Took 3 hours to figure out why my chicken kept coming out dry

I kept cranking the temp to 400°F thinking higher heat meant faster crispy skin. Turns out 360°F for 18 minutes does the trick way better. Anyone else make that rookie mistake?

2 comments

2 Comments

karenf4017h ago

Oh boy, "turns out 360°F for 18 minutes does the trick way better." I feel like that should be stitched on a kitchen towel somewhere. I made the same mistake for years thinking my oven was just broken or I had bad luck. Turns out I was just roasting my chicken into shoe leather at 425. Once I dropped the temp and let it rest, things really turned around. It's funny how we think harder and faster always wins, but sometimes slow and steady is the real hero. Live and learn, I guess.

rivera.keith17h ago

Hard disagree on "slow and steady is the real hero" though. 425 might not work for chicken breast but for a whole bird with crispy skin? That lower temp gives you sad rubbery skin every time. I tried the whole 350 thing for years and ended up with pale, flabby chicken that looked like it was boiled. The trick isn't dropping the temp, it's knowing when to pull it. 165 in the thigh and let it rest under foil for 10 minutes. That's the real secret, not some magic number. Your oven might just run hot if 425 gave you shoe leather.