Or any bird, really. So, I've tried to do this a few times recently, according to recipes. They generally say to set oven temperature between 400-450, and basically cook between an hour and hour and a half... So I've done this, and while the chicken looks OK and the meat thermometer reading is fine, the skin is chewy and the meat doesn't come off the bone easily (i.e. I imagine a bird like the rotisserie chicken you get at the store). Anyone have any suggestions/experience? Should I cook much longer, "low and slow"? The last one: I just ended up giving it to the dog.
I swear by cooking bags. I use their recommended time and temperature. It's how I roast a turkey, and now I use them for chicken as well as brisket. If using for brisket, I drop the temp to 300 and add time. Pretty much the bag keeps the moisture where you want it, while giving you a tender bird. I am one of those cooks who will go with something like this if it makes my job easier and yields good results. There are two different sizes, so the smaller size works nicely for chicken. Good luck.
I use the crock pot. It does not give you crispy skin but man does the meat fall off the bone. I cover the bottom with carrots, celery, onion, and garlic cloves, then I cover the veggies in water or broth. Then I put garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper on the outside and in the cavity. I put about a full teaspoon of salt in the cavity, and maybe half a teaspoon on the outside. When I take the chicken out to cut it, I use an immersion blender to blend the liquid and veggies into gravy. This is my favorite way to roast a chicken.
This recipe is a great one - https://myyearwithchris.wordpress.com/2015/02/22/one-pan-roast-chicken-and-potatoes/
We do a lower temp for longer and it usually comes out great. This is one of our staples year round - not always whole chickens (that's more in the colder months) - also bone-in thighs or quarters. Thighs and quarters tend to be super cheap, too. I think we usually cook at around 350 degrees and it does take quite awhile. Thighs take about an hour. Whole chickens longer. So good, though! We typically brush with olive oil and use salt/ pepper/ lemon to season.
Does covering work to steam the chicken? (which would make the skin not-crisp) For a 4-5 lb. bird, whereas most recipes online have a 60-90 minute cook time, would going longer (2 hours) dry it out?
My hubby uses olive oil, salt &pepper on the turkey. I can't remember if he uses a bag. We have decided that baking it with breast down makes it more moist.
I undercooked it again, going for a little over 1.5 hours at around 400. Maybe I have the wrong idea... I'm looking for chicken like you get from the rotisserie at most supermarkets (almost like fall off the bone)... I'm actually considering getting a rotisserie as a result, so if anyone has anything to share there (i.e. if they're worth the money, or just another appliance that takes up space).
I'll be honest, my grandparents have a rotisserie oven (I think it's the George foreman one) and they loved it when they first got it. the meat does taste delicious. It's just a production to get the appliance all together and then clean if when you're done. Try the crock pot if you have one. I will never make a roasted chicken any other way.
It is hard to get rotisserie type chicken from regular roasting, but I have roasted chickens in the past with a lot of success and some utter failures. I've had some of those tough chickens. I tend to use whole fryers instead of roasters (I've not had luck with the roasters). I crank up the temp on the oven to 450. I put some oil and seasonings on the skin of the chicken (washed and dried first). In an open roasting pan with rack on the bottom (or a roasting chimney), I put the chicken in the hot oven for 15 minutes then turn the oven down to 350. I bake until it until the chicken reaches 165.
I think your problem came with the high temp and short cooking time. I have the oven over 350 and it usually takes 2 hours if it's around 6 pounds but longer if it's a bigger chicken. Also, I suggest you get a really good oven thermometer. We have a digital one that you can set and it tells you when it has reached the desired internal temperature. You put the thermometer in and leave the little digital display outside the oven and it comes with a little beeper you can carry around with you.
Electric roaster!!!!! Lightly brush chicken with mixture of olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper. Cook 20 min at highest temp, then reduce to 350 for about an hour( I think it is 20 min a lb.). This will give the chicken some decent color and it will fall of the bone like a crockpot.
Has anyone used one of those toaster overs with the rotisserie option? We have one and want to try it.
We have one with that attachment but haven't tried it out yet. This thread is making me want to give it a go, though. I agree that the crockpot is the best way to get that fall-off-the-bone texture that OP is looking for. If the skin doesn't need to be crispy, that's the best way to do it.
I had a rotisserie cooker from in-laws that sat on the counter. Cooked very well, chicken, turkey, and prime rib. It was a bugger to clean, however. Everything had to come out to be washed. Loved the food, hated the cleanup. I ended up using it primarily for prime rib and turkey breast, but it did a good job with cooking. Eventually the hinge broke, and it went to the dump. I think they bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond, and you can see to informational programs for them on TV. Good flavor, but I haven't replaced it, if that tells you anything. If I want rotisserie chicken, I go to Sam's Club.
It's a 4-5 lb. bird (I go with free-range, organic, which usually makes a smaller bird). I'm just going by popular recipes online. Let's get one thing straight: I'm no Emeril, so I think that's one BIG problem there. I'm just a guy trying to learn how to cook a little better. I think I'm worried about leaving it in too long and drying out. But I think that's what I'll do next: lower the temp a bit, and leave it for longer. And if it turns out bad... there's always the dog.
Did you try cooking it for an hour covered with tin foil then taking it off for the rest of the cooking time? Honestly, I don't think many (any?) of us are "Emeril". Practice does help though!
You definitely need to lower your cooking temps. Even turkeys cook lower and longer. I cover the bird with a tent for the first part of the cooking and remove the foil tent the last hour or so to crisp up the skin. I use olive oil (or canola would work) all over the bird and add salt, pepper, and other seasonings on top of the oil. For a turkey I like to put sliced oranges in the cavity. I'm sure that would be good for chicken too.
