This winter I am all about comfort foods. What says comfort more than roasted, juicy homemade chicken on a cold chilly night? Just typing this is making my mouth water!I know some of you are thinking, I do not think I have ever touched a whole chicken, never mind trying to cook one! Well myself included, there is a first time for everything. I have always bought chicken already cut up ready to cook (thighs, drumsticks, breasts). But this time I wanted to be traditional and prepare a whole chicken for dinner. My very first time making a roasted chicken, I did NOT cook it hardly enough, and there was hardly any seasoning on it. Me and hubby ended up salvaging a few pieces and everything else close to the bone was RAW! (Talk about Salmonella!)Anyway, this time around I was determined to cook it just right and be patient and take my time with it and BOY did it pay off. The chicken came out so tender and juicy I just had to write it down this time to share. If you learn anything from this recipe, it’s that do NOT be afraid to use SALT. Salt adds so much flavor to chicken. It even flavors the juice that can be used to make gravy with the drippings. So use the SALT, your finished dish will thank you =)I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did!
Please comment below with additions you used that make this recipe even greater! Enjoy =)
The BEST Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Whole roaster chicken giblets removed
- 1 stick butter
- 1 onion
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp pepper
Instructions
- Wash chicken and remove bag of gizzards and set aside. Pat dry chicken with paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400° F
- Place chicken in baking dish
- Cut slits in chicken skin all over. Slice skin enough to be able to place pats of butter underneath.
- Cut up butter into slices, and place under chicken skin.
- Sprinkle 2 TBSP of olive oil all over the outside of the chicken.
- Season chicken, inside and outside with Salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning.
- Rub chicken with hands to mix all the spices in.
- Cut 1 onion in slices and spread evenly in bottom of baking dish and inside of chicken cavity.
- Add water to bottom of baking dish.
- Add baking dish to oven once ready, and baste chicken every 30 minutes with juices from bottom of baking pan.
- After 1 hour and 40minutes, increase temperature to 425°F for 30 minutes (or until internal temperature reaches 165°F)
- Remove chicken from oven, and place baking dish ontop of stove for 10 minutes to rest before slicing.
Notes
In need of a quick gravy to go with the chicken?
To make gravy, use the chicken drippings.- Pour drippings from baking dish into a measuring cup and let the fat settle. (after chicken is removed)
- Take 1/4 cup of the fat and put it into a saucepan
- Add 1/4 cup flour and mix with a whisk to make a roux (until all the liquid is soaked up)
- Ladel out the rest of the fat in your drippings into another container.
- Add enough water or chicken stock to make 2 cups of total drippings. (you can add 1 bouillon cube if you do not have enough stock)
- Add mixture to sauce pan and mix with whisk until thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper.
