Thanksgiving , need help with roasting chicken?

Question

i'm not sure if its thanksigiving in the states at the same time as canada, but its happening today in canada. I made a last minute plan to make roast chicken and don't have a oven thermometer to check if the chicken is done internally. SO, i was wondering, are there other ways to check if the chicken is done internaly without having to cut open and manually guess if the meat is done? I heard on another website that if a turkey's leg pulls away from the body that means the turkey is cooked, i don't know if this applies to chicken...THANX in advance...10 points to person whose way of checking works!

to answer the first answer which isn't really answering my question!...i'm not really a turkey guy..

Answer 1

You are correct about a turkey (or chicken) being done if the leg pulls easily from the body. Dark meat (leg meat) takes a bit more time to cook than white meat (breast meat).

If you wriggle the leg of the chicken, it should move easily when it is done cooking. Another test is to gently prick the meat of the leg. If the juices run clear (without blood), then it is done.

I am including a site that has more information, regarding the entire process of roasting a chicken. Bon appetit!

Answer 2

if the chicken leg pulls away from the chicken then the chicken is done... I like to cook my chickens and turkeys a little longer so that the meat "falls off the bones" so they say... just to prevent undercooking as this is where you get food poisoning from....and well done chicken or turkey is just as moist as taking it out of the oven immediately... keep water in the bottom of the pan and covered except for about the last hour then baste the top of the chicken...also testing with the fork... if the fork goes into the bird easily then it is also done... check the leg area ... also on your package that your chicken came in ... there should be cooking directions ... so much per pound for stuffed and for unstuffed birds... I cooked my turkey 5.68 kg yesterday for 4 hours and it was great...good luck to you

Answer 3

Well I live in SA so we don't have Thanksgiving but one thing I know how to do is Roast a Chicken. It depends on how big your chicken is. You normally have to cook if for around an hour to an hour and a half on 180 degree C. This is for a 1.5 kg chicken. If you pull the leg away just a little you will be able to tell if there is still blood or not. I have never needed to use a thermometer to tell if a chicken is ready.

Answer 4

When I roast a chicken, removed the plastic bag full of guts, soak in 1/8 cup salt, 1/8 cup brown sugar in a bowl of water covering the whole bird overnight. Drain, put a bay leaf and parsley in the cavity. Lightly oil the cooking pan, preferably deep walled dish. If you didn't soak it, just lightly oil the bird all over with cooking oil.

Cook at 185C (365C F) for 40-45 minutes each, first on his belly and then on his back, basting with a turkey baster, dribbling the juice over the bird. Turns out brown, like in the cookbook photos.

The skin will turn clear along the tips of the drumsticks. The basting juices will turn clear. There should be about less than 1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom of your cooking pan. The bird should then be easy to pull apart on the serving plate after cutting through the skin to get to the joints.

Answer 5

Same applies for chicken as turkey, if the meat falls away from the bone(leg) its ready, dont forget to let it sit 10 minutes before you carve it...keeps the juices locked in.

You made out better than I did this thanksgiving we did a roast beef for a change!!!

Answer 6

Why are you cooking a chicken on thanksgiving day?