Foolproof Lemon & Garlic Roasted Whole Chicken recipe (my own updated, mishmash version!), plus tips on how to roast the perfect chicken

Ever wanted to cook the perfect rotisserie whole chicken? Well, you're at the right place!

Have you ever tried roasting your own chicken at home, but with less than satisfactory results? Or perhaps you’re still a rotisserie virgin, and have yet to cross over because you just have no idea how to cook a roast chicken to begin with.

Either way, I’m here to tell you it really isn’t that hard (Hey if I can do it, then you can too!).

When it comes to roasting chickens, I understand that it might appear to be intimidating at first (since we ARE talking an entire bird here… y’know, a 3 to 4 lb whole chicken complete with the wings, the drumsticks, the breasts, everything!) I thought so too, at first, until I tried cooking one for the first time. And that’s when I realized it’s actually not that hard. It’s like when I tried baking my own 8 lb ham. I didn’t think I could pull it off at first, but it turned out to be pretty easy then, too!

Anyway, do you want to try your hand at roasting your own whole chicken? Here are some tips & advice on how to pull it off successfully, along with my own foolproof Lemon & Garlic Roasted Whole Chicken recipe (the resulting mishmash of several roast chicken recipes, mixed in with a few replacement ingredients of my own)! Enjoy.

Tips on How to Roast a Chicken:

A chicken's idea of a horror movie? Roasted poultry, rotisserie-style! (Har har, a little food joke there for ya. I know, it was pretty bad...)

1) What is the safe internal temperature for cooked whole chicken to be considered “done?”

• Although the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website recommends whole chickens as safe to eat when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, most people (myself included) usually prefer poultry to be cooked to a higher temperature
• On the flip side, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recommends whole poultry to be cooked to an internal temperature of 185°F in order to prevent any possibility of foodborne illnesses from occurring
• Personally, I recommend 180°F as the ideal safe cooking temperature for roasted chicken (in fact, if you do a bit of research you’ll notice most people recommend 180°F as the standard threshold temperature)
• However, keep in mind most recipes call for the meat to be removed from the heat source and stand for a solid 10 to 15 minutes before carving… during which time the temperature of the chicken will likely rise 5°F to 20°F
• Remember, when measuring the internal temperature of a roasted whole chicken, always insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh in order to get the most accurate reading. And if you plan on baking more chickens in the future, I highly recommend investing in a digital meat thermometer. They’re not expensive, and it’ll make your life a LOT easier… trust me!)
• Signs to look for to tell whether your chicken is done? When juices run clear when you prickle it with a fork and when the drumstick moves easily in its socket.

2) How long does it take to cook a whole chicken, and at what oven temperature?

Roasting a whole chicken is one thing... but I think I'll draw the line at "making a turducken!" (That's just not natural and completely disturbing, don't you think?)

• Both the time it takes to roast an entire chicken and the oven temperature needed to cook it are dependent on each other, as well as the size of the bird
• Some roasted whole chicken recipes call for oven temperatures in the low range (such as 350°F), while others request temperatures upward of 475°F (like in Jamie Oliver’s Perfect Roast Chicken recipe) to even 500°F!
• However, if you look carefully you’ll notice high oven temperatures in roasted chicken recipes are referring mostly to pre-heating only… and temperatures are usually turned down halfway through the cooking process
• My advice? When determining cooking times and oven temperatures for roasting a chicken, always ask yourself these 3 essential questions:

  1. How much does the bird weigh?
  2. Do you intend on continually adjusting oven temperatures while roasting?
  3. How “juicy” vs. “well done” do you prefer your chicken?

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  Ready for more poultry humor? Introducing the eternal battle between Colonel Sanders' KFC chicken vs. everyone's favorite Asian chicken general!

  How will these questions help you? Well, let’s say you’re planning on roasting on a consistently low oven temperature (e.g. 375°F throughout and without temperature adjustments). Then the general rule of thumb is to calculate a cooking time of 20 minutes per pound of meat, plus an additional 10 to 20 minutes. In comparison, if you’re OK with tending to the oven continuously throughout the cooking process, then you can choose to preheat the oven to 450°F and bake the bird on high for the first 10 to 15 minutes as well as the last 10 to 15 minutes. During the middle, the oven temperature should be turned down to a low 375°F. Yes, this requires extra effort… but if you have the time and patience, it could pay off as you’ll end up with a cooked chicken that’s got crispier skin and juicier & more succulent meat.

3) What’s the ultimate secret to a perfectly moist & tender roast chicken?

• 3 words: Baste, baste, baste!
• I know, basting sounds like a lot of work. But all that’s really required is taking the bird out of the oven at regularly timed intervals, and brushing some of the juice from the bottom of the pan all over surface of the chicken. The few extra minutes required from you in order to baste the chicken? Let’s just say it’ll pay off handsomely when you realize just how much juicier the chicken gets… not to mention it prevents over-cooking and over-burning/blackening the skin!