Roast chicken is one of those timeless dishes that almost everyone craves, yet the path to a truly crispy skin and juicy meat can feel unnecessarily intimidating. According to a group of culinary experts, though, most home cooks are simply making it harder than it needs to be. Ed Smith, author of a new book on chicken cookery, put it plainly when he said that “people essentially overcomplicate it.” Whether you’re debating brining methods, fat choices, or oven temperatures, the professionals agree that the fundamentals matter far more than any elaborate technique.
Smith lays out three core rules he swears by. First, he insists on starting with a quality bird, ideally free-range, slow-grown, and under about 4.4 pounds, since smaller chickens roast more evenly. Second, he warns that most packaging instructions dramatically overestimate cooking time, and he roasts his chicken for around 50 minutes at 410°F. Third, and perhaps most importantly, he urges cooks to let the bird rest before carving. “Your chicken will be better if it rests for 15 to 20 minutes, and it will still be hot when you carve it,” Smith says.
Proper salting is another point Smith emphasizes heavily. He recommends seasoning the chicken generously inside and out, and notes that leaving it uncovered in the fridge for anywhere from an hour to a full day beforehand makes a noticeable difference. Mike Davies, head chef at The Camberwell Arms in London, takes this a step further by brining his birds overnight in a solution of water, salt, sugar, and aromatics like lemon, bay leaves, and peppercorns. “Brining sounds like a cheffy technique, but it’s actually very straightforward. You just need a large enough container,” Davies explains. This process draws moisture deep into the meat and seasons it all the way through, resulting in a far more flavorful and tender final product.
Anna Tobias of Cafe Deco in London takes a different approach when it comes to fat and positioning. She coats her chicken in a neutral oil like canola or sunflower, tucks half a lemon and a sprig of rosemary into the cavity, and then flips the bird upside down before it goes into the oven. “It might look a bit odd, but Margot Henderson always did it that way when I worked for her, so that’s what I do,” Tobias says. This technique allows the thighs and drumsticks to brown beautifully on the underside while keeping the breast meat protected. She roasts the chicken upside down for 30 minutes at 390°F, then flips it for another 30 minutes to finish the skin.
Davies, on the other hand, follows his mother’s tradition of sliding butter underneath the skin before roasting. He notes that rubbing fat directly onto the skin’s surface helps it crisp up, but only if the skin is completely dry going into the oven. For those looking for a faster route, Smith recommends spatchcocking, which means cutting out the backbone and flattening the chicken before roasting. “It cooks a bit quicker, so you’re less likely to dry out the breast, and there’s a good chance you’ll get lovely crispy skin and juicy legs,” he says. The technique is straightforward and kitchen scissors make removing the backbone simple and quick.
When it comes to flavoring, the experts agree that virtually any seasoning blend that works on chicken thighs or drumsticks will work equally well on a whole roast chicken. Smith mentions Southern American, Indian, and Thai flavor profiles as particularly rewarding options. As for serving, he rotates his accompaniments depending on the day, pairing it with salad on Mondays and later using leftovers with pasta or sliced potatoes. Tobias, however, is firm that roast potatoes are the only truly worthy side dish. “Everything else is negotiable,” she says.
Roast chicken has a long and globally celebrated history as a staple of home cooking and fine dining alike. The technique of roasting whole birds dates back centuries across European culinary traditions, with France in particular elevating it to an art form. The French concept of poulet rôti, or classic roasted chicken, became a benchmark of skill for professional chefs. In American home cooking, roast chicken has long been considered a Sunday dinner centerpiece, often associated with family tradition and comfort. Brining as a preparation method gained wider popularity in the United States through the work of chefs like Judy Rodgers of Zuni Café in San Francisco, whose famous roast chicken with bread salad became an iconic dish. The spatchcock method, also known as butterflying, has roots in various world cuisines and has grown in popularity in recent decades due to its efficiency and the quality of results it consistently delivers.
If you have a go-to trick for the perfect roast chicken, share it in the comments!
