Convection oven is definitely your ally when it comes to saving time since it cooks faster than a regular oven. It’s better at browning as well. This type of oven is also more energy efficient because it prepares food faster. This certainly gives it a big plus when it comes to looking after the environment.
Is convection better for roasting chicken?
Convection ovens have built-in fans which make the hot air spread equally in the oven. That will cook your food evenly on each side.
When it comes to roasting a chicken in a convection oven the most important things you have to keep in mind are the time and the temperature. Since most of the recipes are accommodated for conventional ovens you need to be careful and adjust the heating time. As previously said, a convection oven has a different distribution of heat and you will probably need to lower the heat when cooking.
How do you keep a whole chicken from drying out in the oven?
Roasting a whole chicken in a convection oven can be a great way to have a perfectly crispy and golden chicken delight. Here are some steps on how to do it:
- Depending on the size of the chicken it would be the best if you use a roasting pan. It will make it easier for you to turn it and monitor the progress of roasting.
- You should definitely pay attention while the bird is roasting in the oven and if it starts turning too brown, it means that the inside is roasting slower than the outside. This means that you should put foil over the chicken or overrun it with some water or broth.
- Another thing to avoid is opening the oven door too often because the outdoor air interferes with the heat and you won’t get the expected results. Best advice is to monitor your chicken from behind the oven door. This next move expects you to be really quick, of course if you want to make your chicken extra tender.
Most of the food experts agree that the cooking temperature for chicken should be at least 165°F (74°C). That also depends if you are putting the chicken in the oven before defrosting it first. This should be avoided because the chicken may appear nicely done on the outside but can still remain frozen inside which can cause health problems.
If you have time, I recommend you try roasting your chicken at 275℉ (135°C) for 3-4 hours because this makes it really juicy and tender enough.
Roast whole chicken with BBQ sauce?
Have you thought of roasting a whole chicken and then adding a delicious BBQ on top? Sounds delicious! You can use a homemade BBQ sauce or just take a quick run to the store and get your favorite brand of BBQ sauce.
You should defrost your chicken first and then prepare it for roasting. It would be best if you take a big baking dish or a pan cause a smaller dish could prevent the chicken from evenly roasting.
When to put BBQ sauce on chicken in the oven?
A lot of people tend to put the BBQ sauce at the beginning of their cooking, but that could be a mistake. Because this fastens the roasting process and it could lead to chicken burning faster and not being cooked evenly.
So my advice to you would be that you add BBQ sauce at the end of roasting, to be precise 10 to 15 minutes before taking it out of the oven. Roasting time should depend on the oven that you use, and the type of that same oven as mentioned before conventional ovens are different from convection ones.
Here are some tips that work on most recipes :
- The preheating time is 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) . After about 40 minutes you should take out the roasted chicken and keep it warm while you prepare the sauce (or put the bought one).
- After this you take the mixture and pour it over the dish in which the chicken is sitting. This will make the chicken take in all of the BBQ sauce and make it extra juicy.
- Serve this dish immediately so that you can get the best of both worlds, the thickness of the sauce and the warmth and tenderness of the chicken.
