BAKING WHOLE CHICKEN IN OVEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, and chipotle pepper in a bowl. Rinse and pat chicken dry. Rub with seasoning blend, placing any excess in the cavity.
• Allow to rest at room temperature for up to 90 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chicken in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Pour butter over the chicken. Cover.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 2 to 3 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven and allow to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Carve chicken and spoon over pan drippings before serving.

Steps:

• Combine water, 2 tablespoons salt, sugar, peppercorns, fennel seed, lemon wedges, garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir until the salt is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place ice in a 5-quart bowl or pot and pour the brine over it. Let cool, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, making sure it is completely submerged in the brine. (Add more cold water and use a plate to weight it down if necessary.) Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
• To roast chicken, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Coat the rack with cooking spray.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and place it on the prepared rack. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
• Zest the remaining lemon and juice it to get 2 teaspoons. Combine the zest and juice with oil, pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Loosen and lift the skin from the breast and legs with your fingers and rub the paste under and over the skin. Truss the chicken with kitchen string (see Tip).
• Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Rotate the pan, and increase the heat to 400 degrees F. Cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.