Recipe Station

Here are our top 7 things NEVER to do when roasting a chicken. We'll never roast our chicken any other way now that we have these tips!

You're not using a cast-iron pan
OK, so you don't have to use a cast-iron skillet — admittedly, it's a little more unruly than your traditional pan. But for those who really want subtle, lyrical flavors to shine through, a cast-iron pan is well worth the extra work, especially if you've spent time seasoning and perfecting it. It's an art form in itself.

You aren't preheating your pan
This is especially true if you go the cast-iron skillet route. If you preheat your pan (in the oven or on the stovetop — doesn't matter) and then place your bird atop the heated skillet, the dark meat — most of which will be in contact with the hot surface of the pan — will get a leg-up on the easier-to-cook white meat. This will ensure an evenly cooked chicken. Which is what you want.

You're not letting it rest in the seasoning
Sometimes even dead chickens need to relax a little bit. Your bird should have ample time to rest in the flavor. Let your seasoned chicken hang in the fridge, after seasoning (more on that in a minute) for as long as you can — even up to a full day. This will deliver nice, crispy skin, and make sure all that seasoning is adequately soaked up.

You aren't patting that sucker dry before you season it
If you want to season the chicken's skin, make sure you pat it dry beforehand — it may seem obvious, but you'll be shocked at how many people mess this up.

You don't know about the dry brine
You can brine your chicken without submerging it in salty water. Try a dry brine, instead. Again, you want the chicken skin very dry, and to give the seasoning time to rest before you start cooking it. Use about 2 tablespoons of salt for a bird that weighs 2.5 to 3.5lb, and feel free to liberally apply orange or lemon zest — it pairs nicely with the salty flavor.

Also, MAKE SURE YOU RUB THE CAVITIES (unless you splay it, of course). This will make sure you get a nice, balanced taste reminiscent of a wet brine. We promise, if you do it right, it will be the same thing — and maybe even better. For more on optimizing your chicken's cavities… scroll down!

You don't use aromatics in the cavity
It sounds like a statement your dentist would shame you with, but in reality, if you are keeping your chicken in tact while cooking, it's definitely worth your while to stuff the cavity with fresh herbs, peeled garlic, diced onions, and even lemons.

The flavor will soak through the whole bird while it cooks, delivering evenly flavored meat, with an extra kick. The choice of seasoning is yours, of course, but you might want to keep in mind that some critics claim this kind of “inner seasoning” may make the skin less crispy… but in our experience the difference is negligible and the benefits well outweigh the risk.

You aren't burnishing the bird with fat
So you don't necessarily need to add extra fat to your chicken — just like you don't need to eat a tube of cookie dough and watch three episodes of The Wire before you go to sleep every night. It's just better when you do. Drizzle some olive oil, or a melted stick of butter, all over your chicken before you roast it to give it golden-brown skin and, um… fatty taste. Trust me. It's delicious. Or, you can coat your fingers with butter and (carefully!) peel back the skin and coat the inside of the bird with some butter between the flesh and loosened skin.

Did We Leave Something Out?

We're guilty of making some of these chicken roasting mistakes, but now that we know what not to do, our chicken tastes much better and is so amazing we take every opportunity we can to serve it to friends and family.

Tell Us Your Secrets!

Article Source: Thrillist