Roast Chicken

1. Stage

Before you do anything, take the bird from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. The drier the skin, the crispier and more delicious it will be. Once the chicken is dry, stuff it with aromatics—the herbs and citrus. Start by zesting two to three lemons. Set that zest aside for later. Then chop up the lemons into medium-sized chunks. Place the lemon wedges and the rosemary sprigs inside the cavity of the chicken (make sure you remove the bag of giblets.)

2. Stage

Trussing is a fancy-sounding word for tying up the bird before it roasts. This keeps the chicken in a compact and uniform shape, allowing it to cook evenly. If this is a new technique for you, here's how to truss a chicken: Grab a spool of butcher's twine. Place the bird breast-side up. Place a long piece of string underneath the legs and tail, pulling it so it has an equal length on each side. Form a loose figure eight around the legs, pulling the string up around the tops of the legs before crisscrossing it below the ankles. Pull the string tight to squeeze the legs together. Then loop the string back to the top of the ankles. Crisscross the string near the chicken's cavity. Pull it up towards the wings, hooking it on either side of the breast. Flip the chicken over and tie the string around the wings. Trim off any excess twine.

3. Stage

Most roast chicken recipes call for a shallow roasting pan fitted with a rack to elevate the bird. This ensures that hot air will circulate around the chicken, giving every inch a crispy, golden brown bake. For this recipe, you'll need a small (14-inch) roasting pan with sides about 3 inches tall. We like using stainless-steel roasting pans because they're lightweight and don't react to acidic ingredients. Place your trussed chicken, breast-side up, on a roasting rack in preparation for the next step.

4. Stage

Don't be afraid of seasoning! This whole chicken requires a lot of flavor to permeate all the meat. Our Test Kitchen experts have a few tips for seasoning meat like a pro: Use kosher salt instead of table salt. It has a coarser grain, so you can cover more surface area of the chicken without creating an overly salty flavor. Don't skimp on the salt. Use about one teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. Season in advance. Salt pulls moisture away from the surface, drying out the skin and helping it crisp up to perfection. Let the chicken rest for at least 30 minutes, or as long as 12 hours if you have the time. In this recipe, the chicken gets a good dose of seasoning from the lemons and rosemary inside the cavity. That doesn't mean we can skip seasoning the outside, though. Start by brushing the outside of the chicken with oil. We use olive oil in this recipe, but you can substitute vegetable or grapeseed oil. In a small dish, toss together the reserved lemon zest, minced rosemary, salt and pepper. Pat this mixture all over the chicken, making sure to get all the sides and nooks and crannies.

5. Stage

Let's get roasting! Bake the bird, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for at least two hours (it may take up to two hours and 45 minutes if you have a larger bird). As it cooks, baste the chicken occasionally with the drippings that collect at the bottom of the pan. If you don't have a baster, you can use a spoon to scoop the drippings and pour them over the top of the chicken. When done, the internal temperature should read 165º in the breast or 175º in the thigh. To get the most accurate reading, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (being careful not to touch the bone). Test Kitchen Tip: If the chicken is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

6. Stage

Once the chicken has finished cooking, let it stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before carving. This cooling period allows the proteins to relax and let moisture in, giving you a juicy, tender bird. Tent with foil to keep the chicken warm.

7. Stage

Snip off the string and discard the lemons and rosemary from the chicken cavity. Then get carving—it's easier than you think! Here's how to carve a chicken: Tilt the chicken over the roasting pan to empty any excess juices from the cavity (and use them to make gravy). Place the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board, positioning it so the wings are facing away from you at the top of the cutting board. Slice the skin between the leg and body to expose the joint. Pull the leg away from the body and slice through the hip joint, removing the thigh and drumstick in one piece. Flip the leg over to get a better view of where the two pieces meet. Separate the drumstick from the thigh by slicing along the drumstick curve until you reach the joint. Repeat these steps to remove the second thigh and drumstick. Loosen the breast meat by making a long, horizontal cut from the top of the wing to the point where the leg used to meet the breast. Remove the breast meat by making a deep, vertical cut along the breastbone. Then cut in an angled, downward motion underneath the breast towards the horizontal cut. Repeat these steps to remove the second breast. Finish by pulling the wing away from the body and cutting through the joint. Remove the wing tip, if desired.