Juiciest Chicken Roast

1. Heat the oven first — very hot:
240°C conventional / 225°C fan. Put a roasting tray/rack in while it heats so everything is properly hot.

2. Get the chicken REALLY dry.
Take it out of the packaging and aggressively pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, including under the wings and around the legs. Then leave it sitting uncovered for 10–15 minutes while the oven heats and pat it dry again.

3. Make this dry seasoning for a ~1.5–2 kg chicken:

  • 15–18 g fine salt

  • 1 tsp baking powder — not baking soda

  • Black pepper

  • Optional: garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, paprika, etc.

Mix and rub it evenly over the skin.

4. Add just a tiny bit of oil.
Rub about 1–2 tsp neutral oil over the chicken. You don't want it visibly oily—just enough to coat the skin.

5. Don't tie the legs together.
Leave them slightly spread apart. This exposes more skin to the heat and helps the thighs cook faster.

6. Roast breast-side up at 240°C for 15–20 minutes.

Then reduce to 190°C conventional / 180°C fan without opening the oven unnecessarily.

Continue for approximately:

  • 1.5 kg: another 40–45 min

  • 1.75 kg: another 45–55 min

  • 2 kg: another 55–65 min

Temperature is more reliable than time: check the thickest part of the breast and thigh without touching bone.

7. For the final 5–10 minutes:
If the skin isn't as dark/crackly as you want, crank it back up to 230–240°C. Keep an eye on it because it can go from beautifully browned to burnt quickly.

8. Rest 10–15 minutes UNCOVERED.
This is important. No foil. Foil traps steam and turns crisp skin soft.

Naomi Hasegawa