Crispy Skin on Roasted Chicken
I've started cutting up a whole chicken before roasting in the oven, and I've had a hard time achieving a good crispy skin. I've been cooking it on 350 for about 45 minutes... maybe I should try a higher temp? I do put in under the broiler for a few minutes at the end but it doesn't get the same effect...
Any suggestions?
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25 Comments:
I think you may have trouble achieving the crispy skin because you have more exposed flesh, thus creating more steam in your oven. Is there a reason you are choosing to cut the chicken before you roast it? I'd suggest if you want the crispy skin, to keep it whole, and then carve away after it's cooked. I always get a perfectly crispy skin when I do the following:
Lift up the roasting chicken off the bottom of your pan with a rack.
Before placing in oven, rub chicken all over with a mixture of herbs and butter and salt and pepper...sort of like a paste of it.
I then place it into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes per pound. I leave it alone. I do not baste. I do not check it. I do not open the oven. I simply let it be, and I always get really good crispy skin (the best part, after all) that way.
juliebugsmama at 9:45AM on 03/05/09
Brining could certainly benefit your little birds skin! Take 1/2 a cup of Kosher salt or 1/4 cup of table salt and add to 2 quarts of water. Place your bird in let soak for a few hours (no longer than about 5)!
Remove from fridge...pour off the brine...rinse with cold water...pat it dry with paper towels! Now cook this baby up and see how crispy the skin is! (If you want the skin extra crispy...let it air dry in the fridge for another hour before cooking!)
Tip- Kosher chickens have already been brined...just make sure that their skin is dry before roasting...this will ensure the browned skin!
Hope this helps!
foodiegal at 9:55AM on 03/05/09
Olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary the whole bird then roast, with just some aromatics in the cavity, for about an hour and 10 minutes in a 475 degree oven. You can cut it up too, but I prefer high heat for crispy skin.
derosa at 10:03AM on 03/05/09
This is the recipe I use, and the skin always comes out really nicely. And yes, that is an Oprah recipe shutup.
joyyy at 10:26AM on 03/05/09
Do it all the time - up to an including last night. Whole chicken on rack in a pan. Sprinkled with whatever seasoning you like. I use smoky paprika, garlic, pepper and a little cumin. Roast at 425 - 45 minutes to an hour - sometimes longer depending on the size. Will always pull when temp of breast meat hits 170 degrees.
Ribster at 10:55AM on 03/05/09
We roasted a goose for the first time recently and followed the recipe's instructions for a crispy skin, which involved par-boiling the bird for just a couple of minutes and then leaving it in the fridge, uncovered, for two days to let the skin dry out, before roasting it. The skin was wonderfully crispy. I don't know why this "trick" would not work with chicken and, if so, why it's not standard procedure. Perhaps chicken skin gets crispy enough for most people's tastes without going to such lengths? But if it would crisp the skin even more, I'd do it every time.
Lorenzo at 11:39AM on 03/05/09
Just make sure you pat the whole thing dry before you put it in the oven. I always use the Zuni Cafe method, which is faaaaabulous. I made it on Valentine's Day and my boyfriend loved it.
meleyna at 11:45AM on 03/05/09
I've had a lot of luck using baking powder sprinkled on the skin along with the seasonings, and allowing the chicken to air dry for a while in the fridge before roasting. SE's own Nick has a great post on his site about it, the technique has worked well for me, both with whole birds and with pieces.
simon at 12:10PM on 03/05/09
these are great, thank you!!
