Easy Whole Roast Chicken. I made a roast chicken last year for the blog, but I realized turning it into my next Home Cook’s Guide right before the holidays is an even better decision! I want you to feel comfortable making and butchering a roast chicken. It is the perfect Friendsgiving or small Thanksgiving dinner, and it is just as perfect for a Sunday night dinner or family meal. Never feel intimated by making a juicy, perfectly cooked chicken again! So let’s start with my Home Cook’s Guide to How to Easy Roast Chicken.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 4lb Chicken, giblets & such removed (most chickens already have this removed when purchasing)
- 4 big pinches of kosher salt
- 5tbs unsalted butter
- 1tbs fresh rosemary (plus more sprigs for roasting)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 whole lemon
- 1 large yellow onion
- 5 large carrots
- 1 large head garlic
- Kitchen twine or string
- Sharp Chef’s Knife
- Optional, but a great addition: Meat Thermometer
- Cast Iron Skillet or large oven safe skillet
STEP ONE: Easy Preparation Method
Start by removing the chicken from the fridge, opening it, removing the giblets which should be bagged already or not even there! Slice of the thin wing tips. Pat it dry. Cover as much of the chicken as you can with 4 large pinches of salt. Inside, outside, top and bottom. With a bit of chicken twine, tie the back legs as tightly as you can. And let the chicken sit, breast up, while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
Next, preheat the oven to 450°. In a small bowl, add butter, rosemary and black pepper. If the butter is not soft enough to mix everything together, microwave in 5 minute increments until soft. Remove the skin of the onion cut it into quarters. Cut lemon in half. Cut head of garlic in half, leaving skin on. And trim tops of carrots, but feel free to leave the carrots whole!
STEP TWO: Cast Iron Roast Chicken
Now, it’s time to get the chicken ready! Pat the chicken dry again if the salt started to draw out moisture (this is good!). This part, for the chicken haters, can be gross. Embrace it! Loosen the skin gently all around the chicken with your hands. Scoop the rosemary butter mixture, and press it under the skin all over. Taking extra care to under the skin of the chicken breast. If there is extra butter, rub it inside of the chicken. Place a few rosemary sprigs inside chicken.
Place your chicken in the cast iron pan. Arrange the onion quarters around it, the lemon halves flesh side down, the garlic clove side down. And lay the carrots around the chicken! Put the chicken into the oven with the tied legs as far close to the back of the oven. The thighs take the longest to cook, so we set the oven on high and place them closest to the heat source to start crisping and cooking. Cook for 25 minutes.
STEP THREE: Easy Whole Roast Chicken Complete
After 25 minutes, turn the chicken so that the breast side faces the back of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 420°. Cook for 25 more minutes or until chicken thighs reach 165° degrees with meat thermometer and skin is golden brown and crispy. All of the veggies will be caramelized and delicious.
STEP FOUR: Easily Butcher Chicken
Finally, remove the chicken from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes. It will be very hot to cut!
I hope you are feeling ready to try my Easy Whole Roast Chicken in cast iron! I have broken down every step (and the chicken!) for you so that you never have to feel intimidated again by roasting a chicken. It is so much easier than you think, and I am here to make you feel like a badass in the kitchen. Let me know how it went in the comments here or on Instagram @quartersoulcrisis
[kindred-recipe id=”2387″ title=”Easy Roast Chicken”]
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