How do you cook a whole chicken without it turning out dry?!


Question: How do you cook a whole chicken without it turning out dry!?
I bought a small whole chicken but every time I have tried to cook one it turns out really dry!. I have used butter all over it but it still turns out dry!. What do you do to keep the chicken from drying out while cooking it!?Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
Skip the butter!.

Coat the chicken with flour and seasonings!. Put it into a 400 degree oven and turn the heat down to 325 after about 15 minutes!. The high heat will seal the skin and keep all the juices in!. Bake for 30-45 minutes total depending on the size!. Check by pulling on a drumstick!. When you feel you can pull it off easily, it's done!. Let it sit for five to ten minutes when it is out of the oven before cutting!. If you cut too soon it will let the moisture out in the way of steam!. I put mine on a rack so it doesn't sit in the juices!.

Brining a chicken also helps!. Put into a container that will fit into you fridge with salt water!. Mix 1/2 cup salt with 1 gallon water and pour over the chicken to cover!. The salt will pull water out of the chicken and help it cook faster!. Leave overnight and cook the next day!.

Beer can cookers are also good!.

I'm a chef!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Have you ever tried a drunken chicken!? I promise it is the most moist chicken you'll ever taste!.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
1 (4 pound) whole chicken


DIRECTIONS
Preheat an outdoor grill for low heat!.
In a small skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter!. Mix in 1 tablespoon garlic salt, 1 tablespoon paprika, salt, and pepper!.
Discard 1/2 the beer, leaving the remainder in the can!. Add remaining butter, garlic salt, paprika, and desired amount of salt and pepper to beer can!. Place can on a disposable baking sheet!. Set chicken on can, inserting can into the cavity of the chicken!. Baste chicken with the melted, seasoned butter!.
Place baking sheet with beer and chicken on the prepared grill!. Cook over low heat for about 3 hours, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C)!.

You can also do it in the oven of course at 350 degrees until juices run clearWww@FoodAQ@Com

Put the butter under the skin, especially in the breast area!. also, cook at a lower temperature might help!.

Here is my recipe:

Roasted Chicken With
Fresh Herbs, Butter & Garlic

3 1/2 - 4 pound roasting chicken
3 tbs butter, room temperature
1 large clove garlic minced
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1 tsp fresh chopped sage
Kosher Salt
Cracked Pepper
Olive Oil

Rinse, pat dry chicken!. Remove any excess
skin and fat!. Place on cutting board!.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mince garlic very fine and blend with butter!.
Carefully pull skin up from breast, place 1 tbs
of butter mixture under skin & spread around!.
Do this on both sides!. Take remaining butter
and mix chopped ingredients together, set aside!.

Place chicken in roasting pan, one with wire rack!.
Drizzle with olive oil, rub over chicken!. Salt & Pepper


Roast for 50 minutes!. In microwave safe bowl heat
butter/seasonings for 30 seconds until melted!. Remove
chicken from oven!. With pastry brush, coat chicken
with herb mixture!. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes!.
Internal temp should be 165!. Remove from oven,
tent with foil and rest for 10 minutes!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

One thing that I've used a lot of are cooking bags!. You can usually find them in any grocery store and they work great for baking a moist meat, no matter what type it is!. They come with a little pamphlet in the box to even tell you cooking times and if you need to add flour or water or anything to the bag!. You can also add vegetables, like cut up potatoes and carrots, to the bag to make a whole dinner at once and just add your seasonings like normal before cooking!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

This recipe makes the juiciest chicken I have ever tasted!.

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste
1/2 cup margarine, divided
1 stalk celery, leaves removed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)!.
Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper!. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder!. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity!. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior!. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity!.
Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C)!. Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings!. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

this is from ina garten!. i make it often, and it never fails!. juicy, plump, and flavorful!

Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
4 lemons
3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F!.
Remove the chicken giblets!. Rinse the chicken inside and out!. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry!. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan!. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken!. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic!. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper!. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken!. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken!. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover!.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour!. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside!. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh!. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy!.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan!. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil!. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half!.

Slice the chicken on a platter!. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced!. Serve with the gravy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I had the same problem, this recipe worked for me

Moist Lemon Chicken

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dill seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 1/2) pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
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DIRECTIONS
In a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass dish, combine the first 10 ingredients!. Add chicken and turn to coat!. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours!. Drain, discarding marinade!. Grill chicken, covered, over low heat for 50-60 minutes or until juices run clear, turning several times!.

Slow cooking at a lower temp usually worksWww@FoodAQ@Com

Rinse the chicken and pat dry!. Sprinkle the cavity with white pepper, and poultry seasoning, rub a liberal amount of olive oil on the outside of the birdand season with salt pepper and poultry seasoning!. Bake in the bottom of a 425 oven for about 15 minutes per pound or 160 internal temp!.

Remove from oven, cover pan with foil and allow to "rest" for 15 minutes!. This is the step that ensures a moist, tasty chicken!.

EnjoyWww@FoodAQ@Com

butter it and then cover the baking dish tightly with foil!. Do not over cook it!. Brown it under the broiler for finished good look!.

I usually put them on a rack in the baking dish, a bit of broth in the bottom of the dish and cover very tightly!. This helps immensly!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I have always had the same issue, until I watched a recent episode of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef!. This reciep is fantastic!

http://www!.foodnetwork!.com/recipes/anne-!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I either throw it in the crockpot or boil it with lots of water all day long for home made chicken noodle soupWww@FoodAQ@Com

You are cooking it too long!Www@FoodAQ@Com

turn it often keep it in the fat while cooking like a turkeyWww@FoodAQ@Com





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