Oven Roasted Whole Chicken
A complete guide about how to achieve a perfect oven roasted whole chicken that glazed with a superb sweet and spicy BBQ sauce.
Servings: 1 chicken
Equipment
- Instant read thermometer
- Cooking twine
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 2.5lb
Dry rub
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp smoked salt add the same amount of Kosher salt if don't use smoked salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground mustard or onion powder
Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce
- 1 c ketchup
- ½ c water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
For BBQ Sauce
- In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients and warm gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally.1 c ketchup, ½ c water, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 3 tbsp light brown sugar, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp Kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- Do not bring the mixture to boil. Only warm enough for all ingredients dissolve completely.
- Once everything is incorporated, remove the pan from the heat. Let the sauce cool down to room temperature.
- Transfer the sauce to an air-tight container. It can be kept up to a month in refrigerator.
Dry brine the chicken
- Pat dry the chicken with paper towel.1 whole chicken
- Sprinkle dry-rub mixture all over the chicken, include its cavity and the back.1 tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp smoked salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp ground mustard
- Transfer the chicken to a clean pan, tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders, tie the legs using cooking twine if necessary.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the chicken tenderize and absorb the dry-rub for at least 1 day (maximum 2 days) in the fridge.
Oven-roast the chicken
- Pre-heat the oven to 450F
- Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it cool down at room temperature for 15 minutes before roasting.
- Line a baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, place the chicken in the pan, breast side up.
- Place the chicken on the center rack of the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven temperature to 460F.
- Take the chicken out and carefully flip it over using plastic or wooden spatulas.
- Return the upside down chicken to the oven and continue to roast for 10 minutes.
- After that, take the chicken out and brush an even layer of BBQ sauce all over the back of the chicken.
- Flip the chicken back to breast side up.
- Continue to cook for 5 minutes, then brush another layer of BBQ sauce on the breast side.
- Cook for another 5 minutes. The chicken should be done cooking at this time.
- Take the chicken out of oven, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve.
Notes
How long to bake a whole chicken in the oven?
- If a chicken is baked at 400F, it'll take around 18 minutes per pound (450gr) to finish.
- If a chicken is baked at 450F, it'll take around 15 minutes per pound (450gr) to finish.
- For this recipe, the chicken should not spend more than an hour in the oven.
How do I know a whole roast chicken is done?
- The most common method is using a thermometer. Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, usually the thigh, and away from any bones. The chicken should be done cooking when its internal temperature reaches 165F - 170F.
- Or you can determine roasted chicken doneness by looking at the color of its juice. If the juice from the cavity is clear that indicates roasted chicken is done. If the juice is cloudy or pink, the chicken is undercooked.
Besides BBQ sauce, what else can I baste oven roasted chicken with?
- You can baste chicken with its own juice.
- If the chicken is too lean, it will not produce enough fat for basting so you can use softened/melted butter or oil instead.
How long can this sweet and spicy BBQ sauce be good for?
- This BBQ sauce can be kept in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.