The Carolina Cuisine Network

Who feels like chicken tonight? Don’t shy away from buying a whole bird. This recipe and your family are worth it.

Perfectly Roasted Chicken

Whole chicken is an inexpensive and nourishing option any day of the week. Chicken is high in nutrients and protein and low in fat and calories. Oven roast it with root vegetables and you’ve got a meal fit to serve holiday company or family on a Tuesday. It’s really a versatile go-to meal that can be as “dressed up” as you want. With minimal effort and some seasonings, you can make a great roasted chicken that can become one of your household favorites.

Whole natural chickens cost between $3.00 to $10.00 per pound, depending on what market and if the bird was free-range, organic, etc. I tend to buy a young, small organic bird weighing around 3 pounds that makes two meals for our family of three and costs around $15.00 total. You can add lemon and garlic like shown, add stuffing to the cavity, truss the legs, or bake barbecue sauce on the skin during the last 6-8 minutes of cooking. Any way you bake the bird, it’s sure to be a hit.

Serve chicken with roasted root veggies, lemons, and garlic cloves for a complete one-pan dinner. As-is, this meal is low fat, high protein, nutritious, and carb-free. Just add biscuits! Get the recipe here.

Roasted Chicken

It all begins with a good bird! Buy the best looking, naturally raised chicken around 3 pounds that you can find. If more meat is needed, buy 2 young hens. Check the skin for no bruises and make sure the date is good for a few days even if you intend to cook it that evening.

Prepare the Chicken:

Preheat oven to 405 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Remove the neck and organs from the cavity. Use a paper towel to dry the chicken skin.
• Use kitchen shears to snip off the wing tips. You can save these for making chicken stock later. Use cotton twine to truss or tie the legs together if desired.
• Rub a light canola or vegetable oil all over the skin.
• Generously salt the outside skin with kosher or non-iodize salt. Sprinkle with black pepper, garlic powder and paprika or Italian seasoning or oregano. Choose the seasoning blend you like. Lemon pepper, Greek seasoning blend, or Cajun seasoning are also delicious.
• Bake chicken at 405 degrees about 25 minutes or until browning begins. Turn temperature down to 325 degrees and finish cooking the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. Cook about 25 minutes per pound until done. Allow chicken to rest out of the oven an additional 5 to 10 minutes prior to cutting it.
• Refrigerate leftovers or eat within 3 days. There are many ways to enjoy this meal. Try serving it with Creamy Southern Style Pea Salad for 2, Do You Enjoy a Warm Buttery Biscuit? and tea; How to Brew Delicious Tea, Iced or Hot.

PRO TIPS:

• A proper roasting pan is the key. I use a wire rack to keep the meat out of the juices and allow for crispy skin. I got this roaster at our wedding and use it pretty often. It makes a great turkey or Boston butt pork roast too.
• Spray the rack with vegetable, canola, avocado, or olive oil to prevent chicken from sticking and tearing the skin during removal.
• Line the bottom of the roasting pan with parchment paper for easy clean up. Aluminum foil works well also, wax paper is Not recommended.
• Marinating or brining the meat is not necessary when using a young, healthy chicken. If you like, you can marinate or brine whole chicken from 4-12 hours prior to cooking for extra flavor.
• Cooking root vegetables or Brussel sprouts under the meat adds flavor and makes a rounded one-pan meal. You can add a bread, gravy, and other side dishes if desired.
• Cooked chicken is very versatile. Cut leftover meat off the bones and shred for quick, great leftovers that don’t look like leftovers. Top a salad, stir up a quick chicken salad, reheat with taco seasonings for tacos, make chicken enchiladas, make a quick chicken noodle soup, stir it into a casserole with rice, stir it into a pot of boiling rice with curry or reheat meat with taco seasoning for tacos or quesadillas.
• My favorite way to reuse leftover chicken is adding it to sauteed bell peppers, onions, and garlic for a chicken Philly. Top with cheese or cheese sauce and serve it in warmed garlic French bread or a low-fat pita pocket with shredded lettuce and garlic aioli sauce, yummy!