How to Cook Roast Chicken

Roast chicken tastes as good as it looks, but this simple dish can mystify a novice cook. After learning the basic formula to turn out perfectly roasted chicken with crisply browned skin and a juicy interior, customize the recipe with favorite herbs or glazes.

Choosing a Chicken

Shop for roaster chickens. These birds have more meat on them than broilers and fryers, yet remain more tender than stewing chickens. Some chicken aficionados appreciate the flavor of free-range or pastured poultry. These birds cost a bit more, but as roasted chicken is a straightforward dish that can't hide under a piquant sauce, it's worth it to get the best-tasting chicken. Skin color varies from bird to bird, so no particular color indicates freshness; just look for an intact skin as a sign of careful processing.

Roasting the Bird

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit while preparing the chicken for roasting. Rinse the bird inside and out with fresh water, then pat it dry with a cloth or paper towels. Loosen the chicken's skin from the breast meat with a finger; this will let the skin crisp nicely. Rub the bird with a tablespoon or two of butter or olive oil, slipping a little of the fat under the skin to flavor the breast meat. Salt and pepper the chicken liberally, working some of the seasonings under the bird's skin.

Add a halved citrus fruit and half an onion to the chicken's cavity to keep the poultry moist during cooking and lend flavor to the drippings.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan equipped with a rack. The rack will hold the roasting hen out of its juices so it stays crisp all over. Roast the bird at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the skin starts to brown, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees and continue cooking until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, about an hour and a half to two hours. To test for doneness without a meat thermometer, poke the chicken's thigh and see if the juices run clear; clear juice means a cooked bird.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for five minutes before carving. Resting the meat keeps the chicken tender and juicy.