Just to answer a question - I always used to roast chicken whole and then we stayed with my in-laws and my husband's mother (who is Czech and doesn't speak English, so I can't really discuss it with her) always roasts cut up pieces of chicken and duck. Hers comes out great, and my husband and I thought there was something to it... it seems like the only reason I'd choose to do it is because it seems so much easier to do the carving before hand, I find, and then just plate it up right away.
allyn at 12:12PM on 03/05/09
I think getting the skin dry before putting the bird in the oven is the crucial part. I don't use paper towels, so if I'm too impatient to let it air dry, I just take a hairdryer to the skin for a minute or two before it goes in the oven at 450.
thatgrrl at 12:35PM on 03/05/09
I use the Zuni method, too. Salt and season it overnight (or longer), pat dry and bake on high heat. The meat is so juicy and the skin is so crispy. I didn't realize I liked roast chicken until I roasted it this way.
popcornfordinner at 12:38PM on 03/05/09
I third the Zuni method. It always results in super crispy skin.
http://impulsivechef.blogspot.com/2009/01/zuni-cafes-roast-chicken-and-bread.html
devaleena at 1:31PM on 03/05/09
America's Test Kitchen (aka, my Mother's Bible) recommends drying out the chicken overnight in the fridge and rubbing the skin with baking powder to help it crisp up. They also say to poke holes in the places where there are fatty deposits, to let the fat run out so it doesn't flab up the skin.
Anyway, I'm sure the recipe is on their website somewhere. And no, I absolutely DON'T work for them! Promise!
TheCheapChick at 2:07PM on 03/05/09
Way!
hungrychristel at 2:40PM on 03/05/09
ooops...i mean way! but wrong topic :p
hungrychristel at 2:40PM on 03/05/09
Just by my own experience, I cook chicken thighs often and I like them to get nice and crisp. I cook them at 425 for about 40 minutes. I think you need the higher heat to get the crispy skin. I do not put oil on the skin before cooking.
dmcavanagh at 3:27PM on 03/05/09
When I roast chicken, I always make sure it's dry before putting it in the over then shove a pat of butter under the skin on top of each breast. I think my basic recipe was from derived from Elia's seven deadly sins chicken on Top Chef Season 2.
geenersaurus at 6:52PM on 03/05/09
I have used The New Best Recipe cookbook with their high-roast crispy skin recipe. After brining, they have you cut down the backbone, crack the ribs so the whole bird lays open and a bit flatter, then pat the skin dry. Rub with olive oil and roast at 500 degrees for 20 min, rotate, then 20-25 more minutes/until thigh is 160 degrees. It does come out quite crispy!
blueskies3 at 9:27PM on 03/05/09
I've found that the two keys to crispy skin (and I think most would agree with me) are too make sure the chicken is thoroughly dry and to add plenty of salt; more salt than you would think any doctor would safely recommend. I've also noticed that salting up to two days in advance can help the skin get crispy when roasted. For me, 450F for about 50 minutes (for a smaller bird) seems to do the trick: crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle.
http://culinarystudio.blogspot.com
EddieH at 6:39AM on 03/06/09
Thomas Kellers recipe...... it couldn't be simpler...salt pepper and a few optional ingredients and a little resting time....
http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/02/thomas-kellers-favorite-simple.html
Lia Bulaong posted this so you can thank her.....
Pavlov at 10:49AM on 03/06/09
@blueskies.... FYI: The term for cutting out the backbone and flatening the bird is known as "spatchcocking".
Pavlov at 10:53AM on 03/06/09
Thanks Pavlov----somehow that term sounds worse than it is!
blueskies3 at 9:07PM on 03/06/09
OK. I love good roast chicken, and I like crispy skin and moist breast. But I've seen in this thread people saying temperatures from 350 to 500! I have always stayed around 350, because I thought that higher temperatures would dry out the breast, but am I right? Should I scorch my chicken at 475 to get a nice crisp skin instead, and will it have a moist breast? I've been too cheap to perform this experiment myself. So my question is, do you get a good moist breast and crisp skin at 450 or higher, or do I stay with my good old 350?
minstrel at 12:23AM on 03/07/09
I also take out the backbone and roast the chicken flat at 400 F for about an hour, depending on size. I don't have to turn the chicken and the bottom skin is not soggy because the whole bird is opened and the skin is entirely exposed to the heat. The skin comes out crispy and the meat very juicy, and it gets dinner on the table that much quicker when people are hungry. Also, it makes carving easier, the pieces just practically come apart on their own.
midnightsnack at 1:41AM on 03/07/09
@ blueskies3 makes me feel kinda dirty just sayin it ...
Pavlov at 8:49AM on 03/08/09