One pasture-raised whole chicken can cover three meals plus a pot of stock. Here is a simple plan, with cooking times and food safety notes.
If you are not sure a whole chicken fits a busy week, this plan helps. It uses one bird for three meals, with about an hour of active cooking on day one.
This plan assumes a 4 to 5 pound bird. Larger or smaller birds change the amount of leftover meat, not the method.
Day 1: Roast it (Meal 1)
- Thaw the chicken completely in the refrigerator. A 4 to 5 pound bird needs about 24 hours or more. Do not thaw on the counter.
- Pat it dry. Season with salt, pepper, and whatever you like.
- Roast at 425°F. It usually finishes in 60 to 75 minutes, but go by temperature, not time.
- The chicken is done when a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and thigh, not touching bone, reads 165°F. Pasture-raised birds can cook faster than grocery birds, so start checking early.
- Rest it 10 to 15 minutes, then carve.
Serve about half the meat tonight with your sides of choice.
Day 2: Shredded chicken (Meal 2)
Pull the remaining breast and thigh meat off the bones, shred it, and refrigerate it. Use about half for tacos, a grain bowl, or a salad. Keep the rest for Meal 3.
Day 2 or 3: Stock and soup (Meal 3)
- Put the carcass in a pot (or your slow cooker).
- Add filtered cold water to cover by about an inch.
- You can add onion, carrot, celery, and water if you want, but about an 1/8th cup of Real Salt Organic Seasoning Salt is really good here. Simmer 3 to 4 hours. I like to put the slow cooker on 8 hours and leave it over night.
- Strain, then add the reserved shredded chicken, vegetables, and rice or noodles.
- Season with salt to taste.
Food safety
- Refrigerate cooked chicken within two hours.
- Eat refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days, per USDA guidance.
- Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
- If you cannot eat it all in time, freeze the shredded chicken or stock in portions.
Final Thoughts
You cook once and eat three times. The expensive part of the bird, the meat, covers two meals. The bones cover a third. Buying a whole chicken stops being a splurge and starts being a plan.
