Roast Chicken: 16 Famous Ways to Cook It, From a Michelin Chef’s Simple Bird to Peru’s Pollo a la Brasa

Roast chicken is the dish everyone is talking about this month. A London restaurant channel roasted the birds of five famous chefs side by side, and the video passed 1.6 million views in under three weeks. A few days later, a US grill channel roasted eight chickens with the flavors of eight countries. The good news is that every one of those methods works in a home oven, and most need little more than salt, butter and a hot pan. Here are the famous chef tricks and the best roast chicken from around the world, each with a shopping list and easy steps. Pick one for this Sunday..

Thomas Keller’s Simple Roast Chicken: Salt, Heat and Nothing Else

Two of the biggest food videos this month were about the same humble dish: a whole roast chicken. In the Fallow Michelin roast chicken video, Thomas Keller’s method stands out for how little it asks: a dry bird, plenty of salt and a hot oven. No butter, no basting, no water in the pan, so the skin turns crackly and the meat stays juicy. Ready to try the simplest one first?..

You will need: 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 lb), 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, kitchen string. To serve: 1 tbsp butter, a few thyme sprigs, Dijon mustard

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 450 F. 2. Pat the chicken completely dry, inside and out. 3. Sprinkle the salt from high up so it rains evenly over the bird, add pepper and tie the legs together. 4. Roast in a skillet for 50 to 60 minutes, until the thigh reads 165 F. 5. Add the butter and thyme to the pan, baste once, rest 15 minutes and serve with mustard.

Raymond Blanc’s French Sunday Roast Chicken With Pan Juices

Raymond Blanc, the French chef in the Fallow taste-off, learned his roast chicken from his mother in eastern France. The idea is simple: a good bird, butter, a little water or stock in the pan so the drippings never burn, and a long rest before carving. Those golden pan juices become the sauce, no flour needed. Spoon them over the meat at the table. Do you make gravy, or keep it simple with pan juices?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 lb), 3 tbsp soft butter, salt and pepper, 1 onion cut in wedges, 4 garlic cloves, a few thyme sprigs, 1 cup water or chicken stock

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F. 2. Rub the chicken with butter, salt and pepper and put the onion and garlic in the pan around it. 3. Pour in the water or stock. 4. Roast about 1 hour 15 minutes, basting twice, until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F. 5. Rest 15 to 20 minutes, then skim the fat and spoon the pan juices over the carved meat.

Low and Slow, Then Blasted: The Heston-Style Roast Chicken

Heston Blumenthal made the low-temperature roast chicken famous: brine the bird, cook it gently in a very low oven, then blast it at the end for crisp skin. The meat stays incredibly juicy because it never rushes. Our home version keeps the idea but follows safe temperatures. It takes longer, but it is mostly waiting time. Would you wait 3 hours for the juiciest roast chicken of your life?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 lb), brine: 8 cups water and 1/2 cup kosher salt, 2 tbsp soft butter, pepper

How to make it: 1. Brine the chicken in the fridge for 6 hours, then rinse and pat very dry. 2. Roast at 250 F for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the thigh reads 155 to 160 F. 3. Take it out, rest 30 minutes and turn the oven to 500 F. 4. Brush with butter and roast 10 to 12 minutes until deep golden. 5. Check that the thigh reads 165 F, then carve.

The Classic British Sunday Roast Chicken

In Britain, Sunday means a roast, and roast chicken is the family favorite. Marco Pierre White, another chef in the Fallow video, is a British kitchen legend, and this is the meal Britain loves most. It comes with all the trimmings: crisp roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, gravy and often a puffy Yorkshire pudding. The trick for the potatoes is to boil them first, rough them up in the pot and roast them in hot fat. Which trimming would you fight over?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 lb), 2 tbsp butter, salt and pepper, 2 lb potatoes, 4 carrots, 3 parsnips, 4 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp flour and 2 cups stock for gravy

How to make it: 1. Roast the buttered, salted chicken at 400 F for about 1 hour 20 minutes, to 165 F in the thigh. 2. Boil the peeled, cut potatoes 8 minutes, drain and shake to rough the edges. 3. Roast them in hot oil with the carrots and parsnips for 45 minutes, turning once. 4. Rest the chicken, then stir the flour into the pan drippings and whisk in the stock to make gravy. 5. Serve everything together.

