Perfect Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken is on the menu every week in our home, sometimes two times a week.   There is just nothing like the perfect roasted chicken.  It’s nourishing, so simple to make, takes little time to prepare and requires minimal ingredients.  Roasted chicken is the perfect comfort food and is elegant enough to serve to guests.

It’s so important to use the freshest ingredients for the perfect roasted chicken.  I only recommend using pastured chicken.  Pasture raised chickens are truly “free-range”.  They live outside and eat a diet that is species appropriate – bugs, worms, sprouts, leaves, etc.  Their meat is more nourishing and higher in nutrients than conventional chickens.  The flavor of the meat is more bold and rich compared to conventional chickens.  Because these birds are raised appropriately, their weight will not be as hefty as conventional chickens and will vary seasonally.  The average weight of the bird is 2 to 5 pounds ranging in price from around $12 to $18.  Make sure to check out local farmers markets and get to know the farmers!  Usually you will find the best prices at farmers markets.  See my Resources page to find your local farmers markets or where to buy pastured chickens in your area.

Perfect Roasted Chicken

There are many ways to cook a roasted chicken.  This is my favorite way to make it.  It happened by accident, due to our OLD oven that is not calibrated.  It makes for tender meat that falls off the bone and has crispy golden brown skin.

·     1 pasture raised chicken, 3-5 pounds (See Resources)*

·     ¼ cup pasture butter or grass-fed ghee, melted (See Resources)

·     1 tablespoon dried thyme or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, leaves only

·     Celtic sea salt

·     Freshly ground black pepper

·     1 bunch fresh thyme (optional)

·     1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)

·     1 cup filtered water, or more as needed

1. Prep oven by placing rack second to lowest, this will ensure chicken is in the middle of the oven.
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Melt pasture butter or ghee in a mini 4oz. oven-safe Ramekin in the oven while it preheats (or on the stove-top if you don’t have a oven-safe dish).
3. Remove any giblets from chicken and wash under cold water, inside and out. Remove excess water with hands, no need to waste paper towels. Place in 13x9x2 casserole dish, breast-side down. No need to truss the chicken, it’s more rustic this way anyway.
4. Stuff the fresh herbs in the cavity.
5. Remove melted butter from the oven. Add dried thyme, Celtic sea salt, and freshly ground pepper to the butter.
6. Pour butter-herb mixture evenly over the chicken.

7. Slowly add filtered water to the pan, near the corner, not over the bird.
8. Stick the chicken in the oven, set timer for 15 minutes.
9. At 15 minutes, turn oven down to 400 degrees. Baste chicken enough to knock all of the herbs and crusty bits off so they don’t burn as it continues to cook. The herbs will end up back on the skin through the basting process.
10. Set timer again for 15 minutes.

11. Continue to baste* chicken every 15 minutes until chicken is done, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 ½ hours.  Do not baste chicken again before you take it out of the oven, this would soften the skin. Chicken skin should be crispy and golden brown and leg should start to pull away easily from the body when pulled on with tongs. If the leg does not pull away easily, leave it in longer and check again. If you enjoy crispy chicken skin, or “chicken chips” as my little love calls it, make sure you take it off right away so it stays crisp. If left on the chicken, the heat and steam will soften it.
12. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
13. If there is any remaining liquid, serve it with the chicken. Or reserve for leftovers, once refrigerated, the fat will harden at the top and the yummy good stuff will settle to the bottom. Scrape off the top and use the delicious, concentrated, gelatin part while warming up the leftover chicken.  

Tip: If water is evaporating too quickly, add a little more water during baking process.  Or, if you want more reserved liquid after, add a bit more water.

Note: Save bones and chicken carcass to make homemade stock or broth. Store in freezer. 


* If you are a Northern California resident, check out my favorite pastured chicken from Cache Creek Meat Co.  They sell at farmers markets in Sacramento, Davis and Elk Grove, select grocery stores and restaurants.