Once every couple weeks, I roast two large whole chickens. Served with lots of side dishes (like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cornbread) , these chickens will provide us with lots of extra cooked chicken meat that I can use for additional meals later and two wonderful carcasses that we can use to make broth. (For directions to make chicken broth, see here) But, I remember the first time I went to prepare a whole chicken it was a little intimidating, so I thought I would include here simple directions for cooking a chicken. As you master this super simple process, you can experiment with different flavors to try, but here are the basics.
Place a clean large roasting pan on top of the stove and preheat the oven to 375. Pull all of the insides out of the chickens, and rinse inside and out (you should be able to run water completely through the inside cavity of the chicken and have it come out clear). Place the chickens in the roasting pan (I usually do one breast side up and one breast side down). Pat dry with a couple paper towels. Sprinkle both chickens with some seasoned salt or garlic salt. Cut a stick of butter in half, and place a half over each chicken. Place in oven. Baste with the drippings from the bottom of the pan every 30 mins.
The rule for chicken is 20 mins per pound, but it gets a little trickier when you are making two. I usually cook 2 chickens, about 4 1/2 pounds each, for a little over an hour and a half. Best bet, use a meat thermometer and cook them until they are 165 degrees. If you don't have a meat thermometer, make sure that if you pierce the largest part of the breast, that the juices come out clear.
That is it. Super simple, and a very inexpensive main course to feed a crowd. Remember to save that carcass so you can chicken soup later!
Here is the final product with all those wonderful side dishes.
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