Dry-Brined Roast Chicken With the Crispiest Skin

This is the trick almost every chef in those viral videos agrees on: salt the chicken a day ahead and leave it uncovered in the fridge. The salt seasons the meat all the way through, and the cold air dries the skin so it roasts up shatteringly crisp. It costs nothing extra and takes two minutes of work. Once you try a dry-brined roast chicken, you will not go back. Have you ever salted your chicken the night before?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 lb), 1 tbsp kosher salt (about 1 tsp per pound), 1 tsp baking powder (optional, for extra crisp skin), 1/2 tsp pepper

How to make it: 1. Pat the chicken very dry, inside and out. 2. Mix the salt, baking powder and pepper and rub it all over. 3. Set it on a rack over a plate and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours. 4. Roast at 425 F for about 1 hour, until the thigh reads 165 F. 5. Rest 15 minutes before carving.

Spatchcocked Roast Chicken in 45 Minutes

Cut out the backbone with kitchen shears, press the chicken flat, and dinner is ready in about 45 minutes instead of 90. Flat means everything cooks evenly, so the breast stays juicy while the legs finish, and every bit of skin faces the heat. This is the best weeknight roast chicken there is. Save the backbone in the freezer for stock. Shears or a knife: which do you trust?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 lb), 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 lemon cut in half

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 450 F. 2. Set the chicken breast side down and cut along both sides of the backbone with shears; remove it. 3. Flip it and press hard on the breastbone to flatten. 4. Rub with oil, salt, pepper and paprika and lay it on a sheet pan with the lemon halves. 5. Roast 40 to 45 minutes, to 165 F in the thigh, then squeeze the roasted lemon over the top.

Lemon, Garlic and Herb Butter Under the Skin

Butter on top of the skin mostly melts into the pan. Butter under the skin bastes the meat from the inside for the whole roast. Mash soft butter with garlic, lemon zest and herbs, then slide your fingers under the skin of the breast and legs and push it in. Stuff the bird with the zested lemon and a head of garlic cut in half. The smell alone brings everyone to the kitchen. Rosemary, thyme or sage?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 lb), 4 tbsp soft butter, 4 garlic cloves minced, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary or thyme, salt and pepper, 1 whole head of garlic cut in half

How to make it: 1. Mix the butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, herbs and 1/2 tsp salt. 2. Loosen the skin over the breast and thighs and spread the butter underneath. 3. Put the zested lemon and halved garlic head inside the chicken and season the outside. 4. Roast at 425 F for about 1 hour 10 minutes, to 165 F in the thigh. 5. Rest 15 minutes and squeeze the roasted garlic over the carved meat.

French Poulet Roti With Potatoes in the Drippings

In France, the rotisserie chicken stand at the weekly market sets potatoes under the turning birds so they catch every drop of fat. You can do the same at home: put the chicken on a rack right over a pan of potatoes. The potatoes come out golden, soft and full of flavor. It is a whole Sunday dinner in one pan, and maybe the best part of this roast chicken. Who in your house steals the potatoes first?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 lb), 2 tbsp soft butter, 1 tsp herbes de Provence, salt and pepper, 2 lb small potatoes halved, 1 tbsp olive oil, a few garlic cloves

How to make it: 1. Toss the potatoes with oil, salt and garlic in a roasting pan. 2. Rub the chicken with butter, herbs, salt and pepper. 3. Set the chicken on a rack directly over the potatoes. 4. Roast at 400 F for about 1 hour 20 minutes, to 165 F in the thigh, stirring the potatoes once. 5. Rest the chicken and serve with the potatoes and pan juices.

Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa With Green Sauce

In Peru, pollo a la brasa is one of the most loved dishes in the country, roasted on a spit and served with fries and a spicy green sauce. The marinade is the secret: garlic, cumin, paprika, soy sauce and lime. Country-versus-country roast chicken videos are pulling huge views this month, and this is the one people ask for again and again. The creamy green sauce is so good that people put it on everything. Fries or salad on the side?

You will need: Chicken: 1 whole chicken (4 lb), 6 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp soy sauce, juice of 2 limes, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt. Green sauce: 1 cup cilantro, 1 jalapeno, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup crumbled feta, 1 garlic clove, juice of 1 lime

How to make it: 1. Blend the garlic, cumin, paprika, soy sauce, lime, oil and salt into a paste. 2. Rub it all over the chicken and marinate 4 hours or overnight. 3. Roast at 425 F for about 1 hour, to 165 F in the thigh. 4. Blend all the green sauce ingredients until smooth. 5. Carve and serve with fries and the green sauce.

Portuguese Piri Piri Roast Chicken

Piri piri is the small, fiery chili Portuguese sailors brought home from Africa, and in the Algarve, piri piri chicken is the dish every family drives out for. The sauce is chili, garlic, lemon, paprika and olive oil. Make a double batch: half to marinate, half to brush on at the table. Use mild red chilies if you want it gentle. How hot do you dare to go?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 lb), spatchcocked, 4 to 6 red chilies (bird’s eye for hot, Fresno for mild), 4 garlic cloves, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

How to make it: 1. Blend the chilies, garlic, lemon, paprika, oil, salt and vinegar. 2. Keep half for serving and rub the rest over the flattened chicken. 3. Marinate 2 hours or overnight. 4. Roast at 450 F for 40 to 45 minutes, to 165 F in the thigh. 5. Brush with the saved sauce and serve with fries or rice.

Filipino Lechon Manok Stuffed With Lemongrass

All over the Philippines, lechon manok stands turn whole chickens on spits over glowing charcoal, and the smell carries down the whole street. The bird is marinated in soy sauce, calamansi or lemon and garlic, then stuffed with lemongrass, which perfumes the meat from the inside. At home, the oven does a fine job. It is usually served with rice and a sweet liver-style gravy or just soy and vinegar. Have you ever tried it?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 lb), 1/2 cup soy sauce, juice of 4 calamansi or 1 lemon, 6 garlic cloves crushed, 1 tsp pepper, 3 stalks lemongrass, bruised and tied, 1 onion quartered. Dip: soy sauce and vinegar with chopped chili

How to make it: 1. Mix the soy sauce, citrus juice, garlic and pepper and marinate the chicken 4 hours or overnight. 2. Stuff it with the lemongrass and onion. 3. Roast at 400 F for about 1 hour 15 minutes, to 165 F in the thigh, brushing with the marinade in the first 30 minutes only. 4. Rest 10 minutes. 5. Serve with rice and the soy vinegar dip.

Moroccan Chicken With Preserved Lemon and Olives

This is one of Morocco’s most famous dishes, a golden chicken scented with ginger, saffron or turmeric, preserved lemon and green olives. The preserved lemon gives a salty, bright flavor you cannot get any other way; look for a jar in big supermarkets or make your own. It is traditionally cooked in a tagine, but a Dutch oven and a hot oven work beautifully. Serve it with couscous or warm bread to soak up the sauce. Would you try it?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 lb) or 8 bone-in thighs, 2 onions sliced, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp turmeric, pinch of saffron (optional), 1 tsp cumin, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 preserved lemon in strips, 1 cup green olives, cilantro and parsley

How to make it: 1. Rub the chicken with garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, saffron and a little salt. 2. Brown it lightly in oil in a Dutch oven, then add the onions and stock. 3. Cover and roast at 375 F for 45 minutes. 4. Add the preserved lemon and olives and roast uncovered 20 to 30 minutes more, to 165 F in the thigh. 5. Scatter herbs and serve with couscous.

