If you aren't comfortable with leaving your raw chicken out at room temp, a la the Keller Method, I've found that roasting a chicken at 375 for 90 mins (for a 4-4.5 lb chicken) is pretty foolproof. I season with kosher salt, ground pepper, sliced garlic, fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme work great), squeeze a fresh lemon all over, and stuff the lemon in the cavity. Turns out perfectly juicy and seasoned every time. I use a meat thermometer to be sure, before taking it out of the oven, then tent it with foil and let it sit for 5-10 mins before carving. Yum.

Getting back to your actual question, OP, I'd probably check the chicken every so often with a meat thermometer and baste it with its juices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good lord. Ditch the bag. Use Thomas Keller's methods: temper the chicken for an hour (leave at room temp). Generous kosher salt and pepper. 20 minutes at 450. Reduce to 400 and cook for another 20-40 or so, depending on size, until deepest part of breast reaches 165. Take out and rest for ten minutes. I recommend the Whole Foods organic whole chicken. Consistently tender and well flavored.

There is no way leaving poultry out for an hour is ok. This is poultry processed in the US.

1. The chicken is already cold
2. One hour isn't a significant amount of time for bacteria to grow
3. Cooking kills the bacteria

Anonymous wrote:Good lord. Ditch the bag. Use Thomas Keller's methods: temper the chicken for an hour (leave at room temp). Generous kosher salt and pepper. 20 minutes at 450. Reduce to 400 and cook for another 20-40 or so, depending on size, until deepest part of breast reaches 165. Take out and rest for ten minutes. I recommend the Whole Foods organic whole chicken. Consistently tender and well flavored.

There is no way leaving poultry out for an hour is ok. This is poultry processed in the US.

Anonymous wrote:Good lord. Ditch the bag. Use Thomas Keller's methods: temper the chicken for an hour (leave at room temp). Generous kosher salt and pepper. 20 minutes at 450. Reduce to 400 and cook for another 20-40 or so, depending on size, until deepest part of breast reaches 165. Take out and rest for ten minutes. I recommend the Whole Foods organic whole chicken. Consistently tender and well flavored.

I need to try this. I usually just roast at 400F until cooked through. Easiest weeknight dinner ever.

If you’re dead set on using a bag, a paper bag works as well.

Time should be the same regardless. Do you have a meat thermometer? I find it so helpful - no question about whether a chicken is done or not. You can fuss with bags and foil and basting etc and that will influence moistness, but at the end of the day I want to know the darn thing is safe to eat. Get the thermometer and then you can experiment with the rest.

Good lord. Ditch the bag. Use Thomas Keller's methods: temper the chicken for an hour (leave at room temp). Generous kosher salt and pepper. 20 minutes at 450. Reduce to 400 and cook for another 20-40 or so, depending on size, until deepest part of breast reaches 165. Take out and rest for ten minutes. I recommend the Whole Foods organic whole chicken. Consistently tender and well flavored.

You should be fine. Maybe add some butter to the bag to make up for steam loss. That will get you through tonight's dinner fine but when you have some time let's talk about roasting a chicken without a bag.

I accidentally opened the bag for one of those cook in the oven chickens from Wegman's. It was supposed to cook in the oven at 400 for 90 minutes. Should I keep to that time or do something else?