This recipe comes to us from FDP team member Bri DeRosa, who first shared it on her Red, Round and Green blog. We always make two chickens when we have Sunday chicken — it seems like a lot, and it is, but it means that a) you’ll be prepared for unexpected guests; and b) you’ll have enough leftovers to make several lunches, or to pop into a whole second dinner (chicken pot pie, anyone?). I also save the carcasses for making homemade chicken stock, so nothing goes to waste.
Ingredients
2 whole roasting chickens, approximately 4-5
pounds each
3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced, or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (remember to be relatively generous with the seasoning — you’re salting and peppering two whole chickens)
Optional: Herbs — fresh or dried — any combination you like. We often like dried herbs de provence in the wintertime; for fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme, parsley, fennel, and even basil or dill can be used. You’ll need a few tablespoons of minced fresh herbs, or one tablespoon of dried.
Something to stuff into the cavities of the birds — we usually quarter a lemon, an orange, and a whole onion (don’t bother peeling anything), and stuff the cavities with a mixture of the fruits and onion.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove giblets from the cavities of the chickens.
3. Rinse inside and out with cold water, then dry
thoroughly with paper towels.
4. Place them breast-up in a large roasting pan (or two smaller pans, if you don’t have a big one).
5. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs. I run my fingers between the skin and the meat of the chicken to loosen it, then rub half of the butter mixture under the chicken skins and half over the top of the chickens — the butter on the meat itself, locked under the skin, keeps the meat really juicy and flavors
it nicely.Rubbing herb butter over the skins browns them well and makes the skin nice and crisp.
6. Stuff the cavities of the chickens with the lemons, oranges, and onions.
7. Roast the chickens at 400 degrees for about an hour and a half, depending on the size of the birds. The way I figure time for this is to take the average weight of one of the chickens (say, 4.5 lbs) and calculate 15 minutes per pound (that would be about 67 minutes for a 4.5 lb chicken). Then I round up — making it
about an hour and 10 minutes for two 4.5 lb chickens.
8. After cooking, let the chickens rest on the countertop, covered with foil, for about 15 minutes prior to carving.
Follow these expert guidelines to cook flavorful, juicy chicken, including how long to cook a whole chicken and how long to bake chicken pieces.
Chicken is perhaps the easiest and most versatile main ingredient you can cook for the family. So if you arrived on this page and already have a chicken recipe in mind or want to simply bake chicken for weekly meal prep, you're in the right place. Here you'll find out how long to roast a chicken and all the cooking times you need for meaty chicken pieces or quarters.
We don't stop at just roasting—we've got the full breakdown of how long to cook chicken in a skillet, under the broiler, and even by boiling. No matter which method you prefer, you'll find how long to cook a chicken.
Andy LyonsHow Long to Cook a Whole Chicken
Roast chicken is juicy and delicious. Check out our complete instructions and tips for cooking a whole chicken. Knowing how long to roast a chicken is key. Listed here are the exact cooking times by weight. The chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 175°F in the thigh muscle or until drumsticks move easily in sockets.
How long to roast a chicken at 375°F:
- 2½- to 3-pound chicken: Roast 1 to 1¼ hours
- 3½- to 4-pound chicken: Roast 1¼ to 1½ hours
- 4½- to 5-pound chicken: Roast 1¾ to 2 hours
Fire up your grill and cook a whole chicken with these times and weights in mind:
- For a 2½- to 3-pound chicken, grill for 1 to 1¼ hours
- For a 3½- to 4-pound bird, grill for 1¼ to 1¾ hours
- For a 4½- to 5-pound chicken, grill for 1¾ to 2 hours
You can also cook a whole chicken by boiling (poaching) and make a stock from the bones using our recipe.
How Long to Cook Chicken Breast and Other Meaty Pieces
In addition to chicken breast, meaty pieces include drumsticks and thighs. Doneness should be determined with an instant-read thermometer ($15, Target): 165°F for breast meat and at least 175° for thighs and drumsticks.
- Bake chicken at 375°F for 45 to 50 minutes. View the full range of times and temperatures for chicken legs and quarters and breast meat in our detailed guides.
- Grill chicken thighs for 12 to 15 minutes and chicken breast halves 15 to 18 minutes. Get our full guide on grilling chicken.
- Broil chicken pieces 25 to 35 minutes. Learn all the steps to easily broil chicken.
- Sauté chicken breast 12 to 15 minutes (6 to 8 minutes for flattened chicken or tenders) and 14 to 18 minutes for chicken thighs. Learn how to sauté chicken like a pro with tips from our Test Kitchen.
- Boil (poach) boneless chicken breast halves 12 to 15 minutes (bone-in chicken breast should cook for about 30 minutes). We've got a guide to boiling chicken, too.
Craving chicken yet? Practice cooking a whole chicken, chicken breast, or meaty pieces using any method with an easy chicken recipe or healthy chicken dinner tonight. You can make some crispy fried chicken in the oven or roast a whole chicken with herbs or a homemade rub. Bring the heat with a spicy chicken recipe if you like a little kick in your meals. The possibilities are endless.