Cooking 101: The Easiest Way to a Perfect Roasted Chicken
I must roast a chicken at least once or twice a month. Some butter and seasonings and a pop in the oven, and dinner practically cooks itself (and how good does your kitchen smell?).
Even better? If you roast two chickens you’ve got lunches and dinners for the rest of the week too! Chicken salad, fajitas, soup and stir fries – there’s no end to what you can do!
The only problem I have with this versatile dish is the carving. Messy, time consuming, annoying. So a few years ago I tried roasting the chickens after I cut them up.
Game. Changer.
The chicken cooks in half the time (a bonus on hectic weeknights!), and is ready to serve right out of the oven. And each piece has its own bit of crispy skin (my favorite part of roasted chicken!). And no mess!
For a truly stress-free meal, pop in a tray of veggies to roast while the chicken is cooking – and put your feet up till dinner’s ready (did I just say that?)!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces (cut the breasts in half so that all pieces cook evenly)
- 2 T. unsalted butter, softened
- 3 sprigs each fresh thyme and rosemary
- 2 onions, quartered
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Rub chicken all over with softened butter; season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan or baking sheet. Arrange onions, garlic and herb sprigs over and under chicken pieces.
- Cook for 20 minutes, baste with pan drippings. Continue cooking until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the chicken, onion and garlic to a platter; serve immediately.
