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?
Slow roasting refers to cooking food at a low temperature (usually 275-325°F) for an extended period of time. This allows the heat to gently penetrate the entire chicken, ensuring even cooking. Going low and slow gives you a larger window of time before the chicken is overcooked. It also renders the fat under the skin, crisping up the skin beautifully.
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?
Total roasting time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, but plan on about 1 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.
Always use a meat thermometer to determine doneness rather than relying on roasting time alone. Chicken is safe to eat once the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 175°F. The meat will continue cooking a bit more as it rests.
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. Flavorful herbs, spices, and compounds like garlic work 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). If the bird is still not cooked after fifteen minutes at 400 degrees, keep the bird in the oven until the thigh meat comes up to temperature. 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?
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. Remove the lid and pierce the thickest part of the bird with a skewer and make sure 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.