AuthorKathrynThis is another suggestion Brady had for a budget friendly experiment. We would go to our local chain restaurant once in a while and get roasted chicken with sides or just all sides depending on what we were feeling at the time. Anyway, this meal would cost over $20 with no leftovers. So we decided to try making our own bird with sides and see how it would turn out. A friend of ours loves roasted bird and was excited for us to start making it. In fact, we’ve somehow come in sync with our cooking bird schedule. Oh the bird thing? I don’t know, Brady and I make up words, phrases, and shorten words all the time. Somehow roasting a bird became a thing, hence the title of this recipe. Anyway, the best thing about it is you can prep it, pop it in the oven, and leave it cooking for a while.
As for cost comparisons, I can get 3 meals and stock out of one whole chicken. The first meal I make is just the chicken with some sides, like potatoes and a veggie, then I make the stock, after the chicken is broken down I separate it in a separate container and save it for Chicken Noodle Soup, Shredded Chicken Tacos, or Pulled BBQ Chicken Sliders. Just recently I got a 7 lb chicken that was on sale for .99 cents a pound. Add that to the other ingredients you’ll need - poultry seasoning, potatoes, a veggie - let’s say broccoli, noodles for soup - I got them on sale for $1, leeks, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, peppers for stock, slider buns - I use sweet Hawiian rolls, BBQ sauce, cole slaw you get an approximate total of $35. That’s assuming you don’t already have certain items on stock already - such as celery or carrots. But $35! For stock and 3 meals with leftovers, compared to $20 for 2 meals with no leftovers. That’s quite a savings! Now that I’ve gone on about it, let’s get to the recipe!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Take the chicken out of the packaging and place breast side up on a baking sheet. Insert carrots, celery, and onions in the cavity so they are sticking out the back. Slice butter in 1 tablespoon squares and place on top of the bird and in between wings and legs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add fresh herbs on top and around bird. Pour 2 cups of water in pan and place in oven.
Cooking time for chicken is 20 minutes per pound, however I always add extra time just to make sure it's cooked thoroughly, so I do an extra 5 minutes per pound. Plus cooking longer makes the skin more crunchy! For the 7 pound bird in this recipe, cook for 3 hours.
Check on the bird about every half hour and use baster to pour liquid on top and around bird. If you don’t have a baster you can use a large spoon to scoop out the juices from the pan and pour over the top of the bird. You may need to add more water in the pan as it evaporates while baking.
When the timer goes off, check the internal temperature by inserting a thermometer between the leg and thigh. It should read at least 165 degrees. I don’t have a true thermometer, so I use a digital thermometer fork from my bbq cooking set.
Once the bird is done place it on a carving board and let it sit for about 10 minutes. During this time you can finish other food preparation, like your side dishes or gravy. We like potatoes and a veggie side.
Once you’re ready to carve the bird, I find that a carving knife works best. The meat should just fall right off the bone! Serve with your sides and enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Take the chicken out of the packaging and place breast side up on a baking sheet. Insert carrots, celery, and onions in the cavity so they are sticking out the back. Slice butter in 1 tablespoon squares and place on top of the bird and in between wings and legs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add fresh herbs on top and around bird. Pour 2 cups of water in pan and place in oven.
Cooking time for chicken is 20 minutes per pound, however I always add extra time just to make sure it's cooked thoroughly, so I do an extra 5 minutes per pound. Plus cooking longer makes the skin more crunchy! For the 7 pound bird in this recipe, cook for 3 hours.
Check on the bird about every half hour and use baster to pour liquid on top and around bird. If you don’t have a baster you can use a large spoon to scoop out the juices from the pan and pour over the top of the bird. You may need to add more water in the pan as it evaporates while baking.
When the timer goes off, check the internal temperature by inserting a thermometer between the leg and thigh. It should read at least 165 degrees. I don’t have a true thermometer, so I use a digital thermometer fork from my bbq cooking set.
Once the bird is done place it on a carving board and let it sit for about 10 minutes. During this time you can finish other food preparation, like your side dishes or gravy. We like potatoes and a veggie side.
Once you’re ready to carve the bird, I find that a carving knife works best. The meat should just fall right off the bone! Serve with your sides and enjoy!
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