Containing both succulent dark meat and lean white meat, a classic roast chicken makes an excellent dinner that appeals to all tastes. While some desire a flavorful leg and others prefer a lean breast, most tend to agree that what they really look forward to is the deliciously crispy, bronzed skin.
There are countless recipes for “perfect” roast chicken, from simple two-step methods to elaborate three-day preparations, and while we’re not going to tell you which ones we deem “perfect,” we are going to dole out some advice on how to achieve that delicious, crispy skin regardless of which recipe you choose.
Choosing the Right Chicken
Starting with a high-quality, air-chilled chicken is the first step in achieving tasty results. In conventional poultry processing, chickens are chilled by soaking in icy cold water, whichallows for the absorption of moisture – sometimes up to 12% of the birds weight. The extra water dilutes the chicken’s natural juices, creating bland meat and soggy skin, which is much harder to crisp in the oven.
Air-chilling poultry is a method of cooling birds with air rather than water. In the air-chilling process, chicken carcasses movethrough several “wind chambers” in which cold, purified air is run over them to quickly bring the temperature down. Without the dilution from added water, the meat retains its natural juices leaving you with tender, juicy meat and true chicken flavor. The skin on an air-chilled chicken is much easier to crisp and will give you evenly browned, crunchy and flavorful skin every time.
Prep the Chicken
To achieve maximum crispness, the skin has to start dry and stay dry – if water is present, it will create steam, which inhibits crisping. For the ultimate crispy skin, start your prep the day before. After quickly rinsing your bird, be sure to thoroughly dry it inside and out with paper toweling. Don’t forget to dry the crevices inside the carcass, in the “pit” of the wings and the area underneath the neck flap. Remove the lump of fat that sits just inside the cavity.
Separating the skin from the meat will also aid in crisping. Gingerly run your fingers between the skin and breast meat, being careful not to tear it. Some will slip butter under the skin but butter contains water (no steam!), so we use tasty duck fat instead. Gently rub about 2 tablespoons of softened duck fat under the skin, over the breast. Season the outside with a generous sprinkling of kosher salt then set the bird on small rack set over a lipped sheet pan and store uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. The kosher salt will bring excess moisture to the surface, which will dry in refrigeration. Be sure to leave plenty of space all around the bird for air circulation.
In the Oven
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about ½ hour before you’re ready to roast. Recipes may recommend roasting on a rack, a vertical roaster, or directly in a shallow pan. Whichever you use, make certain there is adequate airflow all around the bird. For example, the sides of a Dutch oven are too high, blocking airflow and trapping steam, so choose a shallow, metal-handled skillet or roasting pan instead. If using a vertical roaster, put the bird on upside down so the juicy dark meat will “baste” the white meat keeping the breasts moist. If using a rack, start roasting breast side down for the first 30 minutes, for the same effect.
The crispiest skin comes from a convection oven, then an electric oven, and lastly a gas oven. For gas ovens, we recommend roasting at a high temperature. Anywhere between 400 degrees F and 450 degrees F will lend the best results. Just be certain to use your exhaust fan.
Crispy skin is the goal but don’t overcook the meat in the process! Always check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer and pull the chicken out of the oven about 10 degrees before it hits the recommend early. Residual cooking will continue as the bird rests.
FAQs
Add baking salt to your dry-brine for the crispiest, juiciest turkey and chicken. Niki Achitoff-Gray is the former editor-in-chief at Serious Eats and a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education.
What is the trick to getting crispy chicken? ›
Fry it twice.
Try Fontana's method for “blanching” fried chicken: Heat oil to 250 degrees and cook chicken breasts for about five minutes, or bone-in chicken for about 12 minutes. Let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then fry again, two to three minutes for breasts or five minutes for bone-in.
How to keep roast chicken skin crispy? ›
By letting the chicken sit uncovered in the refrigerator, we allow the surface moisture to evaporate, leading to extra-crisp skin once roasted. In addition, during that time the salt has an opportunity to work its way into the meat, which will help the chicken hold onto its juices, preventing dried out meat.
Why is the skin on my roast chicken not crispy? ›
Reader Question: When You Roast Chicken, How Do You Get the Skin Crispy?
- Season the chicken with salt and seasonings. Inside, outside, and under the skin.
- Let it air dry in the fridge for 24-hours. It's best not to cover the chicken at all so that it can really air dry. ...
- Roast, and baste the chicken as usual.
When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.) The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating.
Does olive oil make chicken skin crispy? ›
Fried chicken is the perfect food to serve for Superbowl Sunday. Here is an easy to make recipe for fried chicken that is oven fried in extra virgin olive oil. This one-pan recipe results in juicy chicken with flavorful, crispy skin.
Does salting chicken skin make it crispy? ›
Using about 1 TBSP of kosher salt, generously season entire bird, inside and out, front and back. Place salted chicken in the fridge uncovered for at least an hour, up to 24 hours. The longer it sits in the fridge with the salt brine on, the more the moisture is locked in and the crispier the skin becomes once cooked.
How do Chinese get their chicken so crispy? ›
The chicken is then air-dried for 10 to 12 hours before being flash-fried, then oil-poached. The skin gets its signature crispiness from 10 to 12 minutes of basting with scalding hot oil right before serving.
How does KFC get their chicken so crispy? ›
KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.
Should you oil chicken skin before roasting? ›
“Put a little schmear of vegetable oil and because there is no water in it, the heat from the oven immediately begins to crisp up the skin and you don't end up with steam coming off the skin,” he says. Slow and steady when roasting.
Pat your chicken dry: Moisture is the enemy of crisp chicken skin. Before you send your chicken to the oven, pat it dry, especially if you've used a marinade. After patting it dry, use a neutral-tasting oil and season however you'd like.
Why is my chicken skin not getting crispy? ›
Dry out your chicken in the fridge
Whether it's getting a crust on a steak, or a crispy pie bottom, it's true time and again that moisture is the enemy of crunch. That means drying, whether it's a whole bird or a skin on thigh, is the key to perfectly crisp chicken skin.
What makes chicken skin extra crispy? ›
Rub with Salt and Baking Powder
Both substances pull moisture out of the skin. But baking powder has additional powers. It prods some of the skin's proteins and fat to break down, which, combined with its alkalinity, accelerates the Maillard reaction, for skin that browns and crisps more quickly.
How to get crispy skin on rotisserie chicken? ›
To achieve maximum crispness, the skin has to start dry and stay dry – if water is present, it will create steam, which inhibits crisping. For the ultimate crispy skin, start your prep the day before. After quickly rinsing your bird, be sure to thoroughly dry it inside and out with paper toweling.
How do you dry chicken for crispy skin? ›
In proper roast chicken speak, showering the bird with salt and letting it chill, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days, is referred to as air-drying or dry-brining—an easy technique that many cooks use to achieve a crispy-skinned bird.
Does baking soda or powder make chicken skin crispy? ›
You'll be adding baking powder to skin on drumsticks. The baking powder is alkali and causes a reaction with the skin, creating tiny bubbles, which means more surface area to get crispy. It's one tablespoon of baking powder for 3 pounds of chicken. Add a teaspoon of salt and smother seasonings.
How do you make chicken skin crispy and brown? ›
Oven instructions
Place the chicken skin in a single layer, skin-side down, on top of stainless steel wire rack on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Pop the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then, flip the chicken skins skin-side up and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden and crispy.
Does the baking soda trick work on chicken? ›
You can velvet meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender by quickly tossing chunks of beef or chicken in about ¾ tsp of baking soda for about 15 minutes before your next stir fry, then rinse and pat the meat dry before putting in the pan.
