The Plastic Bag Trick To Evenly Season Roast Chicken

Out of all of the meals a home cook can pull off for a comforting meal, a roast chicken takes skills and patience. You want the skin to be crispy while the meat is still juicy, tender, and cooked all the way through to the bone. One of the steps to roast a whole chicken that is flavorful and crispy in every part is to make sure that the entire bird is seasoned. And to make it happen, all you need is one of those large plastic bags that you might use to store leftovers.

Seasoning the poultry in a resealable bag is one of our top chicken cooking tips you should've known sooner. The plastic bag works to season any size or cut of chicken, but it makes it particularly easy to coat every crevice of a whole chicken. We've all had a roast chicken where the underside or the wings don't have as much seasoning as the top of the breasts. It should also reduce the amount of oil, salt, and spices that you need. Depending on the size and weight of your chicken, you'll need a large plastic bag with a zipper. You can even use a plastic oven bag to shake the chicken, then cook it later for easier clean up.

After the whole chicken is patted dry and you have a resealable plastic bag that's sufficient in size, it's time to get to work. It's basically like those memorable shake-and-bake bags from back in the day. Add your spices to the bag along with aromatics or neutral oil if the recipe calls for it, then toss in the whole chicken. Make sure the bag is fully sealed or you might end up with a mess in the kitchen. Next, simply shake the bag until the chicken is fully coated. Yes, it's as easy as that.

If a whole chicken isn't necessarily your forte, you might need seasoning suggestions. It can really be as simple or complex as you want. Use a simple blend of household spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and dried herbs or simply stick to black pepper and salt. As always, Tasting Table also has your back with our herb roasted chicken and Indonesian roast chicken recipes. And before you reach for a plastic bag, consider these other tips for roasting a whole chicken, like how to use a dry rub and how to pick the right size bird.