How to roast a chicken safely
Roast a whole chicken with crisp skin and juicy meat, and check it's properly cooked using Food Standards Agency guidance.
- Time
- About 1 hour 45 minutes for a 1.5kg bird
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Moderate cost
- Steps
- 7
- Checked
What you’ll need
- Whole chicken (check the weight on the label)
- Roasting tin Search Amazon for roasting tin with rack
- Butter or oil, salt and pepper
- Lemon, garlic or herbs (optional)
- Meat thermometer (recommended) Search Amazon for digital meat thermometer probe
- Foil
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Safety first
- Undercooked chicken can cause serious food poisoning (campylobacter and salmonella). If in doubt, cook it longer.
- Use a separate chopping board for raw meat, or wash it in hot soapy water before using it for anything else.
- Frozen chicken must be completely defrosted (ideally in the fridge) before roasting – a partly frozen bird may not cook through.
Step by step
-
Step 1: Store and handle raw chicken carefully
Keep the chicken covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge so juices can't drip onto other food. Don't wash raw chicken – the Food Standards Agency says splashing spreads campylobacter bacteria around your kitchen, and cooking kills them anyway. Wash your hands, boards and knives after handling it.
Next: step 2 -
Step 2: Work out the cooking time
A common UK rule of thumb is 20 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 20 minutes. So a 1.5kg chicken needs roughly 1 hour 25 minutes. Weigh it with any stuffing inside. Ovens vary, so always check it's cooked (step 6) rather than relying on time alone.
Next: step 3 -
Step 3: Prepare and heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan, gas 7). Take off any string and packaging, pat the skin dry with kitchen paper and put the chicken in a roasting tin. Rub with butter or oil and season. You can put half a lemon, garlic or herbs in the cavity – it's safer to cook stuffing separately in a dish.
Next: step 4 -
Step 4: Roast
Roast for 20 minutes at the high temperature to start browning the skin, then turn the oven down to 190°C (170°C fan, gas 5) for the rest of the cooking time. Baste with the pan juices once or twice. If the skin browns too fast, loosely cover with foil.
Next: step 5 -
Step 5: Check it's cooked
Pierce the thickest part of the thigh, between leg and body. The FSA says the meat should be steaming hot all the way through, with no pink meat, and the juices should run clear. With a thermometer, the thickest part should reach at least 70°C and stay there for 2 minutes (or 75°C for 30 seconds). If not, return it to the oven and check again in 10–15 minutes.
Next: step 6 -
Step 6: Rest, then carve
Lift the chicken onto a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15–20 minutes. The juices settle back into the meat and it's easier to carve. Use the pan juices for gravy.
Next: step 7 -
Step 7: Deal with leftovers
Cool leftovers and get them into the fridge within 2 hours, and eat within 2 days. Reheat only once, until steaming hot.
Tips
- Taking the chicken out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before roasting helps it cook more evenly.
- Dry skin crisps better – pat it dry and don't cover it at the start.
- Push the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone, which reads hotter.
Questions people ask
Do I need to wash chicken before cooking?
No. The Food Standards Agency advises against it: washing splashes bacteria onto your sink, worktops and nearby food. Thorough cooking kills them.
What temperature should cooked chicken be inside?
FSA guidance is a core temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes, or an equivalent such as 75°C for 30 seconds. At home, check it's steaming hot, with no pink meat and clear juices.
Is pink chicken ever OK?
Not for home cooking. If the thickest part is still pink or the juices are pink, keep cooking.
Sources
Checked 9 October 2026. We wrote this guide in our own words, using:
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Printed from howtoguides.uk/guides/how-to-roast-a-chicken/ · Checked 9 October 2026 · General information only. For gas, electrics, structural work, medical, legal or money decisions, use a qualified professional.