Roast chicken is a staple meal cooked weekly in most British households, but it can be a disaster if it comes out of the oven undercooked with a soggy and bland skin. Lisa Bryan, a cook and founder of Downshiftology, has shared that simply placing chicken in the oven will not make it as tasty as it should be, as you need three important ingredients.
She said: “All you need are olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. If you don’t have an Italian seasoning blend, feel free to sprinkle on your favorite dried spices and herbs.” A good drizzle of olive oil is essential when roasting a chicken as it helps the meat stay juicy while cooking while also making the skin golden and crispy.
Olive oil seeps into the chicken to add moisture but also helps any other seasoning stick better while it is cooking to ensure you get a more flavourful chicken.
Italian seasoning adds a more complex aromatic flavour to the chicken, while salt and black pepper help balance the richness of the other herbs.
How to properly roast a chicken
You will need (for six servings):
- One chicken (around four to five pounds)
- One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- Half a teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Method
To begin, place a rack on the lower shelf of the chicken out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 220C, and then pat the chicken with paper towels to make sure it is completely dry.
Next, place the chicken in an oven-safe roasting tin and then tie the legs and wings together with kitchen twine.
If you do not have kitchen twine, you can cook the chicken with the legs apart, but make sure to check on the chicken 15 minutes before the cooking time is up, as it will likely cook faster.
Pour the olive oil onto the chicken and use your hands to rub it into the skin. Add the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, then use your hands again to pat the spices onto the skin.
Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 70 to 90 minutes. You will know the chicken is ready when the juices run clear.
Lisa said: “I used an almost five-pound chicken and it took 85 minutes to cook. If you’re using a smaller chicken, make sure to check the temperature early, so that you don’t accidentally overcook it and end up with a dry bird.”
You can also check by placing a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh. If it reads 75C, you can remove it from the oven.
Leave the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it. This gives the juices time to redistribute through the meat, making the chicken juicier.
Your chicken will be tender on the inside, perfectly crispy on the outside and extremely well seasoned, so you can create the perfect roast without any hassle.
