Roast chicken is a classic dinner that never goes out of style. When properly cooked, it results in crispy skin moist meat and plenty of delicious pan drippings for making gravy or sauce. While roasting a chicken seems simple, it can be tricky to get the timing just right so all parts are fully cooked without any being overdone. The key is using a low temperature and slow roasting method.
What is Slow Roasting?
When you slow roast food, you cook it at a low temperature (usually 275 to 325°F) for a long time. This lets the heat slowly reach the whole chicken, making sure it cooks evenly. If you cook the chicken slowly, you have more time before it gets too done. It also renders the fat under the skin, which makes the skin very crisp.
Some advantages of slow roasting chicken include
- Very moist, tender meat
- Crispy browned skin
- Latitude in cooking times without drying out
- Ability to multitask while chicken roasts
How Long Does it Take to Slow Roast a Chicken?
The total amount of time your chicken needs to roast will depend on its size, but allow about an hour per pound at 300°F. A 4-5 pound chicken may take 4-5 hours.
While that may seem like a long time, the great thing about slow roasting is you don’t have to babysit it. Get the chicken in the oven during the afternoon and go about your day – run errands, fold laundry, etc.
Don’t just look at the roasting time to tell if the meat is done; always use a meat thermometer. The thickest part of the breast should be 165°F and the thickest part of the thigh should be 175°F before chicken is safe to eat. As it rests, the meat will cook a little more.
Tips for Slow Roasting Chicken
Follow these tips for slow roasted chicken perfection every time:
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Start with a high quality bird. Free range and organic chickens have more fat and flavor. Kosher chickens are salted, which helps season and tenderize the meat.
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Truss the chicken. Tying the legs together helps the chicken cook evenly. Use butcher’s twine or silicone trussing bands.
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Season generously under and on the skin. Plant-based flavors like garlic, herbs, and spices make their way into the meat.
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Use a roasting rack. Elevating the chicken allows air circulation for crispy skin. The rack catches drippings too.
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Roast at 300-325°F. This gentler heat prevents the delicate breast meat from drying out.
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Baste with pan drippings. Brush the chicken with the rendered fat and juices every 45-60 minutes. This bastes and crisps the skin.
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Let rest before carving. Allowing the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes allows juices to redistribute for moister meat.
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Make flavorful gravy from the pan drippings. All those browned bits equal intense, concentrated flavor.
Sample Roasting Timetable
To give you an idea of what to expect, here is a sample timeline for roasting a 5 pound chicken at 300°F:
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3:00 pm: Remove chicken from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while heating oven to 300°F. Rinse chicken, pat dry, and truss. Season all over.
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3:30 pm: Place chicken breast-side up on roasting rack in pan. Roast for 1 hour.
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4:30 pm: Baste chicken with pan drippings. Roast for 1 hour more.
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5:30 pm: Baste chicken again. Roast for 30 minutes and check temperature.
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6:00 pm: Chicken registers 165°F in breast and 175°F in thigh. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes.
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6:15 pm: Carve chicken and serve immediately with pan gravy. Enjoy your perfectly slow roasted chicken!
With this foolproof technique, you’ll never have to settle for grocery store rotisserie chicken again. Homemade slow roasted chicken is worth the minimal hands-on time for maximum flavor and juiciness.
Why This Recipe Works
Larger chickens will obviously require longer roasting time. I suggest adding five minutes of cooking time at 375 degrees for every additional quarter pound of weight over three and one-half pounds (a four-pound bird, for example, would roast for a total of forty minutes at 375 degrees). After fifteen minutes at 400 degrees, if the bird is still not cooked, keep it in the oven until the thigh meat is done. Do not stuff or truss a slow-roasted chicken.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Place chicken, breast side up, on oiled V-rack set in shallow roasting pan. Roast 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Roast 1 hour. Increase temperature to 400 degrees and roast until instant-read thermometer inserted in thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 20 minutes. Carve and serve.
EASY No-Fail Slow Roasted Chicken – 2 Ingredients – Roast Chicken Perfection!
FAQ
How long should you slow roast whole chicken?
Cover chicken and bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink, and juices run clear, 4 to 5 hours.
How long to cook a whole chicken at 300 degrees?
A whole chicken cooked at 300°F (150°C) typically takes 2. 5 to 3 hours to cook, but the exact time depends on the chicken’s size and oven temperature consistency.
What’s the best way to slow cook a chicken?
Brush the oil over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for 4–4 ½ hours or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked – the meat should be almost falling off the bones. Take off the lid and use a skewer to poke a hole in the thickest part of the bird. Check to see if the juices run clear.
Can you slow roast chicken at 250 degrees?
Roast the chicken for 5 hours (yep, that’s right) at 250º F (that’s right, too). After 1 hour, the chicken will start exuding some juice. Tip the chicken to drain juices from the cavity and baste with a brush. Do this every 45 minutes while the chicken is roasting.