How to use the online timer
An hour is about right for a small to medium whole chicken, somewhere around 1.5 kilograms, in a moderately hot oven. Weight is the real variable, and the usual rule is twenty minutes per 500 grams plus another twenty on the end, so a larger bird for a Sunday roast needs meaningfully longer than the hour. A fan oven runs hotter than the conventional temperature quoted on most recipes, so knock twenty degrees off it.
With poultry, time is only ever a guide, because what matters is temperature. The thickest part of the thigh needs to reach 75°C, measured away from the bone, and a thermometer is far more reliable than looking at the colour of the juices. Sitting the bird on a few halved onions or a rack lifts it clear of the fat and lets the heat get underneath, which evens out the cooking considerably.
Rest it for fifteen minutes under loose foil before carving. Cutting straight away sends the juices onto the board instead of leaving them in the meat, and the extra quarter of an hour is also when the roast potatoes get their final blast at full heat. If the skin has not crisped by the time the inside is up to temperature, a few minutes higher in the oven sorts it.
Common questions
How do I adjust the time for a bigger bird?
Work on roughly twenty minutes per 500 grams plus another twenty on the end, then check the temperature rather than trusting the sum. Fan ovens need about 20°C off the quoted setting.
Are clear juices enough to tell it is cooked?
They are a rough guide but not a reliable one. The thickest part of the thigh should read 75°C on a thermometer, measured away from the bone.
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