Perfectly roasted whole chicken with fall-apart-tender meat and lightly browned & crisp skin is easy to achieve by using an inexpensive and somewhat “old fashioned” technique.

Thanks to my sweet friend Kim Laslo, I now know the secret to making a perfectly roasted whole chicken that cooks and browns at the same time without removing the chicken to place under a broiler. The secret? A Granite Ware roaster!

Granite Ware roasters are the inexpensive, black “speckled” roasters that many of us likely saw in our great-grandmothers’ kitchens; they’ve been around for literally hundreds of years. The roasters create a small “oven within the oven” that cooks and browns the meat to perfection.

I bought the large roaster for $12 here on amazon) along with the roasting rack that fits inside. If you make ribs in this (I did and they were to-die-for), you’ll need the rack to lift out the ribs without the bones falling off the meat.

Note: After cooking my first chicken in the 18″ roaster, I realized that it was too large for a small bird. This 15″ Granite Ware is perfect for smaller hens. It is at Wal-Mart for a bit less than amazon, if I recall correctly.

Make ahead: I cooked this chicken covered on 350 F for an hour then turned the oven off and left the roaster inside for a couple more hours (with door closed the whole time).  The residual heat kept the chicken warm, and it got better and more tender/juicy as it sat.

Accompaniments: The potato medley was a quick Instant Pot side that was effortless. I threw the potatoes in the pot with EVOO, salt & pepper, pressed the button, and ran errands. I came back  to moist, buttery, fork tender potatoes that went perfectly with the chicken. I drizzled the asparagus with EVOO, salt & pepper, and broiled for 5 minutes in my Breville smart oven.

The chicken can be seasoned to preference. I want to try a Greek version next with some of my favorite Greek seasonings, lemon juice, and EVOO. Stay tuned!

This is such an easy, simple, and satisfying meal. If you try it, I’d love to hear back! As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Be blessed, and stay savvy!!!

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Perfectly Roasted Whole Chicken

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Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, giblets removed
• 2 lemons, halved
• 4-5 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
• olive oil
• Parkay or soft margarine
• kosher salt & ground pepper
• rosemary, thyme or favorite spice blend

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; place oven rack low enough to accommodate covered roaster.
2. Rinse chicken; pat completely dry.
3. Insert lemon halves and garlic slivers inside cavity.
4. Rub olive oil and margarine on all sides of chicken and underneath skin.
5. Liberally season chicken with salt, pepper, and seasonings.
6. Place in roaster; cover with lid.
7. Bake for one hour.
8. Turn oven off (do not open door); keep chicken in oven for another hour or two.
9. Before serving, remove from pan; drizzle with juices and place on serving tray.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 50Carbohydrates 12gSugar 4gProtein 2g