I Roasted a Chicken!
And I survived!
For some reason, roasting a chicken has scared me to death. Most likely because I despise touching raw meat. But today, I conquered those fears, even if I was screaming like a little girl the entire time.
Sometimes I get an idea in my head and it does not leave until I accomplish the task. I’ve been obsessed with the idea of roasting the chicken since last week, so I finally picked one up yesterday.
Maybe not my wisest decision, since this has already been quite a traumatic weekend. But I don’t regret it now.
After asking for lots of help via Facebook and Twitter, I loosely followed Ina’s recipe but decided to shove a can of beer up it’s rear.
I also saw a picture of beer can chicken with an apple shoved down it’s neck, so after stuffing 7 garlic cloves down there, I put in half a lemon. I figured it would work too! I also mixed about 1/3 cup of butter with some thyme, and rubbed it throughly under the skin and all over the top. That was fun.
I chopped some potatoes, fennel and parsnips to add to the bottom of the pan because it was what I had on hand. I also dumped about half of the can of beer in the bottom.
Mr. How Sweet and I clearly are four years old because we could not stop laughing at how funny this looked. He kept bringing up the episode of Friends where Monica puts the turkey on her head.
I roasted it at 425 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours.
I didn’t take many photos because we were too lost in the moment, but it was so delicious. Mr. How Sweet is still moaning over how good it tasted. He gave me the best compliment ever: “you just make this look so easy.” The crispy skin is amazing. If you haven’t roasted a chicken, you must do so soon.
I’m emotionally exhausted. Happy Sunday!
81 Comments on “I Roasted a Chicken!”
Haha, right as I saw this I thought of Monica! That does look super funny. And Mr. How Sweet (aka Bradley Cooper) is right on — you make it look ssooo easy!
That does look easy! Makes me want to try to make it this weekend!!!
Sooo, what was for DESSERT????? Something Chocolaty???
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving was stuffing 3 onions up that turkey’s tush. I’ve never tried a beer can before, but now I want to.
This looks delicious!! I’m still terrified of touching Turkey on Thanksgiving. I’m not I’ll ever overcome that fear.
We have only roasted a chicken once but you are inspiring me to try it again soon. Love that episode of Friends:-)
I’m scared to roast a chicken, too… but now I’ll try it, since you did! :)
This looks amazing! I think I am gonna have to try it!
I love that Friends episode!!!
I hope the insides were already cleaned out for you. That is something I cannot do.
They weren’t. :( I had to do that. That was the hardest part. I absolutely can’t handle raw meat because all I think of is the veins/gristle/etc. This is a huge reason I can rarely eat the meat I make Mr. How Sweet.
I think that chicken looks proud to have come out of your oven. Bravo!
Someone recently told me about doing a chicken on the grill with a root beer – I’m not so sure about this idea.
It sounds really good to me!
Good for you!! Meeker loves roasting chicken, so we’ve done it a few times. My favorite was is on the grill (on low heat) because it doesn’t have to be in the house and raw chicken kind of skeeves me out, too. But it always ends up tasting delicious in the end.
Hope you get some rest tonight, and glad Mr. How Sweet is doing better!
I’ve never roasted a chicken either. Although I successfully made a turkey a couple of weeks ago. Not clearly as dressed up as yours though. :-)
YAY you did it :D
I have been waiting/hoping for pictures and a post after seeing all the tweets on Twitter! I loved roasted chicken – nothing like that crispy skin or how it carmelizes on the bottom of pan, especially with onions!
Great job!
lol the chicken is just sitting there like a little cartoon character — it’s cracking me up! sooo golden and yummy looking!
That is so funny, I just hacked up my first whole chicken in preparing to make coq au vin tomorrow for dinner. It was not a pretty sight, and Julia Child would laugh if she saw what I did to this poor thing! In my defense, it had a neck still attached, and I just was so creeped out I wanted to be done with it!
Once my husband gets back from this two week long business trip. I’m buying myself a chicken, roasting one too! I have seen where you can do it in the crockpot too, but this sounds so much better!
Way to go! Hope your coming week gets easier.
I’m so glad you tried it! I’ve yet to roast a chicken…but I think I’ll be terrified the first time I try it. I don’t like touching raw meat either. :/
It looks terrific, and the ingredients you used sound delish.
I love roasted chicken. Have for dinner one night, use any leftovers for chicken salad, and then make stock with the bones.
i know how you feel! i roasted my first chicken this past year. it was scary….but it turned out well and made it all worth it! makes you feel proud doesn’t it?!
