I was today years old when I discovered that mayonnaise (yes, MAYO!) gives you the crispiest skin and juiciest meat when roasting chicken. It’s just one of the experiments conducted in my Test Kitchen, when I set out to try all the techniques to make the best roast chicken ever. From oils and bastes to brining methods and oven temperatures, I’ve done it all. And what follows is the ultimate recipe… mayo roast chicken!
Marion’s Best Roast Chicken
1 x 1.6kg (3 lb 8 oz) whole chicken
½ cup whole egg mayonnaise
sea salt
- Prepare the chicken the day before you want to cook it. Pat the whole bird dry with paper towel, then season liberally all over with sea salt. Rub the salt into the skin. Place the chicken onto a plate or tray, then transfer to the fridge. Leave it, uncovered, to do its thing overnight.
- The next day, preheat your oven to 240°C (460°F).
- Take the chicken out of the fridge and give it time to come to room temperature. Pat dry all over once more with paper towel to ensure the skin is dry. Next, using a pastry brush, brush the mayonnaise all over the chicken. Use kitchen string to tie the chicken legs together.
- Place your basted bird in a roasting dish and transfer to the oven. Roast in the oven until the internal temp is 75°C or 165°F (make sure you use a meat thermometer – our chicken took roughly one hour). The juices should run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh meat with a knife or skewer. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Why do people put mayo on chicken?
There are a LOT of chicken recipes for making roast chicken… but what is the BEST? As well as oven temperatures and brining methods, we put a variety of basting fats through their paces. We tested butter basting, olive oil roasting and mayonnaise. And the mayo roast chicken won the day! The sugars and proteins it contains help generate a gorgeous browning on the skin, while also locking in moisture and keeping the meat lovely and juicy (and no, it doesn’t make the chicken taste like mayonnaise). Mayonnaise also doesn’t burn as easily or as quickly as butter, so it also has an element of protecting your meat when cooked at a high temperature.
What temperature do you roast a chicken at?
This was another test we tried! A lot of chicken roast recipes suggest cooking at 180°C, which is roughly 350°F. However, we found that the high-heat roasting method was better, as it crisps the skin and makes it golden without overcooking the inside. For the most consistent results, always use a meat thermometer.
What should the internal temperature of chicken be?
A safe internal temperature for chicken is 75°C, or 165°F.
When roasting a chicken, should it be covered or uncovered?
In Marion’s Test Kitchen, we recommend to roast a chicken uncovered for the best result, as it allows the hot air to circulate evenly in your oven.
Wet brining or dry brining?
Marion’s best roast chicken uses the dry brining technique, which consists of rubbing salt all over the whole chicken and leaving to rest in the fridge overnight. The wet brine still tasted good, but we found it involved more steps and therefore more effort, so dry took the title.
