Cooking a whole chicken..?

Question

My chicken is about 6 and a half pounds.. Does anyone have a good recipe i can use you it.. I'm going to be cooking it in the oven, but when ever i try to cook it it never seems to be cooked all the way through either.. I know jsut to cook it longer, but can anyone give me some tips for cooking a hwole chicken please? Thanks

Answer 1

http://hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?catitemid=25&id=318

"The chicken should be cooked in at a higher heat, for a short period of time, to crisp the skin and seal in the juices to provide moist, tender meat. Generally roasting at about 450°F for 15 to 20 minutes is adequate.. The heat should then be reduced to 375°F for the rest of the cooking time. Basting the bird throughout the cooking time is not necessary, unless the chicken is smaller, generally under three pounds. The smaller birds do not have the fat necessary to flavor the meat and keep it moist. Cooking temperatures and times will vary according to the size of the chicken and varying recipes.

The length of time a chicken will have to cook depends on whether it is stuffed and/or trussed and on the quantity of other ingredients, such as potatoes and vegetables, added to the pan. The best way to determine if it has cooked long enough is to check for doneness. You do not want to overcook the chicken but if undercooked, it will not be full flavored and will not have the desired texture. It also needs to be cooked to the proper doneness to make it safe to eat. Shown below are some common methods used to determine doneness..." [See additonal info at the link]

I agree with the answer immediately below mine. While I think that initial high heat is good for browning, I would then set the oven at 325, and roast longer....

Answer 2

Hi A rule of thumb that I use and it never fails is that it takes 30 minutes of cooking at 350 degrees for every 500 grams or 1 pound of chicken. A 6 and 1/2 chicken is a big chicken and would take a little over 3 hours so make sure you baste a lot or place alfoil over the top to stop drying out. To test if it is cooked just right stick a skewer or something similar right into the fleshy part of the thigh - press - and if the juices run clear then it is cooked. I normally take it out of the oven at this stage and place a bowl over it to rest for 10 minutes, this gives me plenty of time to get everything ready to serve up the meal.
I hope this will help.

Answer 3

I always cook a whole chicken (fryer) in a pot of boiling water with 2 bay leaves, carrots, diced onion, several cloves of garlic, dried spices (basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme ect.) for about an hour at a simmer. I then make a recipe calling for cooked chicken such as jambalaya (family favorite). I save the stock(after straining and freezing) for other recipes such as soup. I think you have a roaster by the size of the bird, so as you say, longer cooking is required for such a large bird. (I think fryers are less expensive and more versatile). Before roasting I would put some(aromatics) vegetables such as cut up carrots, onions and celery in the inside of the bird, loosely. I would also wrap some whole spices(sage, marjoram, thyme ect.) in a piece of cheese cloth, tied with a string and add that to the vegetables. I always rub the outside of the bird with vegetable oil and sprinkle spices on the outside of the bird. I also always use a meat thermometer on the inside of the thigh, pushed into the breast. Nothing is more gross than an under cooked chicken. I find a cooking bag speeds up the cooking time and the bird is very moist. I hope I gave you some ideas. I use BHG.com for recipes sometimes and I have a large collection of cook books. I have found that cooking is a learning experience and the more you do it, the better you are at it. Good luck!

Answer 4

To make sure your chicken cooks all the way through you should cook it at a lower temp. than you have been., not too low, about gas 5-6 depending on the size of your oven. A 6 1/2lb chicken should be cooked for,
Unstuffed, 2hours, let stand for 20 min out of the oven after cooking.
Stuffed, 2hr, 20 min, and stand for 20 min out of the oven after cooking.

Rub a halved lemon all over the chicken until you have used all the juice all over the chicken. Mix the juice form the other half of the lemon with 3 tsp of honey, add a tsp of chopped parsley and mix, then spoon the honey over the chicken and cover with foil for the first hour of cooking.

Answer 5

Very easy. Stuff the bird after washing it (but don't use soap...my wife did once) and then stuff the bird with your favorite dressing. Salt and pepper it good all the way around it, then place it in a roasting pan (one that has a lid for it). Add some peeled onions around the bird and carrots and celery too if you prefer. Then add some water (four or five cups) to the pan. Cover bird and put it in a pre-heated oven at 375. Roast for about and hour to an hour and a half. Remove from oven and pour melted butter over the bird (one or two sticks). Leave cover off bird and place back in oven. Baste bird with drippings every 15 minutes until bird starts getting a rich Brown color. Then check to see if bird is done by using a sharp large fork and sticking the bird in the thigh and breast. If fork enters easily the bird is done, if not continue to bake another 20 minutes until bird is done. Use the dripping to make gravy for your Mashed Potatoes.

Answer 6

New England Maple Chicken

1/2 cup Pure New England Maple Syrup - Medium or Dark Amber
1 chicken, 2-1/2 to 3 pounds, cut-up or equivalent chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tespoon salt (optional)
Dash of pepper (optional)
1/4 cup sliced, chopped or slivered almonds
2 teaspoons lemon juice
SAFETY NOTE: Check inside your oven for stored items. Then PREHEAT oven to 400 F. degrees.
Place chicken pieces in a shallow buttered baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients and pour evenly over chicken. Bake uncovered 50 - 60 minutes. Baste occasionally. Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Answer 7

first, make sure the chicken is not frozen. cold is good stuff it with slices of lemon and orange, garlic, salt and peper and rosemary. rub the skin with butter salt and peper and lemon juice that will make it tender and juicy cover it with foil and bake it on the oven at 350f for half an hour then check it when the liquid run clear it means it is done then uncover it and let it crisp the skin for 8 to 10 min

Answer 8

rinse it in cold water, pat dry. Rub down with olive oil and your fave spices and/or herbs. Put it in a preheated oven 350 for about 1hr basting occasionally. When juices run clear, a meat thermometer reads 165, or the meat in the thigh area is white, it should be done.

Answer 9

Rub the skin with rosemary and garlic, lightly cover with foil..cook for 4.5 hours at 350 then remove foil cook 45 min at 450...enjoy

Answer 10

cook slow at 275 degrees, even though others will tell you hotter....lower temperature cooks more evenly and makes bird tender..........whip up a box of stauffer's stuffing, boil some potatoes, steam some asparagus or heat up some corn, and oila! Roast Chicken.