How to use the online timer
An hour is a reasonable guide for roasting a small to medium whole chicken at a moderate oven temperature, but weight is the real variable — a general rule of about 20 minutes per 500 grams, plus another 20 on top, gets you closer than any fixed number can. A 1.5-kilogram bird sits close to the hour mark; anything heavier needs adjusting upward.
Time is only ever a guide with poultry, because food safety depends on temperature, not the clock. Chicken needs to reach 74°C at the thickest part of the thigh, checked with a meat thermometer inserted away from the bone. Juices running clear is a reasonable backup sign if you don't have a thermometer, but it's less reliable than an actual reading.
Letting the bird rest for ten to fifteen minutes after it comes out, tented loosely with foil, makes a genuine difference to how it carves and how juicy it eats — cutting in straight away lets the moisture run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat. If the skin hasn't crisped the way you want by the time the inside is done, a final blast at a higher heat for the last few minutes usually fixes it without overcooking the flesh.
Common questions
Is an hour always enough for a whole chicken?
Only for a bird around 1.5 kilograms. Weight is the real guide — roughly 20 minutes per 500 grams plus 20 extra — so heavier birds need more time.
How do I know it's safe to eat without cutting it open?
Use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. It needs to read 74°C — that's the reliable measure, more so than time or juice colour.
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