We would like to sing the praises of the roasted whole chicken. As we all move into our winter cooking routines, we wanted to share about our chicken-broth-soup routine with you.
The roasted whole chicken our go-to, cook-one-every-week, fool-proof way to prepare chicken. Whether we just it the whole thing, use it for sandwiches, or make a chicken soup with it, we enjoy at least one whole roasted chicken a week.
Let us count the reasons for our roasted whole chicken love:
1. Economical! Before we raised chickens we bought pasture-raised chicken from other farms and the whole chicken is the most cost-effective way to buy chicken. A great way to do pasture-raised on a budget.
2. Easy to cook! If you’ve never cooked a whole chicken before, you are missing out on the easiest way to prepare chicken, at least in my opinion.
Just rub some oil or butter over the skin, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, throw some garlic cloves in the cavity, and that’s all you need. Roast it in the oven at 350 for about an hour and a half. Let it rest for 10ish minutes (if you can last that long) before carving.
We got this method from Shannon Hayes’ “Long Way on a Little” cookbook, and it is wonderful every time.
3. Delicious! There’s something about the roasting process that really brings out the flavor. Not going to lie, chicken on a charcoal grill tastes the best to me, but roasted is number two. You can also add some carrots, potatoes, and onions around the bird for a complete meal!
4. Broth! Did you know that bone-broth made from pasture-raised animal bones & meat is one of the healthiest foods? With a whole chicken all you have to do is throw the carcass and the scrap bits into a pot or slow cooker, cover it with water, and lit it simmer 12-24 hours. And you have bone broth! Adding celery, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, and a little apple cider vinegar doesn’t hurt either.
5. Leftovers! We love having leftovers for lunch or dinner, and a roasted whole chicken gives us that joy every time. That’s why we love roasting whole chickens. If you have a recipe for how you like to roast chickens whole (a particular brine, particular seasonings, etc.) we’d love to hear about it and see any pictures! And if you have a different way that you love to prepare chicken, we’d love to hear about that, too.