This recipe uses a vertical roasting pan to provide spectacularly even cooking, resulting in the crispiest skin and juiciest meat chicken. A simple blend of spices and brown sugar turns this into the best fauxtisserie chicken you’ve ever tasted.
Before you even think about putting that chicken in the oven, remove one of your oven racks. Just an upright chicken Only Fits most standard sized domestic ovens – and only fits on a rack on the bottom rung.
4-6 servings
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Remove the top rack from the oven and place the remaining rack on the bottom rung. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pat the chicken dry and rub with the olive oil. Use your hands to apply the seasoning mixture all over the chicken and inside the cavity.
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Place the chicken on a vertical roasting pan. Depending on the style of your roaster, it may have a small tray at the bottom to catch the drips. Even if your roaster has this feature, you may want to place it on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish to catch it all.
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Bake for 70-90 minutes, or until chicken is well browned and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 165°F. The top breast will brown faster than the rest of the chicken—if it looks too dark, either turn the oven down to 375°F or place a small piece of foil on top of the chicken.
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Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes before carefully removing it from the roaster. It may help if someone else holds the roasting pan with tongs or your (clean) hands (depending on how hot the chicken is) as you pull it up. Carve the chicken to taste and serve with the drippings as a side.
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