Perfect roast chicken recipe | Jamie Oliver Christmas recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long to roast chicken in Jamie Oliver? ›

Put the lemon inside the chicken's cavity, with the bunch of herbs. Place the tray in the oven, then turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes.

1 – Use a meat thermometer – this is the most reliable method. Insert the thermometer at the centre of the thickest part of the piece being cooked. When the temperature has reached 75°C the meat is fully cooked.

Weigh your chicken and calculate the cooking time according to the guide below. Sit the bird in a roasting tin slightly larger than the chicken, and don't cover it with foil or you won't achieve a crisp skin. Basting your chicken during cooking will help keep the meat moist.

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

It's usually not necessary to add water to the pan for a roast chicken: the steam created by the water can prevent the skin from becoming browned and crisp.

30 to 45 minutes will do the trick. Taking the bird directly from the fridge to the fire will increase its roasting time and cook it unevenly. Another common mistake many home cooks make is not properly drying the chicken before roasting it. A damp bird makes for limp, soggy skin.

Some people like to crank up the heat for the final 10 minutes of the roast to crisp up the skin, but I find (especially with a spatchco*ck chicken) that roasting fast and hot all the way through gets the best results.

Poke the Meat

This method applies to chicken specifically. For properly cooked chicken, if you cut into it and the juices run clear, then the chicken is fully cooked. If the juices are red or have a pinkish color, your chicken may need to be cooked a bit longer.

Should you rinse a roast chicken? ›

Washing or rinsing chicken increases risk.

Salmonella, Campylobacter and other harmful bacteria live on raw chicken. Washing or rinsing doesn't remove this risk, it worsens it by helping the bacteria spread.

Without a cover, the heat can directly reach the surface of the chicken, resulting in a desirable golden-brown color and crispy texture. Browning and caramelization. Not having a cover promotes browning and caramelization, which adds depth of flavor to the chicken.

You'll need a pan in which to roast the chicken. A roasting pan with a rack is nice, particularly one with upright handles, which is easy to move around in the oven. But a rimmed sheet pan or oven-proof skillet (like cast-iron) works just as well.

Estimated Times for Roasting Whole Chickens

1 1/2 to 2 pounds—400 F (200 C/Gas 6)—45 minutes to 1 hour. 2 to 2 1/2 pounds—400 F (200 C/Gas 6)—1 to 1 1/4 hours. 2 1/2 to 3 pounds—375 F (190 C/Gas 5)—1 1/4 to ` 3/4 hours.

Otherwise, follow this general formula: Cook large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 20 to 30 minutes in a 375-degree-F oven. Cook large, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for 35 to 40 minutes in a 375-degree-F oven.

The short answer here is: set your oven to 350 degrees F. Put your whole, unstuffed chicken in the oven, and it's going to take 20 to 25 minutes for every pound that chicken weighs.