Jamaican Jerk Roast Chicken

Jerk is Jamaica’s great gift to the grill: a fiery, smoky, sweet paste of Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, thyme, green onions and brown sugar. Traditionally it is cooked slowly over pimento wood, but a hot oven gives you deeply charred, sticky chicken too. Wear gloves when you cut Scotch bonnets, and use half of one if your family is sensitive to heat. Rice and peas on the side make it a feast. Mild, medium or real Jamaican heat?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 lb), cut in pieces, 1 to 2 Scotch bonnet peppers, 6 green onions, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp allspice, 1 tbsp thyme, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 3 tbsp soy sauce, juice of 1 lime, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt

How to make it: 1. Blend everything except the chicken into a paste. 2. Rub it into the chicken, cover and marinate overnight. 3. Roast on a rack at 425 F for 40 to 45 minutes, to 165 F in the thickest piece. 4. Broil 2 to 3 minutes for extra char, watching closely. 5. Serve with rice and peas and lime wedges.

Greek Lemon-Oregano Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Greek families call it kotopoulo lemonato: chicken and potatoes roasted together in a bath of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano. The potatoes soak up all that lemony broth and become soft inside and crisp at the edges. It is one pan, cheap, and so good that the potatoes often disappear before the chicken. Add a bowl of Greek salad and you are done. Lemon lovers, is this your new Sunday dinner?

You will need: 8 bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, 2 lb potatoes cut in wedges, juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 cup chicken stock, 5 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 1/2 tsp salt, pepper

How to make it: 1. Whisk the lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. 2. Toss the chicken and potatoes in it in a large baking dish. 3. Pour the stock around them. 4. Roast at 400 F for about 1 hour, turning the potatoes once, until the chicken reads 165 F. 5. Spoon the pan juices over everything before serving.

Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken

Five-spice powder (star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan pepper and fennel) gives roast chicken a warm, sweet and savory flavor that makes the whole kitchen smell like a Chinatown roast shop. A glaze of honey and soy sauce makes the skin shiny and mahogany. It is easy enough for a weeknight with chicken pieces, or impressive with a whole bird for a holiday table. Serve with steamed rice and cucumbers. Have you cooked with five-spice before?

You will need: 3 lb chicken pieces or 1 whole chicken, 1 1/2 tsp five-spice powder, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil, green onions to serve

How to make it: 1. Mix the five-spice, soy sauce, honey, rice wine, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. 2. Marinate the chicken in half of it for 2 hours or overnight. 3. Roast at 400 F for 40 to 45 minutes for pieces (1 hour 15 for a whole bird), to 165 F. 4. Brush with the rest of the glaze in the last 10 minutes. 5. Sprinkle with green onions and serve with rice.

One-Pan Roast Chicken With Root Vegetables (Plus How to Carve It)

End with the easiest Sunday dinner of all: a roast chicken on a bed of carrots, onions, parsnips and potatoes, all in one pan. The vegetables roast in the chicken drippings, so there is nothing else to cook. To carve, cut the legs off first at the joint, then slice down along the breastbone and lift each breast off whole before slicing it. Leftovers? Try these grandma ideas for making one whole chicken last all week. Which roast chicken will you make first this Sunday?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 lb), 4 carrots, 3 parsnips, 1 lb baby potatoes, 2 red onions in wedges, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 lemon

How to make it: 1. Cut the vegetables into chunks, toss with 2 tbsp oil, half the salt and the thyme and spread in a large pan. 2. Rub the chicken with the rest of the oil and salt, the pepper and lemon zest, and put the lemon inside. 3. Set it on top of the vegetables. 4. Roast at 425 F for about 1 hour 10 minutes, to 165 F in the thigh. 5. Rest 15 minutes, carve and serve with the vegetables.