Most Sunday roasts fail in the same two places. The chicken is seasoned on the outside only, so the meat under the skin tastes of nothing. And the potatoes go in raw-ish and come out leathery instead of crispy. Both are fixable in under ten extra minutes, and neither needs chef skills. Here is the exact method.
What seasoning to use on Sunday roast chicken
A proper roast chicken seasoning needs four things working together: salt to carry flavour into the meat, paprika for colour and a savoury base, garlic and onion for depth, and herbs that survive 90 minutes of oven heat (thyme does, delicate herbs do not).
You can build that from six separate jars, or use one blend built for exactly this job. Costack Chicken & Turkey Seasoning (ยฃ8.50) is a garlic-and-paprika-led poultry rub designed for roast birds: it browns the skin, seasons through, and does not burn at roasting temperature.
How to season the chicken (the part most people skip)
- Dry the bird. Pat the whole chicken dry with kitchen paper. Wet skin steams; dry skin crisps.
- Go under the skin. Loosen the skin over the breasts with your fingers. Mix 1 tablespoon of chicken seasoning into 2 tablespoons of soft butter and push it under the skin, directly onto the meat. This is the single biggest upgrade you can make.
- Season the outside. Rub the skin with a little oil, then a generous coating of seasoning, including the legs and underside.
- Season the cavity. Half a lemon, a few garlic cloves, and a pinch of seasoning inside the bird perfumes the meat from within.
- Time it right. If you can, season the night before and leave the bird uncovered in the fridge. The salt penetrates and the skin dries out, which means crispier skin and deeper flavour. Even 40 minutes ahead beats seasoning at the oven door.
Roast at 200ยฐC (180ยฐC fan) for roughly 20 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes, until juices run clear.
The roasties: how to get them actually crispy
Crispy roast potatoes come down to three moves, and none of them is optional.
- Parboil and rough them up. Cut Maris Pipers or King Edwards into big chunks, boil 8-10 minutes until the edges just start to break, drain, then shake the pan hard. Those fluffy, battered edges are what turn into crunch.
- Hot fat, not warm fat. Put your oil (or goose fat) in the roasting tray and heat it in the oven until it shimmers before the potatoes touch it. Cold fat soaks in; hot fat seals and fries.
- Season twice. Before roasting, toss the potatoes in the hot fat with a generous sprinkle of Costack Garlic Granules โ granules cling to the rough edges where powder just vanishes. Roast 45-55 minutes, turning once. The moment they come out, hit them with a pinch of Costack All Purpose Seasoning (ยฃ2.99). Seasoning on hot, just-out-the-oven potatoes sticks and tastes twice as loud.
That final sprinkle is the difference between roast potatoes and the roasties people ask about.
The rest of the plate, fast
- Veg: carrots and parsnips tossed in oil and a pinch of the same chicken seasoning, roasted in the tray for the last 35 minutes. One flavour thread through the whole plate.
- Gravy: deglaze the chicken tray with stock, scrape up every dark bit, and season the gravy with a small pinch of the rub rather than plain salt. Gravy should taste like the roast, not like water and granules.
Timing cheat sheet (1.6kg chicken, serves 4)
| Time | Job |
|---|---|
| Night before (or 40 min ahead) | Season chicken, under skin and out, fridge uncovered |
| 0:00 | Chicken into oven, 200ยฐC |
| 0:20 | Parboil potatoes, rough up, into hot fat with garlic granules |
| 0:55 | Veg into the oven |
| 1:25 | Chicken out, rest 20 minutes under foil |
| 1:30 | Make gravy in the tray |
| 1:45 | Potatoes out, final sprinkle, serve |
FAQ
What is the best seasoning for Sunday roast chicken?
A paprika-and-garlic-led poultry blend with thyme. It needs to brown the skin and survive long oven times without burning. Costack Chicken & Turkey Seasoning is built for exactly this.
How do I get crispy roast potatoes every time?
Parboil, shake hard to rough the edges, and roast in preheated fat. Season with garlic granules before roasting and a final pinch of all purpose seasoning the moment they come out.
Can I use all purpose seasoning on a roast?
Yes. It works on the potatoes, the veg, and the gravy. For the bird itself a dedicated poultry rub gives better skin colour and deeper flavour.
Do I season a roast chicken the night before?
If you can, always. Salt needs time to travel. Overnight in the fridge, uncovered, gives you seasoned meat and dry skin that crisps properly.
Get the whole roast in one box
The Sunday Roast 4-Pack (ยฃ39.98) bundles Chicken & Turkey Seasoning with three more blends, plus the 41-recipe Costack Flavour Bible ebook free. One order, every Sunday sorted.
