, you will require a roasting pan, a chicken between three and five pounds, either vegetable oil or olive oil, a meat thermometer, pepper, salt and herbs, if you prefer them. However, the herbs are optional.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. For best results, you will want to place the oven rack to be as close to the floor of the oven as it will allow.
- Prepare the chicken. Make sure you take out the giblets. If you intend to use them for gravy or some soup, make sure you set them out into a safe location. Wash the chicken thoroughly under cool water and remove the excess skin as you do so. Make sure to rinse out the cavity of the chicken in addition to its exterior. Use a paper towel to pat it dry.
- Oil the chicken. Grease the exterior of the chicken using either vegetable oil or olive oil. Make sure to douse both the interior and the exterior of the chicken with your salt and pepper. Insert the stuffing if you intend to stuff the chicken. Otherwise, put in some sliced celery and a quartered onion deep into the cavity to ensure flavor. Include any herbs that you wish to further influence the flavor.
- Place the chicken into the roasting pan so that the breast is facing upward. Get some aluminum foil and loosely cover the pan with a sheet of it. Insert the chicken with the pan into the oven, which should be at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chicken on the rack that is as close to the floor of the oven as possible. Gently brush the drippings of the chicken onto the dry parts of the chicken throughout the duration of its cooking.
- Allow the chicken to continue cooking until its internal temperature is 185 degrees temperature. To accurately measure the temperature, stick the meat thermometer into the meaty thigh. When ready, the drumstick should have no trouble twisting in its socket. Three pounds of chicken will require about an hour and a half for it to cook thoroughly, and a chicken of five pounds will require about another hour on top of that. Of course, keep in mind that every chicken will vary in cooking times due to variety, shape and size.
- Take the chicken out of the oven when it is ready. Allow it to cool for ten minutes before you serve it on a plate for the family. You may also wish to carve it prior to serving it, however.