Haha! That’s a great episode of Friends!
When I roast a chicken, I cannot bring myself to touch the chicken. My husband always does it while I tell him exactly what to do. I never have problems touching meat, but when it comes to a whole bird, I don’t do well!
Roasted chicken is seriously the best ever! Makes the house smell amazing too! I usually roast w/ onion, lemon, butter and thyme – so very similar to this recipe – can’t go wrong with classic flavors. Great job on the crisp skin too, you definitely do make it look easy :)
I can roast them, but only if I buy the chickens without the neck and whatnot shoved up their rear. Ew. Just ew.
Also, the part about rubbing stuff UNDER the skin? Really? How do you handle that?
Oh man, that chicken looks GOOD!
I’ve never roasted a chicken..I have done a turkey though “in a brown bag” and it was delicious! I am gonna have to give it a try even though raw chicken does kind of freak me out! It looks delicious!
Roasted chicken is the best, and the skin…mm soo good!
LOVELY roasted chicken! I did something similar before too, showing the lemon up it’s a** and I think it makes ALL the difference! Well done! :)
Next stop, beer can chicken? :D
I also roasted a chicken for the first time recently, and when I blogged about it totally pictured poultry on Monica’s head too! Here’s the ridiculously simple and amazingly juicy recipe I used: http://180turning30.com/2010/12/22/cooking-new-foods-28-kimmy-giblet/
Bahahahahahaha! I am soo with you guys! That looks too funny!
Roasting a chicken has always scared me too! It looks like you did a great job though : )
I was giggling about how the chicken looked too. I’m immature, its okay.
I’ve never roasted a chicken and I am scared also. I also don’t like dark meat, so half of it would go to waste anyway. Or at least that’s my excuse.
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The whole day I’ve been hearing about how good “beer in the rear chicken” is so I guess I need to get over my fear of working with a whole chicken & trying this one out!
Crispy chicken skin is so amazing!! The chicken looks like it turned out well!
Haha! I loved this. Someday, I will get up the nerve to touch raw meat. Until that day, it’s pre-cooked meat and tofu for me!
oh man, now I’m craving chicken. That looks yummy!
Congrats for trying something new!!
Next step: dump the carcass in a pot with some carrots, an onion and some celery and boil it for many an hour to make some amazing, healthy stock! (I typically boil mine for about 12 hrs… Until the bones crumble in my fingers to get every last bit of gelatin out of it!)
I shoved onions in the chicken I made for Hunni and my mom after reading Evan’s post :-)
Following anything by Ina is a good start. She and Jeffrey are the roasted chicken Mr & Mrs :)
I was seriously going to email you. Glad to see a post from you. Been thinking about you all weekend :)
It looks delicious!!! I just ventured in to a new area of roast chicken…flattened roast chicken. Now, you do have to cut out the backbone, but…it was divine. Check the Mad Hungry blog for flattened chicken. Amazing.
I LOVE that episode with Monica + the Turkey On Head… although I could never do it… I am the same way, the thought of touching a raw chicken freaks me out.
*shudder*
I always thought if I could do it, I’d do the beer can… so, does it make it awesome? tender? beer-tasty?
it looks fabulous (and funny…)
thought of you two over the weekend… hope the Mr. is all better, and things are back to normal. <3
Sounds delish! Beer can chicken is really tasty! =D
Roast chicken is my husband’s favourite meal! I love the way yours sits up eager to be roasted! So cute!
Your chicken looks great! Roasting a chicken still scares me, my biggest problem is not knowing if it’s cooked through unless it has the little pop up timer! Lol great job!
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*standing up and applauding your brave nature and “go get ’em” attitude*
Incidentally, beer can chicken is INCREDIBLE when made on a charcoal grill. Want to kick it up to the next level (it’s how I live…how I roll…par for the course)…. wrap that bad boy bird in BACON the next time you make it.
You can thank me later… :-)
yayyyyy! I think even roasting just the breasts on the bone makes a huge difference in the taste. I plan to do more roasting in the upcoming months
I have been both obsessed and terrified of the idea of roasting a chicken for a while. I have the same issues with raw meat. But I think it’s time I put on the big girl panties and step up to the challenge. Thanks for the nudge, and the recipe!
Great job girl… looks fantastic! And I bet tasted even better!
yay! I knew you’d love it :) And it’s SO easy, right? It seems like it would be so complicated and time consuming, but it does most of the work itself.
PS: my favorite risotto combo so far? Bacon + butternut squash + parm. YUM.
That sounds amazing!