How to Make the Best Roast Chicken

The criteria for a Perfect Roast Chicken is almost universal.

Whereas steak lovers might disagree about how to perfectly cook their meat —"medium-rare," "well-done," "nearly mooing"—nearly everyone seems to love a roast chicken with crackling skin burnished to a warm golden brown and meat that’s succulently moist and cooked through.

Sounds simple enough, but while roast chicken is not a difficult recipe to make, a few steps stand between "fine" and "fabulous." We’re here with the recipe to ensure excellent chicken every time: Our recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken With Pinenut & Currant Salad was inspired by San Francisco’s Zuni Café, which has turned out legendary birds day after day for decades.

7 TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST ROAST CHICKEN

Read on for tips that will turn any roast chicken into a restaurant-worthy one, whether you follow our recipe or want to wing it (heh…). You don’t need much to pull this off, just our HexClad Small Roasting Pan (and its inset rack), plus a whole chicken, natch.

1. PRE-SEASON CHICKEN

The goal with a great chicken is to avoid the dreaded contrast between salty skin and bland meat. Instead, recipe developer Anna Kovel recommends following Zuni Café’s lead and giving the chicken a day or two in the refrigerator with a dry rub of salt and pepper, both inside and out. This draws moisture out of the meat while leaving behind the perfect level of seasoning for when the bird roasts.

2. PLACE HERBS UNDER SKIN

Kovel suggests sliding some sprigs of herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage or a combo) between the skin and the meat. Not only does this look pretty, but separating the skin from the breasts allows air pockets to develop. (Read: The skin will be crispier once it roasts.) If you’ve never done this before, fear not; chicken skin is surprisingly resilient. Take off any rings before you begin, then shimmy the tips of your fingers, palm face-down, until the skin begins to separate from the breast meat. Continue sliding your hand slowly forward as the skin separates. 

3. NO EXTRA FAT NECESSARY

Though no one will be mad if you add a knob of butter or a slick of olive oil to the chicken before it roasts, it’s unnecessary to get the glistening chicken skin of your dreams. Pre-seasoning the skin will have drawn out the moisture necessary for the fat in the skin to crisp up on its own. Adding butter or oil will lead to steaming, which Thomas Keller of the French Laundry, among others, would have you avoid in order to get that skin nice and crisp. 

4. ROAST AT HIGH HEAT

Repeat after us: 450º F is the right temperature for great roast chicken. (Once again for the cheap seats: 450º is the best temperature for roast chicken!) Rather than go for a long roast at a lower temperature, which will produce evenly cooked meat that's dry, with limp, pale skin, you want to start and keep the chicken at high heat. This not only allows for well-caramelized skin, it means your dinner cooks more quickly.

5. FLIP THE BIRD

If you’ve ever lamented the uneven cooking on your roast chicken and wondered what could be done, take a cue from rotisserie joints and flip the bird. (No, not like that!) With our recipe for roast chicken, you’ll start it breast-side up before flipping it upside down to expose the back of the chicken to the oven’s dry heat. You’ll finish with a second rotation so that the breast is face up for a final crisping.

6. DON'T SKIP THE REST

It's done, but wait. Before diving right in, give the chicken at least 15 minutes before you carve it up. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and for any residual cooking to take place.

7. MAKE EPIC ROAST POTATOES

Before cooking, throw a pound of peeled, chopped potatoes onto the bottom of the roasting pan to absorb the chicken drippings. Not only do they infuse each potato with the rich, savory taste of roasted chicken, it helps keep the drippings from burning while the chicken roasts. Prefer another vegetable? Swap the potatoes out for carrots, parsnips, turnips, or any other veggie that benefits from a long time in the oven.

All that’s left to do now is head to the store, pick up a chicken, and get seasoning. Looking for serving suggestions? Our recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken features a delicious pine nut and red currant dressing that adds zing to every bite and a just-bitter-enough mixed chicory salad featuring radicchio, endive, and fri sée. If you have the time, generously brush a few planks of homemade sourdough with olive oil and grill them until just barely charred for dipping into the chicken juices.

You can thank us later.