Updated on December 21st, 2023
Chicken is probably the most simple and flexible major ingredient you can prepare for your household. If you have come here with a chicken dish in mind or simply want to cook some chicken for weekly meal preparation, you’ve come to the perfect place.
Notably, this guide is one, especially for a 7lb chicken. You will learn how long to cook the chicken and all the cooking time you need. Moreover, when you know the precise cooking time, you will see that cooking chicken becomes a delight.
Chicken Nutrition Facts
Tips to Cook a 7 Lb Chicken
Check out the complete cooking instructions and tips we’ve outlined for cooking a whole 7lb chicken.
Purchase the best bird you can – A 7lb chicken produces parts large enough to tolerate a fairly long run in the oven at the ideal temperature. This means the chicken may be cooked long enough for the skin to crisp up while the meat remains juicy.
You can buy a whole chicken and have the backbone removed and the chicken quartered at the grocery store butcher. You will have more control over the chicken’s quality and the size of the pieces this way.
Carefully pick your pan – Always start with a small pan for that well-done skin and luscious, juicy meat that everyone likes. Forget about using a deep roasting pan. Also, avoid gratin-style pans that are too tiny. Moreover, if you overcrowd the skillet, the chicken and all of the tasty and aromatic ingredients you add will steam.
The chicken should fit perfectly in the pan, with just enough room for a spoon to baste it. If you plan to prepare a sauce from the pan drippings, use a pan that can also be used on the cooktop (enameled cast iron or stainless steel).
Go for bold flavors in large quantities – When it comes to flavoring your chicken, you don’t have to hold back. Since plain chicken is so bland, it’s the ideal foil for your favorite robust flavors.
We recommend considering what flavors and seasonings complement and improve the moderately earthy side of chicken. Then you should also think about how those flavors would taste after an hour of cooking at 425°F.
The slower the chicken is cooked, the better – This is the general guideline when it comes to cooking protein. When you put the chicken breast in the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high. Quickly sear it. Reduce the heat to a medium-low setting. Cooking time for a boneless chicken breast of typical size is only about 6 minutes. When you press it when it’s done, it should be firm.
How to Cook 7 Lb Chicken
Follow these easy steps to cook a 7lb chicken:
- Combine the salt, sugar, garlic, and fresh herbs in a mixing dish. The chicken should be rubbed with the mixture. Lift the skin from the top of the chicken and sandwich the butter between the flesh and the skin, allowing the chicken to self-bast while cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Next, chopped oranges should be stuffed into the cavity of the chicken. Then now, you can place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side down.
- You can proceed to roast for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F and continue roasting until the chicken is done. The general rule of thumb for cooking chicken is 15 minutes per pound to cook and 10 minutes to rest – and that will be 3 to 4 hours for a stuffed 7 lb chicken and 2¼ – 3½ hours for an unstuffed 7lb chicken to cook.
- Throughout the cooking process, baste with pan drippings. When the meat is done, the juices should run clear, and an instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees F.
- You can then place the chicken on a serving plate after removing it from the oven.
- Allow for a 30-minute rest period before serving.
- Serve and enjoy.
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Cooking time for a 7 lb Chicken
The ideal cooking time for chicken is 15 minutes per pound, plus 10 minutes for resting time. It also largely depends on whether you’re working with a stuffed or unstuffed chicken. Since knowing how long to roast a chicken is crucial, we have highlighted the correct cooking time for you to get the best results:
| Cooking Procedure | Cooking time |
| Cooking a 7lb stuffed chicken at 325 F | 3 to 4 hours |
| Cooking a 7lb unstuffed chicken at 325 F | 2¼ – 3½ hours |
Roasted Chicken (4-7lbs)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4 to 7 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons of coarse salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of melted butter
Instructions
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Set the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and let it heat up. In the meantime, a small roasting pan or baking sheet should be lightly oiled.
- Cut off and discard the neck and giblets from the whole chicken, then rinse and pat it thoroughly dry.
- Rub salt into the neck and body cavities, also apply some to the skin.
- Place the chicken breasts in the pan, with the breast side facing up. Melted butter should then be brushed over the breast and legs.
- Place the prepared chicken in the preheated oven and roast properly. The cooking period should last 1 hour for the first 4 pounds, and about 8 minutes extra for each additional pound.
- If you would prefer the chicken breast to be moist, the bird is done when the thickest section of the thigh sheds clear juices when poked deeply with a fork. Also, at this point, an instant-read meat thermometer should read 170° to 175°F.
- Roast until the thigh registers 180°F if you want the dark-colored meat sliding off the bone and don’t exactly mind having a dry chicken breast.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 to 15 minutes on a tray.
- Carve the meat and serve.
The entire cooking duration for this recipe is 1 hour and 20 minutes, but this will differ based on the size of your chicken. If you’re interested in more recipe ideas and variations you could try, you can watch this video recipe to see more ways to cook a whole chicken.
