The Best Temperature for Baking Chicken, According to 4 Chefs

The key is to get the oven temperature just right.

I’m a creature of habit. As a 40-year-old mother of two, I’ve found that routine keeps me sane when life gets hectic—it’s pretty much always hectic—so I stick to those routines whenever possible.

One routine that keeps me feeling especially grounded is Friday night Shabbat. Every Friday that I can, I bake a whole chicken and serve it with challah and a few simple sides. It connects me to my family—both those who are present at the table and the ones who have passed away.

As a lover of routine, I cook my chicken the same way every week, but recently, I wondered if I could improve. So, I chatted with some chefs and cookbook authors to learn their secrets to poultry success, and all of them pointed to the same temperature for baking chicken.

The Panel of Chicken Chicken-Baking Experts

• Sheela Prakash: Writer, freelance editor for Simply Recipes, and author of Salad Seasons

• Jason Goldstein: Cookbook author, recipe developer, food blogger and content creator at @Chophappy

• Micah Siva: Trained chef, registered dietitian, Simply Recipes contributor, and author of Nosh

• Emshika Alberini: Chef and owner of Chang Thai Cafe and The Catch in Littleton, New Hampshire

The Best Temperature for Baking Chicken, According to Chefs

Each of the chefs I spoke to told me the same thing—while there’s a range of temperatures that will accomplish the task of baking a chicken, 400°F is practically foolproof, no matter the cut.

“Regardless of the cut, 400°F is a safe spot for baking chicken,” says Sheela. “The temperature is high enough that it will help render and crisp skin, if you're cooking skin-on chicken, but it's not going to dry out those delicate boneless, skinless chicken breasts, either.”

Jason agrees, “400°F is the perfect temperature to get a crispy, perfectly cooked outside; and because it cooks rather quickly, the inside stays nice and juicy!” He keeps it simple, using flavorful herb butter under the skin and for basting. He seasons the skin with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and roasts it on a sheet pan with vegetables—a one-pan meal for the gods!

For Micah, there’s a nugget of wisdom that points to 400°F as the ideal baking temperature: “As a general rule of thumb, the shorter it takes, the juicier your chicken will be!” Her range for cooking chicken breasts is between 375°F to 400°F, while her range for whole chickens is a bit higher, from 400°F to 425°F, with 400°F being the bullseye between the two.

Chef Emshika says her experience working in kitchens points to the same temperature range. She likes to start on the lower end of the range, around 350°F, and then work her way up to 400°F towards the end to crisp up the skin. She notes it’s important to consider the chicken you’re working with, as cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken.

When in doubt, Jason says, you can always use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.