How To Cook Pasture Raised Chicken

We’ve heard from some of you that you still aren’t totally sure how to cook a pasture raised chicken, and we’re glad you asked! Pasture raised chickens are infinitely different than confinement raised commercial chickens you buy in the grocery store. First, we raise a heritage type chicken that has less breast meat and more dark meat (proportionally) than commercial Cornish Cross chickens, which are bred to have so much breast meat, and grow so fast, that they often can’t walk by 5-6 weeks of age. Second, our chickens are much more active and take much longer to grow (12-14 weeks compared to 6 weeks) than commercial chickens. These factors mean the meat has more texture and also more flavor since the animals are older. When we say texture, we do not mean that pasture raised chickens are inevitably tough or rubbery — they aren’t. We mean the meat will have more “bite” to it. But, they do require some adjustments and consideration when cooking. Lastly, commercial chickens generally have more fat than pasture raised chickens since they are less active, are fed diets of corn and soy, and are encouraged to eat 24 hours a day by being raised with continuous light. This is an important consideration, as the amount of fat on a chicken really affects how it cooks, and fat commercially raised chickens are simply more forgiving when you’re cooking them. You can expect that any of our chickens over 4# will have a considerable amount of fat. The amount of fat on chickens less than 4# varies — some have quite a bit and some have less.

Below, you will find three different ways to cook the perfect pasture raised chicken. We often tell people that our chicken is simply a different product than what you can buy in the grocery store; but it is also how chicken is supposed to taste, and when done right, a pasture raised chicken is knock-your-socks-off delicious, and so, so much better for you, the animals, and the environment. With that being said, with an understanding of why you need to cook pasture raised chicken differently, and with a few tools in your cooking toolbox, you can cook the perfect pasture raised chicken. So, please spend a few minutes (even an hour!) reading through the following information, reading the information included in the links, and really gaining an understanding of this process. We promise, it isn’t complicated.

Method 1: Roasted or Grilled Spatchcock Chicken

If you’ve ever talked to us about cooking our chicken, you know that this is our favorite and go-to way to make a delicious roast chicken. This is best done with a chicken that has more fat, so in general, a chicken that is over 4#. However, lots of our chickens under 4# have plenty of fat. You can assess this by looking at the chicken and seeing whether you see fat under the skin and around the “stuffing hole” at the bottom of the chicken between the legs. If you think you have a chicken with less fat, save this method for one that has more fat, and use Method 2 or 3 below.

“Spatchcock” simply means removing the backbone and butterflying the chicken. You can use a sharp knife or pair of kitchen shears to cut down either side of the backbone of the chicken and remove it. You then turn the chicken over so it is breast-side-up, put pressure with your thumbs on the breast bone, and push down to break the breast bone and lay the chicken flat into a butterfly shape. Let your chicken rest on the counter for 20-30 minutes before cooking so you are not putting a cold chicken into a hot oven or grill.

We recommend using olive oil or butter, either under the skin or liberally on the outside all over the bird. This provides some additional fat during the cooking process. Then, season your chicken with salt and pepper and whatever other seasoning you like: herbs, paprika, etc. — or just salt and pepper!

Preheat your oven or grill to 400F, and then place your chicken on a cookie sheet if using the oven, or directly onto the grill rack if using a grill. A 4# chicken will cook quickly — around 45 minutes in a 400F oven. If you are unsure when your chicken is done, buy a cheap meat thermometer at the store. Your chicken is done when the thickest part of the breast or thigh reads 160F. People are often used to commercial chickens taking much longer to cook, and overcooking is a very common reason your chicken is tough and dry.

There are lots of benefits to the spatchcock method. First, the skin ends up amazingly browned, evenly crispy, and delicious. Second, the chicken cooks more evenly and cooks faster. For an even more delicious, moist, tender chicken, we strongly recommend brining your chicken. We recommend a 24-72 hour dry brine (see link below), which is simply salting your chicken and putting it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. Then you rinse your chicken and prepare as described above.

