Barbara Kafka's Simplest Roast Chicken
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Author Notes: Barbara Kafka's basic formula for roasting chickens in the high-heat method is about ten minutes to the pound for a chicken at room temperature, untrussed. Feel free to adapt this recipe up or down for larger or smaller birds using this rule (up to 7 pounds). Kafka urges us to have fun: "This is not astrophysics." Try stuffing instead with herbs, shallots, a quartered small onion, celery leaves, or juice or blood orange wedges. Recipe adapted from Adapted from Roasting: A Simple Art (William Morrow, 1995) - Genius Recipes
Serves 2-4
- 5- to 6-pound chicken at room temperature, wing tips removed
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup chicken stock, water, fruit juice, or wine for optional deglazing
- Place rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500°F (or for convection, reduce to 450°F).
- Remove the fat from the tail and crop end of the chicken. Freeze the neck and giblets for stock. Reserve chicken livers for another use.
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon, garlic, and butter, if using. Season the cavity and skin with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in a 12 x 8 x 1 1/2-inch roasting pan breast side up. Put in the oven legs first and roast 50 to 60 minutes, or until the juices run clear. After the first 10 minutes, move the chicken with a wooden spoon or spatula to keep it from sticking.
- Remove the chicken to a platter by placing a large wooden spoon into the tail end and balancing the chicken with a kitchen spoon pressed against the crop end. As you lift the chicken, carefully tilt it over the roasting pan so that all the juices run out and into the pan.
- Optional: Pour off or spoon out excess fat from the roasting pan and put the roasting pan on top of the stove. Add the stock or other liquid and bring the contents of the pan to a boil, while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Let reduce by half. Serve the sauce over the chicken or, for crisp skin, in a sauceboat.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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9 days ago Trena
I roast chicken a lot and this has become my go-to recipe. It's fast, easy, and delicious!
about 1 month ago PRST
I've been roasting my Thanksgiving turkey this way too, for years, thanks to Barbara and Gourmet Magazine. Simply THE best!!! Smoke has never been a problem but I am diligent about keeping my oven clean. I roast all my vegetables at 500 degrees too- green beans, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, asparagus........a little olive, salt and pepper- simple, unadulterated and oh so yummy.
about 1 month ago Humphrey Pardal
I would urge everyone to try, what I consider the easiest and best, roast chicken and that is Rozanne Gold's Naked Roast Chicken. All she does is place a 4 pound chicken in a small roasting pan, just large enough to hold the chicken. It goes in breast side down in a preheated 475 degree oven. After 30 minutes she turns it over and bastes with the pan juices. Roasts 40 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through. She sprinkles it with salt and allows it to rest 5 minutes. The best roast chicken I have ever made - Perfectly juicy every time. Reduce the time if the chicken is less than 4 pounds. My only recommendation would be to lightly spray the pan with canola oil to prevent the skin from sticking. The chicken goes very well with Gourmet's Black Pepper-Maple Sauce.
2 months ago mschrank
Just a follow-up note: I tried the trick I mentioned below and it worked great! No smoke! And a few slices of deliciously flavored potatoes for the cook (the ones around the outside we're black, but the slices under the chicken were decadent). Glad I found a way to enjoy this great method without smoking the family out of the house.
2 months ago deanna1001
Perfectly simple and lovely. So what the alarm went off. Will set exhaust fan up next time and make sure oven is clean!
3 months ago MaSaBeMama
does anyone else ever end up with disgusting fluid inside the cavity of roast chicken / turkey? any idea how to avoid this? Thanks
3 months ago mschrank
Do you rinse the inner cavity when you rinse the chicken? I've never had anything but clear juicy goodness come out of cavity....
3 months ago MaSaBeMama
yes, I have. I'm trying this tonight - will report tomorrow!
3 months ago Tra Van
thanks barbara kafka.
3 months ago Tra Van
I tried this last wk and it came out perfect, wasn't sure whether to chopped the garlic/squeeze the lemon, Anyway I didnt, now I can make roast chicken crispy/now i'll add my only flavor. Just rmbr to baste it which I didn't,so it stays tender/don't overcook. I had no issues with smoke why should you, even though I've never put my oven on 450 before.
4 months ago Joan Jones
It is the best I ever ate. Thanks
4 months ago patjoneszz
I have been using Kafkas recipe successfully for more than a decade by following these Cardinal rules: be sure bird is completely thawed and our of refrigerator for 30-40 minutes prior to cooking, do not open stove door for first 40 minutes, be absolutely sure your oven is completely clean.
4 months ago Susan Talley Smith
I loved it! So moist and flavorful!!! And SO EASY! I turned the vent on and had no problems with smoke. I'll definitely make it again!
4 months ago muffintop
So I decided to give this recipe a shot. As others mention, the smoke is a bit heavy but I cracked windows and turned on the exhaust fans in advance and managed to avoid setting off the alarms. I was not able to have my chicken sit out to room temperature prior to cooking (although thawed) and adjusted the time from 10 min per pound to 15 minutes per pound (I roasted a 5 lb chicken). I stuffed it with shallots, garlic, lemon, and butter. I sprinkled a bit of Pampered Chef's Rosemary herb seasoning mix and garlic salt on top. We had no complaints, the chicken crisped up nicely and was cooked fully thru without issues. The breast was a little dry at the top but a slice or two into it the breast meat was moist. We agreed to make this again in the spring with the windows open. HA! I give it an 8 out of 10.
4 months ago jonbess2007@yahoo.com
This recipe turned out awful as other reviewers have stated. The alarm went off, had to tell the alarm company to stand down and as soon as I cut into the leg, blood. After cooing for almost an hour, the chicken is back in the oven, the sides are getting cold and we're still tring to get the smoke out. The alarms are silent but the girlfriend isnt.
about 1 month ago Antony McGregor Dey
Check the temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer. I found that our temp was off by 150F at 500F the thermometer I bought only registered 350f.
4 months ago Nancy Johnson
Worst roasted chicken recipe I have ever made and I've made plenty. If you enjoy the house smoking up hearing your smoke detectors going off, then have at it. The sauce that is made at the end is horrible. The only thing that was good about this chicken was that it looked good. I had to cook it longer than the recommended time given as it was still pink inside, thus more smoke in the kitchen. I should have listened to the comment about cooking it at such a high heat for such a short time.
4 months ago JGinLSL
I intend to try this using my electric barbecue grill outside, to eliminate any smoking problems. Since the grill is electric, the cooking should be the same.
4 months ago Passion
Does anyone know what "chocolate shot" is? The rum ball recipe says to roll in shot or sprinkle....?
4 months ago Sallyn
Where can I find the 'tenderloin' recipe?
4 months ago shelia denise
which liquid is best to use for the stock?
4 months ago Bernard Avallone
chicken can even be used in fish dishes
4 months ago titanium05
I wasn't sure from the instructions if I should place a lid on my roaster pan or not. Did you cook it covered or uncovered?
4 months ago dawnrb45
my second comment is a correction from my initial comment!!ugh i wish we could edit our posts!!