Cooking Question - Topeka,KS

Updated on April 20, 2011
T.H. asks from Beverly Hills, CA
14 answers

I feel stupid that I don't know this, but I have never Roasted a Chicken before. Any tips or recipes you could share would be appreciated. Do you partially cover with water like you do when you are making a beef roast? Do you use chicken bouillon? Best to start it frozen or defrosted? As you can tell, I need help! I have a whole chicken in my deep freezer I would like to serve tonite for dinner.

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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

HAve you heard of Engagement Chicken? Supposedly it is a chicken so good if you make if for your bf he will propose!

Engagement Chicken
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:
•1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
•1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish
•1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
•Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch fl at-leaf parsley)
1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fi tted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)

4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken— this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Want more recipes that’ll change your life? Get Glamour’s cookbook, 100 Recipes every Woman Should Know.

Read More http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2006/07/engagement-chicke...

5 moms found this helpful

N.G.

answers from Dallas on

If the chicken is frozen now, it's going to be hard to have it for dinner. A chicken needs quite a while to thaw. Submerge it in a sink full of cold water all day will be your best chance at it thawing.

Rinse the chicken, add seasoning and butter if you want on the outside and in, put garlic, onions, herbs, whatever inside the chicken, put in a roaster pan, and bake at 325 for a few hours. Higher temp, lower cooking time. 325 is about the lowest you should go though. I prefer low and slow. Baste the chicken in its own juices as it cooks. No need to add broth or water to the bottom of the pan.

3 moms found this helpful
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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

First, you need to get that chicken out of the freezer--NOW. To help defrost it quicker, you can put it it in a big bowl or pot of cold water to cover it and change the water every couple of hours. I have done this and the chicken is usually defrosted enough to cook. You do not add water like a roast. You can use whatever seasonings you have on hand. I usually use a little salt and pepper and olive oil rubbed onto the chicken including under the skin as much as I can without removing the skin (my mom uses butter), then tuck garlic, sage, and thyme under the skin before putting in the oven. How long to cook depends on how big it is in pounds. Mine is usually about 6 pounds for about an hour at 350 degrees. I keep an eye on it for the last half hour or so. If you use a meat thermometer, it is easier to tell when done. Sometimes I will put a cutup orange and limes in the cavity of the chicken along with more herbs. Oh, and make sure you remove anything inside the chicken before you do prep it for cooking. I save these for making soup. I also usually cover the chicken with aluminum foil for the first part of roasting so it does not burn and then remove for the rest of the time in the oven.

2 moms found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

It's not going to be for dinner tonight! It needs at least a day to thaw in the fridge. You can try to defrost it in water but you need to keep changing the water. You're better off buying a chicken at the store - it will take less time!

You need something to moisten the skin so it doesn't burn - you can use oil, butter, margarine, or a combination with chicken broth. Use the fat to rub over the chicken, then put the broth in the bottom of the pan. You can use bouillon if you dilute it to reduce the salt, but you still need some sort of fat in there, and you need to baste it a lot. You can also use some white wine with broth. As for herbs or things like onions in the cavity, there are so many options and you really can't go wrong. Thyme and rosemary are very common, along with salt & pepper. Lemon and orange juices & wedges are common too.

Put it in a roaster pan on a rack of some sort so it doesn't sit in the liquid, but you can use a baster to suck up the liquid periodically and squirt it over the bird. You can use any turkey roasting recipe and just adjust it for the weight of the bird.

You also should have a thermometer to check for internal temp.

There are many websites with easy recipes: cooks.com, allrecipes, or those of celebrity chefs like Rachael Ray. Sometimes the companies that sell the chicken have websites - Butterball, etc. You might also invest in a classic cookbook like Joy of Cooking (which has way more info than most people will use, but the details are there when you want them).

1 mom found this helpful

G.R.

answers from Dallas on

i will put it in cold water in the sink and it will defrost iam sure in 2 hours

1 whole chicken (about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons melted margarine or 2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (can use more lemon juice if desired)
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoning salt (or use as much as desired)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 whole lemon (poked all over with holes using a fork, can use 2 small lemons) i like lemon pepper powder

Rinse the chicken inside and out well under cold water, then pat dry using a paper towel.
2 In a small bowl mix the lemon juice with oil and melted butter until blended, then rub all over the chicken.
3 Using clean hands rub the inside and outside of the chicken with seasoned salt, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne (you can season the chicken under the skin also if desired).

Place the lemon/s inside the cavity.
5 Place the chicken into a baking dish (you can place the chicken onto a small roasting rack if desired and you may want to add in a little water to the pan to prevent smoking).
6 Using cotton string tie the legs together tightly.
7 At this point you may cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours (not more than that or the acid in the lemon juice will start to "cook" the chicken).
8 Set oven to 450 degrees F.
9 Roast the chicken at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for about 40 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches about 175 to 180 degrees F. about 1 hour or a little less).
10 Cover with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing (do not slice before that time or the juices will flow out!).

