- The cooking times for whole chickens will vary based on the weight of the fowl. Follow this procedure to make sure your chicken is cooked correctly. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove any chicken innards from the chicken's cavity. Wash it thoroughly and pat dry. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with about 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Place the whole chicken in the roasting pan with any flavoring ingredients you prefer. Common ingredients include rosemary, paprika, lemon and thyme. You can sprinkle all of these over the chicken, or place them in the chicken's cavity while the chicken bakes.
- Bake the chicken for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. At the end of this 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook the chicken an additional 15 minutes for each pound the chicken weighs. If your chicken is 3 pounds, you would cook it for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and then for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. If the chicken is 4 pounds, you would cook it for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and then another 60 minutes (one hour) at 350 degrees.
- Test the chicken to make sure it's done. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear after the chicken is pierced with a fork or knife. If the juices are not clear, return the chicken to the oven for five-minute periods until the juices are clear.
Comments
bosherus said
on 11/26/2009 Great article! Thanks for your tips. I used them today. 5* and a recommend.