s/o of fav. soup - favorite roast chicken recipe?

Christine mentioned she roasts chickens two at a time. My grocery store is having a meat sale this weekend and I'm thinking of picking up some birds. I've only cooked a whole chicken once and it didn't come out very well.

Do you have a tried and true roast chicken recipe/method?

I take the easy way out and rub the chicken with a compound butter. Our favorite is a softened stick of butter mixed with either orange or lemon zest, garlic (fresh, though granulated garlic works in a pinch), onion, and whatever herbs strike my fancy that day. I tend to stick with thyme, oregano, rosemary, and marjoram. Just mix that into the butter and spread it on the chicken, both on and under the skin. After that I just roast it as normal. :thumbup:

This is my favorite rub for chicken:

http://teriskitchen.com/visitors/mjcchicken.html

It makes it taste like rotisserie chicken. I don't even baste it like the recipe usually calls for because that just wastes energy for me. I stick in some onions or oranges into the cavity of the chickens. Make enough rub for 2 (or do it in a huge batch if you find that you like it), and roast them at the same time. It makes a huge difference to have all t hat chicken at hand!

Roasted Sticky Chicken (I don't know why it's called that - it's not sticky except when you're putting on the rub lol)
[SIZE=-1]INGREDIENTS [/SIZE]

• [SIZE=-1]
• 1 large roasting chicken
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 4 teaspoons salt[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a resealable plastic bag; seal and refrigerate overnight. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]When ready to roast chicken, stuff cavitity (I stuffed both) with onions. Place in a shallow baking pan. Roast, uncovered, at 250° F for 5 hours. After the first hour, baste chicken occasionally with pan juices (every half hour or so). It may take a while to have pan juices. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan and the chicken will turn golden brown. If the chicken contains a pop-up thermometer, ignore it. Let chicken rest about 10 minutes before carving.
[/SIZE]


[SIZE=-1]**I never baste[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]**It never takes 5 hrs to cook through[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Chicken should get to 165F in the thickest part of the thigh or breast (be sure not to touch the bone with probe), and this usually never takes 5 hrs for me.
[/SIZE]

What is the taste (not health) difference in the final product when using a dry rub vs. flavored butter?

Totally different taste...butter will make a more crispy skin, and it's all fat, and our tongues love fat. The rub gives spice flavor, and the skin can be crispy depending on how long you roast it, etc. It's just two different flavors.

What if you mixed all the spices up with butter? That sounds like it might be tasty!

I love to cook - but I'm more skilled with pastas, casseroles, veggies, soups etc. Proper cooking of meat and baking are two things I'm still learning.

Oh my goodness... I have a super easy recipe... did it last night. I've never cooked a whole bird in my life (hubby does the bird at Thanksgiving)... well, take one bird and dump on Lawry's season salt inside and all around the outside... crock pot it for 4-6 hours on low. Tastes just like a rotisserie chicken...

I make lemon roasted chicken- the easiest ever- a few times a month. My family loves, loves it.
Take a roasting chicken (I like the ones with the pop-up timer), two lemons, and herbs (if desired). Take the gizzards, etc. out of the chicken cavity, rinse, and pat the chicken dry. Roll the lemons on the counter until they feel juicy. Take a toothpick, and poke about 18-20 holes in each lemon. Put the two lemons into the cavity of the chicken. (You can use toothpicks or thread to "tie" the chicken closed, but I seldom do.) If you want, you can then mix olive oil with some herbs (rosemary and thyme are our favorites, but poultry seasoning is good also) and brush on top of the chicken. Add salt and pepper to season. Put in roasting pan in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and continue cooking until done anywhere from 1 hour 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on size of chicken. This is the juiciest chicken we have ever had, with a very, very crisp skin.

MamaBee said:

Oh my goodness... I have a super easy recipe... did it last night. I've never cooked a whole bird in my life (hubby does the bird at Thanksgiving)... well, take one bird and dump on Lawry's season salt inside and all around the outside... crock pot it for 4-6 hours on low. Tastes just like a rotisserie chicken...

Click to expand...

Wow, that sounds so easy!