How To Make A Perfect Roast Chicken Dinner

Published On 23 September, 2014 | BBQ, Dinner, KOL Foods, Lunch

I love roasted chicken.  My wife enjoys the thighs and legs, I enjoy the chicken breast, and we can happily dine on a chicken dinner with all the trimmings and a bottle of Chardonnay.  Overcook a chicken and the white meat will be dry and tough, but cook the bird perfectly and you’ll have an easy meal on the table in a little over an hour and ever since I referenced Lottie + Doof’s chicken recipe in this post, I’ve never cooked chicken any other way.

Photo: Lottie and Doof’s Pimentón Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Photo: Lottie and Doof’s Pimentón Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

You see, while low and slow will work for red meats or smoking poultry, if you really want that crispy skin on the outside, you need heat.  Ina Garten and Jamie Oliver agree.  Heat is your friend.  You also want to make sure you’re using the very best ingredients.  My great-grandmother’s spice blend, and a delicious organic chicken from my friends at KOL Foods.  You may have seen me share recipes using KOL Foods meat before, if you scroll to the bottom of this post, you can learn a little more about their ethos and philosophy.

As well as the health and nutrition benefits to eating KOL Foods meat, the flavor of their product can not be compared to any other kosher meat, fish or chicken that I have cooked with.  They are the only company in the US offering exclusively grass fed kosher beef (competitors will finish their beef on a diet of corn) and everything they do, they do with the utmost care and attention.

Four generations of this family have been using the same spice blend.

Four generations of this family have been using the same spice blend.

You can mix your spices each time you roast chicken, or keep a blend ready to make it even easier to get your perfect roasted chicken dinner on the table quickly.  My spice blend has 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder and paprika mixed with one teaspoon of white pepper and half a teaspoon of salt.  Even kosher chickens need salt!  Many kosher cooks will not salt their meat or poultry as salt is used as part of the “koshering” process, but I find just a little salt will go a long way to tie all the flavor together.

On those cold winter evenings when the sun sets earlier than seems normal, nothing is more comforting or delicious than a freshly roasted chicken with crispy skin and tender meat which is why I make large batches of this seasoning.  It’s great for chicken wings too.  If you really want to get your chicken full of flavor, peel back the chicken skin and put the seasoning on the meat before putting the skin back and and seasoning the top of the skin too.

For the most flavor, season the flesh and the skin before roasting your chicken.

For the most flavor, season the flesh and the skin before roasting your chicken.

When cooking chicken, you always want to be mindful of the internal temperature to make sure the chicken is cooked, and is safe to eat.  The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit and I always recommend using a meat thermometer to check your roasted chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat.

Always Use A Meat Thermometer - This American Bite

I always recommend using a meat thermometer to check your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The chicken might “look” cooked but this is the true test.

Perfect Roast Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

  • One whole chicken (2-3lb)
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika
  • White Pepper
  • Kosher Salt
  • One onion, no bigger than a tennis ball
  • One or two heads of garlic
  • Your favorite root vegetable (parsnips, carrots or potatoes are great choices)

Preparation and cooking

  • Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees
  • Make my traditional spice rub by combining 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder and paprika mixed with one teaspoon of white pepper and half a teaspoon of salt.
  • Pat down the outside of the chicken with a paper towel so that it is dry.
  • Peel back the skin of the chicken and generously apply the spice rub to the flesh.
  • Put the chicken skin back and add a little more seasoning to the top of the skin.
  • Peel an onion and put it inside the middle of the chicken.
  • Peel and slice your root vegetables, drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a baking pan and line with your vegetables.
  • Cut your heads of garlic in half and put them in the baking pan, place the chicken on top.
  • Cook, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, then cover and continue to cook at 375 degrees until the internal temperature reads 165 (likely 15-30 more minutes, depending on the size of the chicken).
Winner winner chicken dinner! Who's coming?

Hover over this image to share the perfect roast chicken dinner recipe on Twitter.

About KOL Foods

KOL Foods puts kosher meat and ethics on the same plate so you can feel good about the meat you eat. Every day the KOL Foods team work to create an honest, transparent food system that treats animals humanely, supports sustainable animal production, treats farmers and workers fairly, and improves the health of families and communities. Their gold standard: animals raised humanely on pasture enjoying their natural diets on sustainable farms, where the environment, health and concern for the community are paramount. As a values-based business, we produce food that is in harmony with nature, neighbors and tradition – all the way from farm to fork. And the results are delicious!  These are the meals a I have created using KOL Foods meat, chicken and fish.

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