How To Make The Perfect Roast Chicken

Roasting a chicken does not have to be too complicated — put away the exotic spices and the mirepoix, and go back to the basics. All you'll need to make the perfect roast chicken is a few key ingredients: the chicken, of course, and salt, pepper, and butter. Along with a few tools (a roasting pan, a roasting rack, and twine), it doesn't get much simpler than that.

To start, leave your chicken out and let it reach room temperature, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F, and pat your chicken dry on the inside as well as the outside — if your chicken is wet this creates steam, which will lead to a dry chicken — which is something we do not want. It's also important make sure the cavity of the chicken is clean before moving on to the  next step: seasoning the chicken. Season the outside and the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place about a tablespoon of butter under the skin where the breasts are — this will ensure that the breasts are juicy when the chicken is done.

The next step is to truss the chicken. This super simple step is an important one in achieving the perfect roast chicken.

Click here for a step-by-step video on how to truss a chicken!

After your chicken is trussed, place it in a rack over a roasting pan making sure the chicken is breast side up. The reason why we place it in on a roasting rack is so that the juice can drop into the pan. This will ensure that the bottom of the chicken gets a crisp skin as well.

Bake your chicken at 450 degree F for 50 minutes to an hour. You will know that your chicken is done when the internal temperature in the thigh reads 165 degrees. Let the chicken sit for 20 minutes on a cutting board; once this time is up, you can remove the twine and cut into the chicken.

If you follow these rules, you'll have a perfectly roast chicken every time!