Whole chicken
Measure in the thickest part of the breast.
Rare
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Medium rare
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Medium
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Well done
Rest time
Cooking helper: how long to go?
Check the core temperature of your whole chicken now and then. After two readings the helper works out when it will be done. Then start the rest timer.
1. Pick your doneness
2. Measure the core temperature
Measure every 5 to 10 minutes at the thickest point. Your readings are kept if you close the page.
3. Let it rest
Tip: large cuts rise another 2 to 5 °C while resting, so take them off a little before the target.
All internal temperatures in one chart · Resting meat: how long and why
About Whole chicken
Roasting a whole chicken is harder than it looks, because you are trying to bring two kinds of meat with different ideal temperatures to the table at once. The breast is done around 74 degrees; the legs and thighs are only really good around 78 to 80.
Because the breast sits on top and catches heat fastest, it naturally runs ahead of the legs. That is exactly the wrong way round. A common solution is to roast the bird upside down for the first half, or to shield the breast with foil while the legs catch up.
Measure in the thickest part of the breast, from the side towards the centre, keeping the tip away from the breastbone. Then check the thigh separately, at its thickest point between bone and skin. Only when both readings are right is the bird done; on a whole chicken a single reading tells you too little.
A whole chicken holds a lot of heat and carries over substantially. Allow fifteen minutes of rest — which is also exactly the time you need to finish the gravy.
Tips
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Most voted
Meet de kerntemperatuur in het dikste deel van de borst, niet tegen het bot.
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