What Are The Benefits & Uses Of Cooking a Whole Chicken?

Question

Is it worth the trouble to cook a whole chicken rather than just breasts and/or thighs?

Answer 1

I highly recommend cooking a whole chicken rather than the breasts and thighs separately. The timing depends on the method. Options are Crockpot, Instant Pot (for smaller birds), and oven roasting. In my opinion, oven roasting is best because the skin gets nice and crispy. If you use the other two methods, the skin will be rubbery and need to be removed. There are a multitude of things that you can do with a whole, cooked bird, but the easiest are 1) use the breast for a dinner with veggies that you roasted with the chicken (i.e.- potatoes, carrots, onions), 2) the thighs are perfect for chicken salad, 3) the bones and other leftover veggies and juices are great for a stock which can easily be frozen. Happy Cooking!