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Supermarket Roasted Chicken

We love the already roasted chickens that you can buy at the supermarkets.
Does anyone have a recipe to roast a chicken that is as tasty as the supermarket chickens.
I have tried several recipes but none as good.

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    1. I don't have a recipe per se, but the key tends to be brining!

      1. I agree with the brining. I tried a different brining method the other day. I may have read about it on these boards. At any rate, it sure worked. Instead of placing the chicken in the brining solution, just cover the chicken with kosher salt and wrap in damp paper towels. Place chicken in a pan and refrigerate several hours. I left mine overnight. When ready to prepare the chicken, rinse and pat dry. Now as for a recipe for roasted chicken, you might try this one that was suggested to me by Chef Chicklet. Rub chicken with melted butter and fresh lime juice, chopped garlic, and lots of salt and pepper. Salt and pepper the cavity and stuff with lime rinds, garlic, and scallions. Roast until skin is crispy and juices run clear. This was so delicious and so much better than the rotisserie chickens at the store. I use those occasionally for soups, enchiladas, etc. when I'm in a hurry. I bet you'll love the lime-garlic chicken, though. And there's nothing like a roasting chicken in the oven...mmmm!

        2 Replies
        1. re: cookingschool

          Thanks so much for the idea. I have all the ingredients - just bought a bag of limes last week. Can I use sea salt if I don't have kosher salt?

          1. re: Donna52479

            I don't see why you couldn't use sea salt instead of kosher salt. Hope you enjoy the chicken!

        2. Possibly what you're looking for is a recipe called "Roast Sticky Chicken". Cooks for 5 hours (yes, 5 hours) in a low oven @ 250°F. Here's the recipe: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/w... One thing to note - I cut WAY back on the amount of salt - 4 tsp. is just way too salty for me.

          10 Replies
          1. re: LindaWhit

            An extremely easy and good recipe is the two-lemon chicken by Marcella Hazan. Until I tried it I couldn't believe something so simple would be so good, and I've made some pretty tasty chicken in my time. It requires a good (organic, free-range, fresh) chicken, salt, fresh cracked pepper and two small fresh lemons squeezed and punctured with a fork about 20 times each. Cooks approx 20-25 min per pound.
            Simply clean the chicken well, dry it, salt and pepper the inside and outside generously, place the lemons inside the chicken and close with toothpicks and tie the leg knuckles with twine. Put into a roasting pan in a pre-heated 350 oven breast-side down for 1/3 cooking time, turn over for the second 1/3 cooking time then increase the heat to 400 for the final 1/3 or until the internal heat reaches 175-180 degrees. Let sit for 10 min out of the heat before carving.
            Doesn't require any basting as the lemons keep the meat moist.
            Highly recommended!

            1. re: kevine

              Kevine - do you need to rub oil or butter on the outside of the chicken?

              1. re: Donna52479

                No, you don't need either at all. Marcella is quite specific about that in her printed recipe and I've found that she's right.

                1. re: kevine

                  Here is Macella Hazan's recipe for Chicken with Two Lemons in full: http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/roas...

            2. re: LindaWhit

              My family loves that "Sticky Chicken" recipe too, though I feel like I've won at Russian roulette every time we eat it and don't get sick! (The temp. at which it cooks is a giant no no per food safety rules.) Last time I made it I totally forgot to preseason the bird the night before and just tossed it in the oven right after applying the rub, and it came out just as good. I do use all the salt in the recipe and don't find it too salty.

              1. re: MommaJ

                Well of course the number one issue here is that these chickens you speak of are usually rotisserie. If this is not an option then I will recommend making a compound butter (room temp butter mixed with herbs and seasoning) and place under the skin prior to cooking. Also baste the chicken every 15-20 minutes.

                1. re: Just Me

                  Just for the record, if you want to try the rotisserie method, those Showtime rotisserie cookers do do a good job. I had one for quite a while before I gave it away, and was impressed with the job it did - very tasty, even cooking. Cleanup was easy, and the cats were fascinated with watching it go around and around!

                  1. re: Seldomsated

                    suggested this here before, we love bang bang chicken. Grab every jar in your fridge or pantry with just a bit left in the bottom (salad dressings, mayo, marinades, worcester sauce, ketchup, A1, honey, jam it doesnt matter) turn them upside down over the chicken and bang the bottoms.
                    leave to marinate for a couple of hours, add a bit of ground ginger and (curry powder yum), squeeze an orange over the bird, stuff the orange halves and an onion inside and roast for around 2 hours.

                2. re: MommaJ

                  It's sort of a food safety no-no, but not really. Cooking is a function of time and temperature. The long time at a low temp is fine. Think of it this way, if you boiled the chicken, the water never goes above 212F. Simple physics right there. No one thinks twice about boiled chicken not being cooked safely as long as the meat is considered done (depending on who you believe, 160-180 for the thigh area or thickest part of the bird.) So, please don't sweat the long and low method with respect to safety. As long as you hit the correct temp in the meat, you should be a-ok. More safety issues come into play pertaining to cross contamination (knives, counter tops, cutting boards, etc etc) as well as improper handling after cooking. Again looking at time and temp you don't want anything sitting between 40F-140F for more than two hours.

                  Off my food safety jag...Sticky Chicken does rule!

                3. re: LindaWhit

                  This is a great recipe, one of my family's favorites. Thanks for reminding me about it!

                4. I have found Beer Can Chicken to be very similar in taste and texture to supermarket rotissierie chicken.

                  4 Replies
                  1. re: cali2ia

                    Cali2ia: What is the recipe for your beer can chicken - do you bake it in the oven or cook it on the grill?

                    1. re: Donna52479

                      I cooked beer can chicken in the oven only once and cleaned the oven before using it again. A gas grill works great for this, but check that you have 7 or so inches of space above the grate to accomodate the standing bird.

                      I brine a whole chicken, often two, and cook em beer can style outside on a 400-500F grill. Spray the beer can with Pam to facilitate its removal later. I set the bird/can assembly on a cast iron skillet so the dripping fat does not flame/char the bird.

                      Put about 2 Tbsp Kosher or sea salt, 1-2 Tbsb Frank's Hot (wing) Sauce and a few peppercorns, in a Gallon Zip bag. Add about a cup of warm water to dissolve. Add the bird, cover with cold water, seal the bag and invert a few times to mix. Many people like a little sugar in their brine, but I avoid it. Keep chilled about 3 hours, but no longer than overnight.

                      If part of what makes those deli rotisserie chickens so good is the lemon pepper or whatever on the skin, well you could blot the brine with paper towels and apply your favorite seasoning before sliding the bird onto the beer can.

                      1. re: AreBe

                        Here is what I do: Take four sheets of Foil roll into balls about 1 1/2"; place on the bottom of your crock pot (I have the oval 6-qt one) place your washed & patted dry chicken on top of the foil balls. Sprinkle all over with McCormicks Rotissary Chicken seasoning. Put the lid on and cook for 6 - 8 hours on LOW. You won't be sorry.

                    2. re: cali2ia

                      I agree....except that beer can chicken is better than supermarket chicken. My BC chix rubs are way better than the supermarket's, and homemade chickens don't seem to dry out as quickly as the commercial ones. Get Raichlen's beer can chicken cookbook, it has every tip & trick you'll need, including conversions for oven cooking.