How to Make a Perfect Roast Chicken Every Time

Rotisserie chicken is a modern convenience that we’re not giving up anytime soon, but it’s hard to beat the satisfaction of roasting a chicken yourself. As the bird cooks, it fills your kitchen with a delicious aroma, and that moment the burnished bird makes its way to the table makes you feel like a proper chef. The combination of browned crispy skin and tender meat is irresistible, and with both white meat and dark meat, there’s a little something for everyone (plus the makings for a great stock). Like many chicken recipes, a roast chicken is also a blank canvas for your culinary creativity. And we’ll let you in on a little secret: It’s easier to make at home than you think. Use these chef-approved tips, tricks, and advice to get it right every time.

How to buy a chicken for roasting

When talking with chefs, the consistent message is to buy the best ingredients you can afford. That advice holds true when shopping for a chicken for roasting. Alexandre Viriot, executive chef at San Francisco’s La Société Bar & Café, likes to buy local, organic chickens. Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, chef and co-owner of Birdie’s in Austin agrees and adds air-chilled to the list, if that’s an option at your market. Legendary chef Jacques Pépin is a fan of chickens from Bella Bella Gourmet, which are organic, air-chilled, and local to him. Check around for a local butcher or farmers market vendor, or quiz the butcher at your grocery store to bone up on your chicken facts before you buy. 

Air-chilled chickens roast up more tender and flavorful because they’re cooled with cold air instead of being chilled in a water bath, which can dilute the flavor and make it less likely that the skin will roast up golden and crispy. 

The other important thing to remember is size. Pépin (and many other chefs) prefer going for a smaller bird, say around 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, because they’ll roast more evenly. At the store, that means you’ll be looking for a broiler/fryer, which range from 2 1/2  to 4 1/2 pounds. Chickens classified as roasters typically weigh 5 pounds or more. If you get a roaster, just know that it will take a bit longer to cook. Pépin’s pal Julia Child often recommended roasting two chickens for efficiency (and tasty leftovers), which is very doable if you get smaller birds. 

The roasting equipment you need

You’ve got some options here. Viriot, who grew up in France, had a homestyle oven with a spit at home, which is how his mother roasted chickens on Sunday. If you’re not that lucky, you can use a standard roasting pan with a rack, a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack set inside it, or a skillet. Pépin is a proponent of a sturdy aluminum skillet, and now that Viriot lives far from home, his preferred roast chicken vessel is a Dutch oven. What you’re looking for is a pan that’s heavy enough to stand up to the heat of the oven and that allows for some air circulation around the bird. Experiment in your kitchen to find out what works best for you. 

How to prep your chicken for roasting

Getting your chicken ready to roast can be super simple or a little more time-consuming. Choose the path that’s right for you. 

Dry it off

Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so get the skin as dry as you can. That can be as simple as blotting the chicken very well with a paper towel. If you have more time, both Viriot and Malechek-Ezekiel like to sprinkle chicken with salt and stick it in the fridge for a bit. Viriot typically buys a chicken at the market in the morning, salts it, then sticks it in the fridge on a rack until it’s time to make dinner. Malechek-Ezekiel prefers an overnight chill to make sure the skin is as dry as possible, similar to the famous Zuni roast chicken.

Truss it (or not)

In a reminder that Jacques Pépin is just like us, sometimes he’ll truss a chicken for roasting — and sometimes he won’t. For a French-style presentation, he likes to use butcher twine to loop around the drumsticks to snuggle them together, then brings the twine along the side of the bird and anchors it behind the wing. You can also just tie the legs together or skip the trussing altogether. A trussed bird has a tidy look and cooks more evenly, but an untrussed bird will also be delicious. Before trussing, Pépin likes to remove the wishbone to make the bird easier to carve. To do that, make a small cut on either side of the wishbone, then carefully pull it out using your index finger and thumb. Be careful if you feel that the wishbone is broken; the splintered ends can be sharp. 

Season your chicken inside and out

This is the moment to make the bird truly your own. Pépin prefers to keep things simple, with just salt and pepper on the outside of the bird and inside the cavity. Viriot puts butter, a whole head of garlic with the top cut off, half a lemon, thyme, and rosemary inside the bird. Malechek-Ezekiel rubs grapeseed oil on the skin (the high-heat oil is great for high-heat roasting) and puts garlic and herbs in the cavity. Tucking tasty stuff under the skin is also an option. You could go with a classic lemon-herb butter, bay leaves and garlic, or get creative and slip pimento cheese between the meat and the skin. Need more inspo? We have more ways to flavor your roast chicken to make sure dinner is never boring. 

How long to roast a chicken

All that’s left to do now is get it into the oven, but — you guessed it — you’ve got some options. 

Keep it steady

The no-muss, no-fuss plan is to pick a temperature and stick with it. Pépin likes 425°F, as does Viriot. At that temp, it will take about an hour to roast a 4-pound bird. 

Start high, then go low

A second school of thought starts the bird at a high temperature (usually around 450°F) for a few minutes and then brings the oven down to 350°F or 325°F for the majority of the roasting time. The thinking here is that the high heat will blast the skin and help it crisp up right out of the gate, then the lower temperature will help the meat cook more slowly and evenly. 

Try it the French way

In addition to the high oven temp, Pépin and Viriot both like to start a roast chicken on the stovetop. Pépin’s classic method is to heat a bit of butter in a skillet, rub the breast side of the bird in the butter, and then turn the chicken on its side. He transfers the chicken to the oven and roasts it on its side for 20 minutes before turning it to the other side for another 20. For the final 20 minutes, he cooks the chicken breast-side up, basting it once or twice with the pan juices. 

Let roast chicken rest

No matter how you roast the bird, let it rest when it comes out of the oven for about 10 minutes, but don’t cover it. “I think one mistake that people often make is tenting the chicken with foil,” says Pépin. “That’s no good because it creates steam that changes the texture of the skin. If you have to wait a bit before serving, keep the chicken in a 150°F to 160°F oven before you carve it.”

How to tell when a roast chicken is done

Pépin can tell if a chicken is done by pressing it with his thumb, but the rest of us probably need something a little more technical. An instant-read thermometer is always a good choice. Insert it into the thickest part of the bird (avoiding any bones). Pépin suggests pulling the chicken at 155°F, but you can also take it to 160°F, if you prefer. As the chicken rests, the carryover cooking will bring it up to the 165°F recommended by the USDA. 

What to serve with roast chicken

Before we get to the sides, let’s talk about that delicious stuff in the bottom of the pan or skillet. You can strain it and drizzle it over the chicken or you can pour off some of the fat, add a little chicken stock, the thickener of your choice (flour or a cornstarch or potato starch slurry), and make a quick pan gravy. 

The sky’s the limit on side dishes, but one thing we heard over and over again from chefs was that you can’t go wrong with potatoes. Viriot votes for potato gratin, while Malechek-Ezekiel favors rosemary-roasted potatoes or pommes puree if she’s feeling fancy. Pépin likes to serve roasted chicken with mashed potatoes with garlic, string beans sautéed with shallots, and a green salad with a genius dressing. Remember the extra chicken fat he poured out of the skillet? He makes a vinaigrette with half chicken fat and half olive oil. Mind. Blown.