How to Cook a Whole Chicken, 4 Ways

All Recipes

In this video, Roscoe shows you four of the best methods for cooking whole chicken! These delicious recipes for classic roasted chicken, easy instant pot whole chicken, spatchcocked BBQ chicken, and chicken adobo are simple and affordable ways to feed your entire family throughout the week.

Transcript

00:00You asked, what do I do with a whole chicken?

00:02Oh my god.

00:06This whole chicken is less expensive than these chicken breasts.

00:09I'm showing you four different methods on how to cook this bird.

00:13Come on.

00:14First up, we're going classic roasted chicken.

00:16Everyone needs to know how to do this.

00:18First up, get some paper towels and pat dry your chicken.

00:22The reason why we're doing this is because you want your spices to completely adhere

00:25to the chicken skin.

00:26If this freaks you out and put your hands inside the cavity,

00:29blast some Slayer.

00:30Season this puppy heavily.

00:32Whole birds are great because you're getting all the pieces of the chicken.

00:36I make this three to four times a week.

00:38That includes rice, pasta, veggies.

00:40Roast chicken will save a family week budget.

00:43You can spend your money on other things like CDs.

00:49Go ahead and fill up this cavity.

00:50We got some thyme, a lot of butter.

00:52These are Aromatics.

00:53They're going to make this chicken moist,

00:54but also infuse it and help break down through acidity,

00:58the bones inside the cavity.

01:00That should make your chicken the moistest ever.

01:03I've never released chicken skin.

01:04I always just use my hands,

01:06but I've been told to try and do this with a spoon.

01:10Oh, look at that.

01:11I'm sticking more butter inside the skin,

01:13making that skin crispy and making that chicken moist.

01:16You can choose to put more butter on the outside.

01:19I just do a little EBOO.

01:20You're going to put this on a wire rack.

01:22425 preheated oven.

01:2545 minutes.

01:26We're going to use a thermometer.

01:27We're shooting for 160, 165.

01:30I'm a 160 guy because I like my chicken to rest.

01:33Hey, look at that lemon.

01:36Hear that sizzle.

01:38Now that is a roast chicken, guys.

01:41Roast chicken is my favorite food.

01:43I love that it can feed a family or I can be solo.

01:46It smells so good in here right now.

01:47It makes you want to go to sleep.

01:48It makes you happy.

01:49You got to let this rest though for 5 to 10 minutes.

01:53You want all those juices to soak back into the breast

01:56and that skin will still stay crispy.

01:57It actually gets crispier because it hits room temp.

02:00Check this out.

02:00What? Why'd he do that?

02:01He's crazy.

02:03Moist, juicy, nice roasted chicken.

02:06That's beautiful and all, but this is how you really get down.

02:09It's supposed to be at my house.

02:12Oh my God.

02:13We did this.

02:14And it's super, super easy.

02:16Next, even easier.

02:18We're using the Instant Pot.

02:20The robot pot.

02:21Let's go.

02:21Come on.

02:23The Instant Pot makes the best meal prep chicken.

02:26Whoa, that's trippy.

02:28I've never done this before.

02:29I've heard about it.

02:30We're cooking this whole chicken in about 24 minutes.

02:33I don't trust it.

02:34I patted it dry like the last time.

02:36Season it liberally.

02:37I don't really use pressure cookers.

02:39They're always kind of scary

02:40because you think they're going to blow up,

02:41but I hear you guys like them.

02:43So this recipe is for you.

02:44We're going to smash some garlic still.

02:46I have to infuse this chicken somehow.

02:50I like that aspect of it.

02:52Some butter.

02:54Chicken stock.

02:55About one cup.

02:56We're going to measure it.

03:02It fits.

03:03Shocking.

03:04I'm excited about this.

03:05I've never done it,

03:06so I'm always looking forward to learning.

03:08Anything to cut time.

03:10You got a whole roasted chicken that takes 40 minutes.

03:13If I can do this in 24 minutes, I'm good.

03:15It'd probably take me about 30 minutes to put this on.

03:1824 minutes.

03:19High pressure.

03:24Wow, it works.

03:24It smells great.

03:26Look at that guy.

03:27I'm so sorry, robot culture.

03:29I just doubt you every week.

03:30We're going to break this down.

03:31I'm going for dice, pull, and shred it.

03:34The cool thing about this instant pot vibe,

03:37you can go ahead and start your own broth.

