Whether you’re looking for a challenge or would simply like to make a filling meal for the entire family, trussing your chicken is essential. Should you choose to cook your chicken as is without trussing it, you run the risk of the chicken’s breast cavity remaining wide open which can dry out the breast before the thighs and legs are properly cooked. No one likes a dry roast!

So to keep your chicken juicy, here are 5 simple steps to truss that bird.

1. Rinse the chicken. Rinse the bird in gently with water inside and out.  Pat, don’t wipe, the chicken dry.
2. Fasten the wings. Take the chicken’s wings and place them behind the its back. Take several feet of cotton cooking twine and wrap around the chicken’s legs at the ankle twice. It’s important to note that cooking twine isn’t just any twine: it’s strong enough to hold a chicken together but won’t melt, burn or otherwise ruin your roast.
3. Bring the twine over the legs, to the back.Next, take up both ends of the twine and string them over the chicken where its thighs meet its breast, and over where its wings meet its body to its neck.
4. Crisscross the twine on the chicken’s back. Flip the chicken onto its breast, and crisscross the twine along its back. Flip the chicken onto its back once more.
5. Bring the twine back to the legs, and tie it off at the ankles. Bring the twine down to the chicken’s ankles again, and tie the twine.