1 mom found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

not tonight! give that puppy a day to defrost. you can't cook it frozen, and it takes a while to thaw out.
i don't roast my chickens in water. i do it very simply. season it inside (neck and abdomen) and on the skin with spices. if i have a fresh orange i squeeze that onto the skin, then roast with half an orange in the cavity. rub it with olive oil, then a nice 'frosting' of sea salt on the skin. pop it in the oven at 350 for an hour or so (use a meat thermometer or just slice into the meat close to a bone to check) and voila! simple delicious roast chicken.
:) khairete
S.

1 mom found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Detroit on

i like these tips!

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Exactly what Nikki said - you might need to wait and have chicken tomorrow! You can put whatever you want in the inside of the bird, it adds moisture as it cooks - oranges, apples, lemon, herbs, celery, carrots, basically whatever you have on hand. Rub the outside with butter or olive oil, salt and pepper and any herbs.

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J.A.

answers from Wichita on

I go to Taste of Home site and type in roasted chicken and you'll get so many ideas, or just google it and you'll spend all day looking at recipes. Enjoy your roasted chicken.

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A.C.

answers from Columbus on

First, you'll need to defrost/thaw the chicken for at least 24 hours, or maybe even 2 days, in the fridge.

Here's a great website to help you out:
http://www.helpwithcooking.com/cooking-poultry/roast-chic...

(from the website)
The table below is a guideline for roasting times for a chicken at 375ºF (190ºC).
Chicken Roasting times (unstuffed)
2½ - 3 lbs - 1 - 1¾ hrs
3½ - 4 lbs - 1½ - 1¾ hrs
4½ - 5 lbs - 1½ - 2 hrs
5 - 6 lbs - 1¾ - 2½ hrs

I rub olive oil and herbs (garlic, rosemary, thyme, majoram) under the skin (on the large body areas), and a little bit over the skin. I place half of an onion and sometimes a half of a lemon in the cavity.

If the skin is browning too much, I loosely place a piece of foil over the chicken.

I do not stuff my chicken or turkey (too worried about food poisoning). You can add the stuffing in a 2nd pan under or to the side of the chicken, if you want to do that.

Lastly, make sure to wipe down your cooking and prep areas (including the fridge) to get rid of salmonella.

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

Make sure your chicken is well defrosted. Make sure you take any parts like the neck, etc out of the cavity.
We always wash our chicken. You can put garlic, some salt and pepper on it. Paprika gives it a beautiful color. Put it in a backing dish and bake it.
It's pretty simple, really. We also like to make beer chicken. Pour out or drink half a beer and then sit the cavity of the chicken over the can of beer.
It makes the chicken really, really moist. You can also use a can of soda to do the same thing.
Make sure it gets good and done. You can cover it with foil to keep the juices in and then uncover it for about the last hour so it can really brown up. You can baste it just like a turkey.
Sometimes we put lemon and rosemary inside the cavity for flavor.
Once you've tried it, you can experiment with different things.
You'll do great!

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S.A.

answers from Kansas City on

Just goodle "roasted chicken" and I would say never frozen.

Roasted Herb Chicken & Potatoes By: Kikkoman
"Arrange the potatoes, onions, and whole chicken in a pan, season with a piquant Kikkoman Soy Sauce mixture, and let the oven do the rest!"

Original Recipe Yield 6 to 7 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (4 pound) whole roasting chicken

Directions
1.Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; cut each piece crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place with onion in large, shallow foil-lined baking pan. Combine next 7 ingredients; drizzle 1 Tbsp. mixture over potato mixture and toss until evenly coated.
2.Discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken under cold running water; drain and pat dry. Place chicken, breast side up, in center of pan, moving potatoes aside. Brush chicken, including cavity, thoroughly with soy sauce mixture.
3.Roast in 375 degrees F oven about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part not touching bone registers 180 degrees F, brushing chicken with soy sauce mixture every 30 minutes and stirring vegetables. Remove from oven; let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with potatoes.

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M.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Don' feel stupid...we are constant works in progress!!

When I have questions regarding recipes or cooking I tend to fall back on allrecipes.com. THere are sooo many cooking/baking tips..even videos for you to watch. I can't say enough about this website!!

Happy roasting!!

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

I have learned the hard way - NEVER cook anything in the oven or slow cooker that is frozen - it comes out dry.

Take the chicken out and defrost it - put it on one side of your sink in hot water and within an hour - it should be defrosted - especially if you change the water frequently.

Remove all the giblets, put it in a pan, cover it with spices - whatever floats your boat - add about 1 cup of water (broth if you want) and put foil over the pan - then cook it at 350 for about 1.5 hours - if you have a meat thermometer - check it at 1 hours.

If you have fresh potatoes and carrots - put them in there with them.... the whole house will smell divine!!!

For pot roast - LOTS AND LOTS of onions - the Lipton Onion soup mix and water - PARTIALLY cover with water or beef broth and slow cook!!! YUMMM!!!!!

Good luck!!

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