Having a tried and true roast chicken recipe that always results in crispy skinned, super juicy chicken is something that everyone should have in their kitchen arsenal. It works great for everything from a comforting Sunday meal to a last minute Tuesday dinner party with friends.
While your chicken is roasting away to golden brown perfection, you can whip up a batch of mashed potatoes, a green salad or some pasta tossed in a creamy white sauce.
Doesn’t this all sound delicious? Well, then let’s get started…
Similar to red meat, you want to let chicken sit out a bit before cooking. If you put really cold chicken over heat, it will cook unevenly. Allowing your chicken to sit out for 15-30 minutes will let the internal temp match the external temp and then when you begin cooking, the chicken will cook evenly throughout.
You also want to pat the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning it.
Speaking of seasoning, there are so many ways that you can season your chicken. This recipe is my go to way of seasoning chicken that I plan on using in a salad or soup or on a sandwich… the everyday stuff, but you can literally season your chicken any way that you love before roasting it. If you want to make this chicken even quicker, you can use a packet of taco seasoning to make great chicken for tacos or nachos or you could use an Italian seasoning mix and put that chicken over some garlic butter pasta or go a little more international and use some garam masala for Indian inspired chicken. The possibilities are endless! I do recommend dry seasoning the chicken prior to roasting though, as adding wet seasoning, butter, olive oil or sauces may prevent the skin from crisping up as good as it does when dry roasting.
Today, I am seasoning my chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, tajín seasoning and some dried parsley. You can also add a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Once the chicken has been thoroughly dried and seasoned, place it on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes (depending on how large your pieces of chicken are).
Did you know that there is a fool proof way to tell when your chicken is cooked? Using a meat thermometer will both allow you to know for sure that your chicken is cooked through and it helps to prevent over cooking, which can make your chicken dry. A meat thermometer is something that everyone should have in their kitchen. It is so useful!
Chicken is cooked through when its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees at the thickest point
Keep an eye on your chicken and if the skin looks like it is getting too dark, lay a piece of foil lightly over the baking sheet. Do not tightly attach the foil, as this could steam the chicken and prevent the skin from crisping up.
Once your chicken is cooked through with crispy, golden brown skin, transfer the chicken onto a platter and let it rest for a few minutes to give the juices some time to redistribute.
Serve your beautiful roast chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans, a salad, pasta… anything your heart desires…
Crispy Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- bone-in skin-on chicken
- seasoning (such as garlic salt, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, dried parsley, sea salt, black pepper... etc.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Pat chicken dry on all sides with paper towels
- Season chicken on both sides with spices
- Arrange chicken on the rack of a roasting pan and bake at 425 degrees for 45-60 minutes
- Chicken is ready when the skin is crispy and the thickest portion reaches 165 degrees with a meat thermometer
