One way to prevent roast chickens from becoming dry is to baste them with stock during cooking.

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Moisture retention in a roast chicken depends mainly on cooking the interior to the right temperature without overcooking, and on techniques that preserve or build a protective surface barrier. Basting with stock adds surface moisture, but it doesn’t reliably keep the inside juicy. The added liquid on the surface tends to create steam and can slow browning, which lengthens the cooking time and can actually promote more moisture loss from the meat as it stays hot longer. Since dryness is driven by overcooking the interior, surface moisture from stock isn’t an effective long‑term solution.

Better approaches to keep poultry juicy include dry brining or brining, patting the skin dry before roasting, roasting at the right temperature to reach a safe internal temperature without overshooting, and letting the meat rest so juices redistribute. If you baste, using fat (such as melted butter or oil) helps form a crisp, flavorful skin and contributes to moisture retention more effectively than stock.