03:39Remove the rack in your instant pot

03:41and dump those bones in.

03:44Use the breast for your dice.

03:45Do a little bit of this.

03:47Do a little bit of the dark and the white

03:49for your shredded and your pulled.

03:50I'm actually shocked.

03:52Learning something new, guys.

03:53Learn with me.

03:54Discard all your fat.

03:55You can put it back into the stock,

03:57which makes a better bone broth in general.

03:59Look at this.

03:59Chicken salad, three to four days.

04:01Pasta, just you and your homies.

04:03Fried rice, three to four days.

04:05Three to four people.

04:06Typically, bone broth takes 12 hours.

04:09You can get a nice bone broth that's rich

04:11in two hours with this robot.

04:13Add a quart of water.

04:14Strain it when it's done.

04:15You got soup, you got sauce, you got broth.

04:18I am with the robot cooking.

04:20Next up, we're gonna spatchcock.

04:24Spatchcocking, also known as butterflying.

04:27Check this out.

04:28You have this backbone.

04:30This holds the entire chicken together.

04:33What I'm doing is I'm popping this guy open.

04:36I'm looking for a quick and even cook.

04:39So we're gonna start there.

04:41You hear that?

04:41That's when you know you're doing a good job.

04:43There's your first split.

04:44This is a perfect technique for split smoking chickens.

04:48I like a backbone.

04:49It keeps moisture at home.

04:50I'm going for a quick, faster cook.

04:52I'm spatchcocking this sucker.

04:54Stock always.

04:56We're wide open.

04:56Look at that.

04:57Rib cage exposed.

04:59Flip it over.

05:00You can pop that breast even.

05:02You got a flat chicken.

05:04You wanna press one more time.

05:05Some people pound it so you can get this flat chicken,

05:09but I think that's rude.

05:10We made it all one thickness.

05:11It's gonna be faster and more of an even cook.

05:14We're gonna make some barbecue chicken.

05:15I make my own rub.

05:16I'm not gonna tell you what it is,

05:18but it's similar to Rodney Skyes.

05:20Most important part about seasoning a chicken is

05:23high seasoning always.

05:25You wanna watch where it falls.

05:26You feel me?

05:27You don't wanna season like that.

05:29You're gonna get too much

05:30and you're not gonna cover everything.

05:31You gotta season inside the cavity

05:33because all that flavor is gonna seep in.

05:34It'll caramelize the rib cage.

05:36Skin side up.

05:38Straight in, baby.

05:39And look at that.

05:40That's so cute.

05:41No olive oil, nothing.

05:43Because all this chicken fat's gonna come out and render.

05:47Wash your hands though before you touch your oven.

05:49For $55, I will take a sip of that water.

05:52I don't need much, guys.

05:53We're going in at 425.

05:55We're gonna check it at about 25 minutes.

05:58This is my barbecue chicken in the oven.

06:00I can smoke out with the best of you.

06:02You wanna come at me?

06:03Let's go, dude.

06:04I'm not even...

06:05Hey!

06:07It's still the heaviest pan ever.

06:08And if you wanna make this real barbecue chicken,

06:11you gotta dab it up.

06:12I don't really like sweet sauces.

06:13A vinegar mustard vibe is where I'm going.

06:16When I worked at a barbecue restaurant,

06:17we used the mop.

06:18Bah!

06:19And the mop would hit the meat like that.

06:21All the liquid from the sauce would hit the coals

06:24and the smoke.

06:26It was rough, dude.

06:27Barbecue's amazing.

06:28I love barbecue.

06:30Like, it's one of the best foods.

06:31It takes a really long time to produce.

06:33And if you can do it at home, you're cool.

06:35We've still got about 30 more minutes

06:37of cook time on this sucker.

06:38Let all these sugars caramelize,

06:40and we're good to go, baby.

06:42Put your head on that.

06:46Look at that.

06:47Good lord.

06:50You ready?

06:54Barbecue plate for two or three or one.

06:59Barbecue-stylie.

07:00This looks so good.

07:01All I wanna do is sit down and eat it.

07:03But I got one more for you.

07:04Chicken adobo, baby.

07:06Come on!

07:09Ah!

07:11Ha!

07:12My take on adobo chicken.

07:14First up, we're gonna break it down.

07:15I'm gonna give you your family meal right here.

07:17We're gonna start with that drumstick

07:19and the thigh removal.

07:21It naturally pulls apart.

