There’s nothing better than a delicious roast chicken dinner. It’s easy to master this homely dish with a few simple ingredients, so it’s pretty hard to go wrong once you get to grips with the timings. It should only take around 1h30/1h45 to roast a medium-sized chicken but the key is being organised and working it well so that all the ingredients coincide and finish cooking at the same time.
A roast chicken dinner is a relatively cheap eat and it’s a great meal to feed friends or family. This meal was made for just 2, but we did have a good portion of leftovers so it could have easily fed a third person. It’s fairly easy to adjust this recipe and cater your quantities too depending on the number of people you’re planning to feed.
Generally for potatoes, I estimate 1 large potato per person. For vegetables, 2 carrots per person, a handful of broccoli per person, and so on. It’s fairly easy to judge quantities but if you end up with too much it’ll make a great leftovers sandwich or ingredients for soup the next day!
Follow this simple recipe to create a succulent roast chicken dinner and master this timeless classic that’s perfect for all occasions!
The Perfect Roast Chicken Dinner
Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1h 30 Serves: 2-3 people
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 small-medium chicken
Large white potatoes
Carrots
Broccoli
Gravy granules (follow packet instructions)
Rosemary, sea salt, pepper, garlic
Tasty additions/alternatives: butternut squash, turnips (these are delicious roasted), brussel sprouts, cabbage, roast beef, stuffing, yorkshire puddings….the list is endless
Cooking Times:
Roast chicken: 1h 30 in the oven
Roasted potatoes: 20-30 mins boiling time, 45 minutes roasting time
Roasted veg (carrots, turnips): 45 minutes in the oven
Steamed/boiled vegetables: 10-15 minutes on the stove
Gravy: 3 minutes in a small saucepan
Directions:
1. Firstly, pre-heat the oven to 180 C / 360 F.
2. Place the chicken in a large roasting tray and season with olive oil, a sprinkle of rosemary, sea salt and pepper. I like to make small slits in the chicken meat and stuff small chunks of garlic inside. This gives the meat a really tender, succulent flavour. Oven bake for 1h30. I usually cover the chicken with tin-foil for the first 45 minutes, then bake uncovered for the last 45 minutes.
3. Prepare the vegetables and potatoes in separate pans. For the carrots, chop into batons and set aside. For the potatoes, peel and chop into medium-sized chunks and set aside in a pan. For any other vegetables, place in a pan of water in preparation for boiling/steaming later on. Set the potatoes to boil, and then simmer for 20-30 minutes or until soft, then drain and set aside.
4. After 45 minutes, uncover the chicken and add the carrots and potatoes to the roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and roast for a further 35 minutes.
5. Check the oven every 10/15 minutes, and turn the potatoes and carrots so they evenly roast.
6. After 35 minutes has passed, set the remaining vegetables to boil. Then turn the oven setting to ‘grill’, and grill the chicken & vegetables for the final 10 minutes. This is a great trick to make the potatoes and chicken super crispy but succulent on the inside.
7. Prepare the gravy in a small saucepan and follow the packet instructions for quantities. Bring to the boil, simmer and stir regularly to ensure a smooth consistency.
7. When the vegetables are cooked and the chicken is ready, carve up! Add some of the chicken juice to your gravy to add a really lovely flavouring.
8. Serve up with your favourite condiments and enjoy!
