Roast chicken in a crust recipe | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long to roast chicken in Jamie Oliver? ›

Put the lemon inside the chicken's cavity, with the bunch of herbs. Place the tray in the oven, then turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Weigh your chicken and calculate the cooking time according to the guide below. Sit the bird in a roasting tin slightly larger than the chicken, and don't cover it with foil or you won't achieve a crisp skin. Basting your chicken during cooking will help keep the meat moist.

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

Uncovered baking typically requires less time to cook compared to covered baking. The direct heat exposure allows for faster cooking, which can be advantageous when you're looking to save time or achieve a faster cooking process.

Key Differences Between Roasting & Baking

Temperature: Typically, roasting requires a higher temperature (400°F and above) to create a browned, flavorful “crust” on the outside of the food being cooked. Baking generally occurs at lower oven temperatures, up to 375°F.

To achieve maximum crispness, the skin has to start dry and stay dry – if water is present, it will create steam, which inhibits crisping. For the ultimate crispy skin, start your prep the day before. After quickly rinsing your bird, be sure to thoroughly dry it inside and out with paper toweling.

Another great tip is to cook your chicken upside down for the first 30 minutes which helps keep the breast meat beautifully moist and tender. Once thoroughly cooked, remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Remember to use any juices from the rested chicken in your gravy.

Simply insert your food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken (for a whole chicken, that would be the breast). You know your chicken is cooked when the thermometer reads 180°F (82°C) for a whole chicken, or 165°F (74°C) for chicken cuts.

How do you calculate roasting time for chicken? ›

You have two options for roasting your chicken: low and slow or hot and fast. To make the right decision, you first have to decide what type of chicken you're craving. For sticky, rotisserie-style skin with fall-apart meat, cook it at a low temperature for hours.

For large boneless, skinless chicken breasts: cook them 20 to 30 minutes in a 375 degrees F oven. For large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: cook them 35 to 40 minutes in a 375 degrees F oven. For answers to all the rest of the questions you might have, the article How Long to Cook Chicken Breast In the Oven?

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.