07:22You heard that snap?

07:23That's where the joint is.

07:25You don't have to cut hard.

07:26The joint brings it through for you.

07:28There's your leg and your thigh.

07:30Done.

07:30Now, take off your wings.

07:32It naturally pops once you break it.

07:34You wanna cut around the wing, kinda deep.

07:37Turn it around.

07:38Boom.

07:39Now, this backbone.

07:40Go ahead and cut it through.

07:42Easily some of the best stock you could ever make is this carcass.

07:46Here's your two breasts left over.

07:48Wishbone, still right there.

07:49I like to keep it intact while I break through it.

07:52There's a line right here that you can follow.

07:55Get a good point on it and just press down.

07:58It comes completely apart.

07:59Thigh meat, it gives you a direct line

08:02of where the joint meets between the thigh and the leg.

08:05And you just follow that until it gives in.

08:07For this next recipe, I am gonna split these in half.

08:10By doing that, it'll keep the cook time definitely more even

08:13because we're all the same size.

08:14We're gonna take these chicken pieces that I just broke down for you.

08:17We got your chicken breasts, thighs, leggies.

08:21We're gonna season them nicely.

08:22Salt and peppy.

08:24This is the dish that I got sent home for on Top Chef.

08:29This is the dish I've been eating since I was 10 years old.

08:31So I knew what I was doing, but I got nervous

08:33because it was on Bravo and I just forgot how to cook.

08:37I can do this in my sleep.

08:38We're gonna sear these puppies and then we're gonna build up our layers.

08:41This is a one pot dish.

08:43Rice is exceptional because we're not cooking the rice inside.

08:45If you want to, you can, but don't give me all that attitude.

08:48Season, skin side down, lock in those flavors.

08:51Let's go.

08:52As a kid, we'd eat this dish on the weekends at my buddy's house.

08:56His aunt would make it for us.

08:57Focus on building flavors in the pot.

08:59Don't rush anything and just relax, chill.

09:03Text your homies and be like, look what I'm making.

09:06Play with a tech deck.

09:07You know what I mean?

09:14People still get on me about this dish because I messed up on that silly show.

09:19I'll redeem myself.

09:20We're gonna add our aromatics, right?

09:22Little white onion, garlic, not even taking the peels off because I'm crazy.

09:27Bay, the true essence of the dish.

09:29Brown sugar, very important.

09:31Vinegar, very important.

09:33Water.

09:34Lastly, soy sauce.

09:36The main base of the dish.

09:37If we had peppercorns, we'd throw in like 15.

09:41Look at that.

09:42Let this chill out.

09:42You can make some rice.

09:43I'm gonna cover mine for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

09:47Let that go.

09:47You want to cook it down so you can build up a nice like thickened sauce.

09:51Peek at this.

09:54The vinegar that is inside this broth breaks down the toughness of the bone and the meat.

10:00Like get away, get away, get away.

10:02Especially with dark meat.

10:03Look at this.

10:03Juicy, tender, but the color is what you want.

10:07You can tell how it's getting inside.

10:09You feel me?

10:10Slowly pulling away.

10:11We're developing a sauce.

10:12You want to leave off the lid.

10:14Keep it on a nice medium-high heat for about 15 minutes.

10:17Then it's time to eat.

10:21See, why couldn't I go on Top Chef now?

10:24It's simple.

10:24Won't cost you anything to make because hopefully you have these delicious

10:28vinegars and soy sauces in your pantry.

10:30Look at that.

10:32God.

10:33Papa's favorite dish, top five.

10:35Look at this.

10:36Oh, see how it falls apart.

10:38That's a perfect braised chicken.

10:44Let's go, dude.

10:45You can cook something from memory straight up.

10:47Like don't ever take that for granted.

10:48That's the real deal.

10:49That means you care about something.

10:50This is delicious.

10:51They've all been delicious.

10:53Today has been so much fun with you people.

10:56Good lord, we made a lot of chicken today.

10:58Cook from the heart.

10:59Feed your family well.

11:00Try and save money as much as you can.

11:03I love you.

11:04Peace.

11:07Give you some nice noodles.

11:09I was about to say nudes.

11:12Yeah.

11:13What was that?

11:14That was the whole rest of the chicken.

11:17Did you get a carcass on your foot?

11:19Welcome to Chicken Land.

11:20I'm Roscoe Hall.

11:21Nice to meet you.

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