If your recipe calls for roasting vegetables in the same pan as the chicken, roast them in a separate pan so they don’t get overcooked by the basting liquid. Chickens will typically take 20 minutes per pound (0. 45 kg) plus an additional 15 minutes of total roasting time to cook through. The chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches at least 165° F (74° C) with a meat thermometer. [3] X Research source
Draw up more butter from your bowl as necessary to coat the chicken. If you have a very large chicken, you can melt a little more butter as needed to fully coat your bird. Work quickly (but carefully!) so the chicken is not out of the oven for more than a minute or two. Taking too long to baste will cool your chicken and add additional cooking time. [7] X Research source
After coating, place the chicken back in the oven. Be careful not to touch the tube of the baster when it is full of hot liquid. You can burn yourself.
If you are basting chicken parts in the oven rather than a whole chicken, baste every 15-20 minutes rather than every 30 minutes. [10] X Research source
Make sure your basting brush has bristles made of a heat-safe material, such as silicone. If it doesn’t, it may be a pastry brush, which is not meant to be used at high heat.
This one-time baste method slowly melts the butter over the chicken as it roasts. You don’t need to remove the chicken from the oven to perform any touch-ups. The butter bastes the chicken continuously. For additional flavor while cooking, you can add spices or chopped herbs to your butter before adding it to the chicken.
Roast your chicken for the amount of time your recipe indicates. There is no need to open the oven to re-baste. The cheesecloth will do the work for you. Remove and discard the layer of cheesecloth before serving your chicken.
Kitchen tongs can help you flip your hot chicken without hurting yourself. Always take care around the hot pan! Starting the chicken breast-side down enables the fat-rich dark meat in the thighs and legs to drip down over the leaner meat, basting it.
Basting on the grill is about adding flavor thorough periodic brushing with a marinade rather than a fat. [14] X Research source Brushing your chicken with a fat, such as butter, over an open flame is not advised and may be a fire hazard.
Only use marinade that has not been in contact with raw poultry to baste the meat. You can reserve some marinade to baste before marinating the chicken.
If you’re grilling chicken pieces of varying sizes, take the temperature in a chicken thigh, which will often take the longest to cook.
