• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Let’s Collaborate!
    • Guest Posts
  • Meet Mrs L
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

The Inspired Mrs L

Living and Parenting with Intention

  • Bookshelf
  • Intentional Life
  • Intentional Parenting
  • Intentional Spaces
  • Recipes

Perfect Roast Chicken

June 19, 2020      Leave a Comment

simple, perfect roast chicken

It was a bucket list item last year, learning to roast a chicken. To me, learning to execute a perfect roast chicken meant that I had achieved the next level of adulthood.

This recipe is adapted from one by Ina Garten, the queen of the perfect roast chicken. The skin comes out crispy, and the meat is moist. One of the best things about this recipe is the smell in your house while it’s cooking! Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s get cooking!

The Inspired Mrs L is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

perfect roast chicken

I usually keep a couple of whole chickens in our freezer, having stocked up when they go on sale. If you’re using a frozen bird, keep in mind that it’s probably going to take longer than you think to thaw your chicken. I let mine thaw in the fridge for three and a half days and it was perfect. Also keep in mind that you’ll probably want to put your chicken in a container in the fridge for thawing in order to catch any juices that might leak out, you don’t want chicken juice all over your fridge.

Once your chicken is thawed (or if you’re using fresh), you’ll take it out of the fridge and remove the giblets and neck from the cavity. Ina suggests washing your chicken, but you don’t actually have to do that. In fact, I suggest that you don’t do that since it’s unnecessary and you’ll end up spreading chicken juice all over your sink. Simply lay your chicken on a cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels.

Place your chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. We use this one and we love it! Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. You can be liberal here. Don’t skimp on the salt and pepper, as they’re the simple seasonings in your kitchen that do most of the work.

Once you’ve seasoned the inside, you’ll stuff it. I use one small-medium onion, two large oranges, a few cloves of garlic (leave them whole and crush with your knife) and a bunch of thyme. *Hint: cut these ahead of time so you’re not messing with chicken guts everywhere. Stuff these inside the bird so you have about equal amounts of everything. You’ll have leftover onions and oranges. Place these in the bottom of the pan. They will roast along with your chicken.

stuffed and tied chicken

After you’ve stuffed your chicken, you will tie the legs together using kitchen string. It’s helpful if you tie right above the joint bone at the end of the leg. Tie the legs so they overlap at the end, and don’t be afraid to make it tight and your knot secure. Next, you’ll brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter. Then, liberally salt and pepper the outside of the bird before adding bacon. Bacon? Yes, bacon! This chicken is covered in bacon to roast. How brilliant is that? Lay strips of bacon over the top of the bird.

bacon covered chicken

Finally, you’ll put your bird in the lower part of a 425 degree oven. Roast for about an hour. Then remove the chicken and take off the bacon and set aside. Depending on the thickness of your bacon it may or may not be cooked through. If you plan on using the bacon for something else (mashed potatoes anyone?) make sure it is cooked through. Return the chicken to the oven for another 30 minutes until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.

Remove your perfect roast chicken from the roasting pan to a large cutting board and cover it loosely with foil. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute (read: no one likes dry chicken).

perfect roast chicken

Need side dish ideas? Check out my 15 Summer Side Dishes post!

Perfect Roast Chicken

Stephanie LeBlanc
A simple recipe for the most delicious roast chicken you've ever had!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 roasting chicken 5-6 pounds
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 2 large oranges
  • 1 medium onion
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed with your knife
  • 2 tbsp butter melted
  • 1/2 pound bacon

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Remove the giblets from the chicken. Pat the chicken dry.
  • Liberally salt and pepper the chicken on the inside. Stuff with onions, oranges, and thyme.
  • Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the chicken.
  • Brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter and liberally salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.
  • Lay slices of bacon over the chicken to cover.
  • Roast in the oven for one hour.
  • Remove the bacon and set aside.
  • Roast the chicken for an additional 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.
  • Remove the chicken, set aside, and cover loosely with foil. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Keyword entertaining, healthy dinner, roast chicken

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Steph, aka Mrs L.

Hi! I’m Steph, aka Mrs L.

I'm so glad you stopped by today! Kick off your shoes and stay awhile. Leave with a lighter load and a pocket full of inspiration.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Subscribe!

Subscribe to receive updates and exclusive content!

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Recent Posts

  • Healthy Veggie-Packed Lasagna
  • Block Scheduling: What it is and why you need it
  • Elements of Art for Homeschoolers
  • Grandma’s Peach Cobbler
  • 20 Sensational Summer Desserts

Archives

  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020

Categories

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/InspiredMrsL/

Pinterest

Blog Archive

Categories

Follow On Instagram

After a much-needed break in which I: - moved - fo After a much-needed break in which I:
- moved
- found out we are adding another baby to our family
- got a handle (somewhat) of pandemic teaching
- took time to plan a new content focus,
I am back at it again! Look for new content soon up on the blog, including an interview I did with a fellow blogger about how we respond to others and events around us.
I know it’s a billion degrees outside but you ju I know it’s a billion degrees outside but you just never know when a craving will hit. Therefore, I’m sharing this amazing recipe adapted from a friend. It’s a family favorite with a little bit of an unorthodox method that’s genius! Link in bio! #lasagna #italianfood #healthydinnerideas #familyfavorite
Today is all about cooking with my kiddo and recip Today is all about cooking with my kiddo and recipe testing! This deliciousness will be dinner! Keep your eyes peeled for more recipes soon! #foodiesofinstagram #foodiefriday
At the beginning of the summer I invested about $5 At the beginning of the summer I invested about $5 in assorted beans (black, navy, red kidney, and split peas). Not only has she had an absolute blast using them for everything from scooping and sorting to “cooking” in her kitchen, these beans have come with the added life lesson of cleaning up messes. She loves sweeping! Do you have a little one who loves to clean? #earlylearning #lifeskillsforkids #montessoripracticallife
A few months ago, I was blessed to be a part of th A few months ago, I was blessed to be a part of the launch team for @jenhatmaker latest book, "Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire." Because this book is a complete life-changer, I started a series to share my take aways. This is the second post in that series: What I Need --> https://inspiredmrsl.com/what-i-need #fiercefreeandfulloffire
Today’s the day! You can get my FREE book of art Today’s the day! You can get my FREE book of art activities you can do to keep your child engaged and learning! Check it out now, link in bio! #playfullearning #artwithkids
You start thinking you *might* be letting your thr You start thinking you *might* be letting your three-year-old watch too many cooking shows when she hands you this and says to “stir the dry ingredients (including cilantro and mint) with your offset spatula”... @mollyyeh is her favorite #kidsinthekitchen #dramaticplay #chefinthemaking
Coming Soon! My new book is a collection of painti Coming Soon! My new book is a collection of painting activities with academic connections. Guess what?! It’s absolutely FREE to my subscribers! Click to sign up now! Link in bio!
Are you just overwhelmed by the endless, loud toy Are you just overwhelmed by the endless, loud toy noise at your house? So were we. That's when we decided to take a drastic measure. We packed up all of the toys and left our soon-to-be three-year-old with a bunch of blocks. Find out how we did it (and why). Link in bio. #parentingtips #earlylearning #playfullearning
Heading out for a 4th of July swim sporting my jel Heading out for a 4th of July swim sporting my jellies by @allthingsnewcreations! I love these! They’re lightweight and the teal matches several of my swimsuits! #summervibes #fourthofjuly #summerstyle #earringsoftheday

Copyright © 2021 Inspired Mrs L · Wordpress Theme by Hello Yay!