Links for Method 1:

Dry Brining Information: Serious Eats Dry Brining

Spatchcock Information & Recipe (with pictures): Serious Eats Spatchcock 101

Method 2: Dutch Oven Roast Chicken

This method is a little bit “easier” and more foolproof, and a great place to start if you are feeling overwhelmed. A heavy, oven safe pot with a lid, such as a Dutch Oven, traps the moisture as the chicken cooks, and allows it to absorb all the flavor from onion, garlic, vegetables, and seasoning.

Preheat your oven to 350-425F — you can roast it lower & slower, or higher & faster.

Then, put your vegetables, such as garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in the bottom of your pot. Then place your chicken, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Pat your chicken dry, then rub liberally with butter (or olive oil) and season with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you’d like. Some recipes suggest stuffing the cavity, and you can certainly do this instead or in addition to placing the chicken on a bed of vegetables. Before placing your pot into the oven, add 1 cup of water or chicken broth to the bottom of the pot. This helps provide additional moisture for cooking.

Put the lid on the pot and place into the oven. At a lower temperature, you can expect a 4# chicken to take approximately 2 hours to cook. At a hotter temperature, it may only be 1.25-1.5 hours. Monitor your chicken & veggies during the cooking process to make sure the vegetables aren’t burning and there is still liquid in the bottom of the pot. You can add more water (or chicken broth) as needed.

You can consider removing the lid for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking to brown & crisp the skin if you prefer. Your chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 160F in the thickest part of the thigh or breast.

You can certainly dry brine your chicken, as recommended above in Method 1, if using Method 2, as well. A brine is never a bad idea!

Links for Method 2:

Recipe: Dutch Oven Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe — **WE RECOMMEND ADDING 1 CUP OF WATER OR BROTH TO YOUR DUTCH OVEN BEFORE ROASTING & THEN ADDING MORE AS NEEDED DURING COOKING

Method 3: Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Whole Chicken (+ Chicken Soup)

This is an absolutely foolproof way to cook a chicken. The result is tender, moist, delicious shredded chicken — so it is not a roasted whole chicken. You can use the chicken for soups, curries, enchiladas, pastas, salads, tacos or just eat it as the meat portion of your meal. You can further season the chicken after it comes off the carcass, or add sauces for whatever end result you’re looking for. One of my favorite things to do is make a tomato chipotle sauce on the stove, mix it with shredded chicken and make chicken tacos.

Place your chicken in your slow cooker or instant pot. Season with salt and pepper. If you have an end recipe in mind, you can add appropriate seasonings. For example, if you are making chicken tacos, you may want to add chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, etc. If you are making chicken salad, you could add tarragon, garlic powder, etc. If you’d like, you can also add vegetables to your pot or slow cooker, though I usually don’t see the need unless I am making chicken soup. Once seasoned, add enough water to just cover your chicken, or to the Pressure Cooking Max line in your Instant Pot if covering the chicken with water would cause your water level to be above this line. Set your Instant Pot to high pressure for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your chicken. You aren’t going to overcook it, so don’t worry. You can also put a whole frozen chicken into your Instant Pot and cook at high pressure for 90 minutes! If using a slow cooker, cook a thawed chicken on high for 6-8 hours.

Once your chicken is done, either release the pressure manually or allow it to release on its own if using an Instant Pot. Remove the chicken as best you can from the pot (I use tongs and a large fork) and place the chicken on a plate; it will be falling apart. Place a colander over a large pot in your sink, and pour the rest of the broth and chicken pieces into the colander. Remove useable chicken from your colander and place it on the plate with the rest of your chicken. What you now have in the pot in your sink is amazing chicken broth. If you are not making soup, put the broth in a container and store in your fridge or freezer — it keeps for a long time in the fridge!

Once the chicken is cool, remove all of the chicken from the bones. Discard the bones and you are left with delicious shredded chicken! You can shred or chop the chicken into whatever size you want.

If I am making chicken soup, I put the broth back in my pot, turn it on, add whatever vegetables I want (carrots, celery, peas, cabbage, etc.) until they’re tender, then add my pasta or cooked rice, and then add back in my shredded chicken. Note: if you cooked your chicken initially with vegetables, discard these when the chicken is done. They will be mushy and not great for adding back into your soup. Use fresh vegetables for your soup.