Slow Roasted Lemon Chicken Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to bake chicken low and slow or high and fast? ›

Question: When I cook chicken, it always comes out tough. Am I cooking it too long, too short, too high or too low? The slower you cook chicken, the better. That's the overall rule for cooking protein.

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

You can roast a chicken in less time, but going low-and-slow yields a meltingly tender, shreddable texture.

Instead, the best way get a crispy skin with tender meat is to place it on a baking sheet over a wire rack so that the bottom of the chicken is not in contact with the bottom of the pan. In this way, the skin will cook well on all sides, making for a crispy crust and tender meat that is light and easy to digest.

Cook your chicken at 225–250°F (107–121°C) for an hour to imbue the meat with smoky goodness. The slow smoking not only gives us flavor, but it also cooks the meat quite gently for that first hour. Once that's done, though, it's time to crank up the heat.

That is why tough meats become “fork tender” in the slow cooker. Chicken breasts have very little connective tissue; that means they can be cooked quickly because the long cooking time needed to soften connective tissue isn't necessary. They also have little fat, which means they can become dry if cooked too long.

When chicken is covered while baking, it traps steam and moisture within the dish, resulting in juicier results. The covering helps prevent excessive evaporation and keeps the chicken moist throughout the cooking process. Preventing dryness. Chicken tends to dry out more quickly when exposed to direct heat.

For tender, fall-off-the-bone meat and soft skin, roast whole chicken at 325°F (162°C) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the weight. For firm, juicy meat and crisp, golden-brown skin, roast whole chicken 425°F (218°C) oven for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on size.

Never Roast a Cold (or Soggy) Chicken

30 to 45 minutes will do the trick. Taking the bird directly from the fridge to the fire will increase its roasting time and cook it unevenly. Another common mistake many home cooks make is not properly drying the chicken before roasting it. A damp bird makes for limp, soggy skin.

"A lot of chefs will temper their meat," Wilschke says, explaining that it's just a matter of letting it come to room temperature over an extended period of time. While Robins recommends taking it out of the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before cooking, Wilschke advocates for longer, as long as a couple of hours.

How long should chicken be slow cooked? ›

Cover your crock pot and cook chicken breasts on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Chicken is done when the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. Use chicken in your favorite recipes. Perfect for shredding!

However, if you do notice during roasting that all of the drippings in the bottom of the pan have evaporated, a splash of water can prevent the pan from scorching and preserve the tasty drippings.

Weigh your chicken and calculate the cooking time according to the guide below. Sit the bird in a roasting tin slightly larger than the chicken, and don't cover it with foil or you won't achieve a crisp skin. Basting your chicken during cooking will help keep the meat moist.

Truss the legs of the bird

It's a little fussy, but trussing a chicken has an important effect on the finished product: when the wings and legs are tucked in close to the body, the end of the drumstick covers part of the breast, making sure it stays moist and helping the chicken cook evenly.

Chicken thighs and all chicken dark meat tend to taste better when cooked to a higher temperature(175 F to 180 F) due to their higher amounts of connective tissue. Cooking thigh meat to 165 F will yield chewy, rubbery meat, but at 175 F to 180 F, it will be tender and juicy as the collagen melts and turns to gelatin.

Always cook your boneless skinless chicken breasts on LOW for the best results. I do not recommend cooking boneless chicken breast on HIGH, as it will become very dry and tough, even if you check it early. On high, the chicken turns out drier; I consistently have the best results with low.

While it's safe to eat dark meat cooked to 165°, you'll get a bouncier bite. Allowing thigh meat and the like to reach somewhere between 175° and 190° will give you more tender meat because the connective tissues have longer to break down.