The Weeknight Roast Chicken Dinner You'll ACTUALLY Make

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Steps

Chicken

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 300 F / 150 C. If your chicken leg quarters still have a piece of backbone attached near the thigh joint, make a deep slice along the backbone to expose the thigh socket, open the joint, and cut down through to remove the bone for even roasting.

   Tip: Removing the backbone only adds about 5 minutes and is no harder than peeling shell-on shrimp.

   ~5 min
2. 2
   Make the chicken dust: in a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and poultry seasoning. Stir until evenly mixed.

   Tip: Poultry seasoning carries the Thanksgiving herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram) that make roast chicken taste classic.

   ~2 min
3. 3
   Season the chicken: hold each leg over a large bowl and sprinkle 4-5 big pinches of the chicken dust over all sides, tossing to coat evenly. The bowl catches the excess so you can reuse it on the remaining legs. Use all of the seasoning across the 4 legs.

   Tip: The salt and sugar amounts are balanced for this total amount of meat, so use every last bit.

   ~5 min
4. 4
   Slow roast: arrange the seasoned legs skin-side up on a sheet tray and roast at 300 F / 150 C for 75 minutes. This gently renders the fat, dries the skin, and brings the meat to at least 160 F / 71 C in the deepest part of the thigh while preserving moisture.

   Tip: The slow roast raises the internal temperature gradually, locking in moisture instead of squeezing it out.

   ~75 min
5. 5
   At the 75-minute mark, remove the chicken and raise the oven to 450 F / 230 C. Brush or drizzle about 1 T olive oil over the chicken skin until it glistens so the high heat transfers effectively.

   ~2 min

Quick Chicken Jus (optional)

1. 1
   While the trays roast, make the optional jus: melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour to form a roux, and cook for 30 seconds to remove the raw flour taste. Whisk in the chicken stock and chicken base, bring to a simmer, and cook about 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Underseason slightly, since salty chicken drippings will be added later.

   Tip: This makes about twice the sauce you need; the extra freezes perfectly for next time.

   ~3 min
2. 2
   Deglaze and finish the jus: pour about 1/2 c water or stock onto the hot chicken tray and scrape up all the browned drippings and fond with a wooden spoon (warm the tray on the stovetop if it has cooled). Stir these drippings into the prepared sauce, return to a simmer for a minute or two to thicken and season, then serve the chicken and vegetables with the jus.

   Tip: The deglazed fond is like roast chicken distillate, very powerful, so add it gradually to taste.

   ~4 min

Vegetables

1. 1
   About 15 minutes before the chicken timer ends, slide a second empty sheet tray into the oven to preheat. Chop the onions, carrots, potatoes, and fennel into rustic 1-1.25 in pieces, keeping the onion slightly smaller since it can be fibrous.

   Tip: Use russet potatoes over Yukons; their lower moisture and sugar resist premature burning at high heat.

   ~10 min
2. 2
   Toss the chopped vegetables in a large bowl with the olive oil (at least 4 T) and about 10 g salt until coated.

   Tip: Fennel is the secret weapon; it perfumes the potatoes with a soft, floral anise flavor as it roasts.

   ~3 min
3. 3
   Remove the preheated second sheet tray, spray or brush it with oil, and spread the vegetables across it, making sure the potatoes make direct contact with the tray for extra browning. Return both the chicken and vegetable trays to the oven and roast together at 450 F / 230 C for 20-25 minutes.

   Tip: Direct contact between the potatoes and the hot tray gives them extra crispiness and browning.

   ~25 min
4. 4
   When the chicken is done (target 185 F / 85 C in the deepest part of the thigh, where it shreds off the bone), remove it from the oven. If the vegetables need more color after 20 minutes, switch the oven to broil on high about 10 in from the element; broil 5 minutes, stir, then broil another 5 minutes until caramelized and roasty.

   Tip: The thighs can handle a lot of browning before drying out, so prioritize internal temp over color.

   ~10 min

Nutrition (por porción)

Brian Lagerstrom

The Weeknight Roast Chicken Dinner You'll ACTUALLY Make

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