Whole roast chicken in the Ninja Crispi (1.2 kg)

A whole chicken fits in the Ninja Crispi’s large 3.8 L glass container, with its adapter, up to 1.2 kg. Allow 5 minutes of preheating on Roast, then 55 to 60 minutes of cooking, turned halfway through.

I roast it in my small kitchen without switching on the oven: the juices run under the crisper plate, and the skin browns right in front of me through the glass.

Whole roast chicken in the Ninja Crispi (1.2 kg)

Recipe by Marion LundCourse: Main courseCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

people

Prep

10

minutes

Cook

1

hour 

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

The 1.2 kg format is the exact limit for roasting a whole bird in the glass container without stopping the PowerPod from closing.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (1.2 kg maximum)

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (sunflower or olive)

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp Herbes de Provence

Instructions

• Place the crisper plate at the bottom of the 3.8 L glass container, fit the adapter and put the PowerPod on top. Select Roast and preheat for 5 minutes empty.
• Meanwhile, brush the chicken with oil on all sides, then rub the skin with the salt, pepper, paprika and herbes de Provence.
• Lift the PowerPod and place the chicken on the crisper plate, breast side down to protect the breast meat. Replace the PowerPod and run Roast for 60 minutes. On a Crispi Pro: Roast at 190 °C, 59 minutes at most per cycle.
• At 30 minutes, lift the PowerPod to pause and turn the chicken breast side up with silicone-tipped tongs. Replace the PowerPod and press START.
• At the beep and the END display, push a cooking thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone: 75 °C minimum, and the juices run clear, with no trace of pink.
• Lift the PowerPod, transfer the chicken to a board with the tongs and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Spatchcock chicken (for birds up to 1.5 kg)

If your bird weighs more than 1.2 kg, spatchcock it: remove the backbone and press it flat. This way a bird of up to 1.5 kg fits in the container. Allow 50 to 55 minutes on Roast, still with 5 minutes of preheating and a turn halfway through.

Roast on the Crispi, 190 °C on the adjustable models

The 3.8 L container with its adapter is the only set-up for a whole bird, and 1.2 kg is the maximum. Above that, joint it or spatchcock it (see the variation).

Before the chicken goes in, I run 5 minutes of Roast with the container empty, crisper plate and PowerPod in place: the skin starts searing straight away.

On a model with a temperature setting, set Roast to 190 °C; on the Crispi Pro, a cycle lasts 59 minutes at most:

• Crispi: Roast mode, 55 to 60 minutes.
• Crispi Pro, Pro Grill, DualZone: Roast at 190 °C, 55 to 59 minutes.
• Crispi Pro 5 modes: no Roast, use Bake at 190 °C for the same time.

Colour is not enough: 75 °C core temperature on the thermometer

The skin browns quickly in the hot air, but its colour does not tell you whether a whole bird is cooked. A cooking thermometer pushed into the meaty part of the thigh must read 75 °C.

Start breast side down, then turn the chicken at 30 minutes: the breast meat dries out less and the back takes on colour.

Leftovers: cool uncovered, then Recrisp to 75 °C

My years at the caterer’s left me with one reflex: never a lid on a hot dish. Let the carved pieces cool in the open air in the container before clipping on the storage lid; closed too early, condensation makes the meat soggy.

The next day, lay the slices flat on the crisper plate and run Recrisp for 5 to 12 minutes, until the thermometer reads 75 °C again. Only reheat the meat once.

Cook, serve, store and reheat in the same glass container: one piece of washing-up for several meals in the week.

Did you have to spatchcock your chicken to make it fit, or did you find the ideal 1.2 kg whole format?

Frequently asked questions

Can I cook a 1.6 kg chicken in the Ninja Crispi?

Not whole: the 3.8 L container takes a chicken of about 1.2 kg. Joint a larger bird and cook the pieces in batches, or spatchcock it, up to 1.5 kg.

Should I pour water into the bottom of the glass container?

No, never pour cold liquid into the hot container. The chicken releases its own juices, which run under the crisper plate during cooking.

How do I check for doneness without cutting the meat?

With a cooking thermometer pushed into the thigh, away from the bone: it must read at least 75 °C, whatever the colour of the skin.