Chicken / Chicken Cooking: Whole

Cooking a whole chicken is easy and impressive to guests. Below we will outline cooking a whole chicken and some techniques to make your whole chicken succulent and tasty.

Dry Rubbed Whole Chicken. Picture sent from Waynesboro, Va.

Basic Baked Chicken Recipe:

• 1 chicken, whole
• Salt and black pepper
• Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the inside of the chicken by rubbing with salt and pepper. Rub the outside with olive oil and rub salt and pepper to season. The better quality salt and pepper the better flavor, as with any ingredients. You may also use herbs and spices at your discretion. Thyme, sage and rosemary compliment chicken nicely. You would apply them the same as you would the salt and pepper.

Place a whole chicken in a roasting pan.
 
Cook the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 180 for thighs (taking the reading in the thickest part). Once it is done it is a good idea to remove from the oven, cover in foil, and let rest for 10 minutes or so. This is called resting and allowes the temperature to equalize and the juices to redistribute. When you carve the chicken the meat should no longer be pink and juices will run clear.

Better, some would say yummy, Baked Chicken Recipe:

• 1 chicken, whole
• Knox's Yummy Chicken Dry Rub
• Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the inside of the chicken by rubbing with Knox's Yummy Chicken Dry Rub. Rub the outside with olive oil and rub with Knox's Yummy Chicken Dry Rub Dry Rub to season.

Place a whole chicken in a roasting pan.
 
Cook the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh or breast. Once it is done remove from the oven, cover in foil, and let rest for 10 minutes or so. This is called resting and allowes the juices to redistribute and the temperature to equalize. When you carving the meat should no longer be pink and juices will run clear.

See Beer Can Chicken>