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

FAQs

What temperature does Jamie Oliver roast chicken at? ›

Cook for 1 hour at 225˚C/425˚F/gas 7. Use any excess fat that drips off into the roasting tray to roast your potatoes, or cook the potatoes in the tray with your chicken. The skin should be really crispy and the herbs will flavour the flesh – this really must be the best roast chicken.

For that golden brown crispy skin, you'll need to roast your chicken uncovered instead of covered. If you roast a much larger chicken, that needs more oven time, you may find that the skin on the chicken starts to become too brown.

On the temperature front, the differences between roasting and baking are fairly cut and dry. Both roasting and baking involve cooking with dry, ambient heat, usually in an oven. Roasting temperatures are typically above 400 degrees Fahrenheit while baking temperatures are about 375 degrees and below.

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.

The benefits of the hot steaming lemon going into the chicken are very obvious as the meat tastes amazing, and the chicken cooks slightly quicker because of it. Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When chicken is covered while baking, it traps steam and moisture within the dish, resulting in juicier results. The covering helps prevent excessive evaporation and keeps the chicken moist throughout the cooking process. Preventing dryness. Chicken tends to dry out more quickly when exposed to direct heat.

A 15-minute sit at room temperature will make the chicken cook more evenly, helping you avoid a brown outside with a raw, undercooked inside. Solution: When you're gathering all of the ingredients for dinner, go ahead and take the chicken (in the plate or dish where it's stored) out of the fridge.

Rubbing the chicken skin with oil before roasting, instead of basting with watery drippings, ensures even browning and a crisp skin.

Truss the legs of the bird

It's a little fussy, but trussing a chicken has an important effect on the finished product: when the wings and legs are tucked in close to the body, the end of the drumstick covers part of the breast, making sure it stays moist and helping the chicken cook evenly.

Do you put water at the bottom of a roasting pan? ›

"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."

After 30 minutes, remove the foil and baste the chicken with its juices and marinade. Reduce the heat to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and cook the chicken for another 30-40 minutes, until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer.

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.

Directions. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Season the beef with salt and pepper; sear in a hot roasting pan with the olive oil to brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Transfer to oven; roast, allowing 15 minutes a pound (450g) for rare or 20 minutes a pound (450g) for medium.

4) Time to roast

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.