Perfect Roast Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet Recipe

Perfect Roast Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet has golden brown, perfect, crispy skin with moist, tender, flavor-packed meat that your whole family will love.

This easy cast iron roast chicken recipe features a whole chicken roasted in a cast-iron skillet in the oven. It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet it’s also fancy enough to serve company or for a special occasion!

Simple to prepare, before cooking, a whole roaster is generously blanketed with room temperature butter, seasoned to perfection, and then roasted in the oven in a cast iron pan.

Juicy on the inside and loaded with flavor, like my Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, and Smoked Spatchcock Chicken, this simple roast chicken recipe will quickly become one of your “go-to” favorites.

Perfect roast chicken in a cast iron skillet is classic comfort food and is a Sunday supper tradition in many parts of the country. And while you can roast a chicken in a regular baking pan, cooking it in cast iron is the best way to cook a whole bird.

Ingredient notes:

• Whole chicken – while technically, you can use a broiler-fryer in this recipe; they are usually much smaller, and the cooking times will need to be adjusted. Roasters that are larger and weigh between three and five pounds will work much better.
• Butter – keeps the meat moist and adds a rich buttery flavor. It also helps the skin crisp up.
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper – season the bird perfectly and enhance the flavors.
• Fresh lemon, garlic, and rosemary – add even more flavor. (garlic and rosemary not pictured)

You will also need a large, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. Complete measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

How to cook chicken in a cast-iron skillet:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Remove any giblets and pat the outside of the bird dry with paper towels.
3. Take the handle of a wooden spoon and insert it between the skin of the chicken breasts and meat to gently loosen the skin so you can spread the butter under the skin.

3. Take about half of the softened butter and use your fingers to insert it under the skin of the chicken. Spread the remaining butter evenly over the rest of the bird.

4. Liberally sprinkle kosher salt and pepper inside and outside of the poultry. I know this seems like a lot of salt, but trust me, you need it.
5. Place the prepared whole chicken in a well-seasoned ten-inch or twelve-inch cast-iron skillet.
6. Insert the lemon quarters, two to three whole cloves of peeled garlic, and one to two sprigs of fresh rosemary in the cavity of the chicken.

7. Tuck the wing tips under and truss (tie together) the chicken legs with kitchen twine.

8. Roast the bird for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Once the internal temperature, as measured by a meat thermometer, in the thickest part of the thigh has reached 160 to 162°F, remove it from the oven.
9. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise to 165° F, which is the safe temperature according to the USDA.
10. To serve, let the chicken rest for about ten minutes, carve it, then garnish it with lemon slices and fresh herbs.

Serving suggestions:

This recipe is so versatile you can choose practically any of your favorite sides. I usually my whole roast chicken with Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, Easy Southern Potato Salad, Baked Mac and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Broccoli Cheese Casserole or Easy Southern Scalloped Potatoes.

I also like to pair it with my House Salad, Southern Cucumber and Tomato Salad or fresh sliced tomatoes in the summer. If you need more ideas, here are links for all of my side dish and salad recipes.

For dessert, my Homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream, Chocolate Raspberry Tart, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie would be delicious.

Recipe variations:

Because of the simplicity of this recipe for roast chicken in a cast iron skillet, it is very easy to modify it by changing up the toppings or adding some veggies. Some ideas include:

• Instead of regular butter, substitute my Garlic Herb Compound Butter or Maple Bourbon Butter.
• Add a rub instead of just seasoning it with salt and pepper. Check out my Broiled Chicken Thighs or Grilled Beer Can Chicken recipes for rub recipes.
• Add a glaze like the apricot glaze on Grilled Pork Tenderloin or spicy peach glaze on my Double Smoked Ham recipes.
• Change up the fresh herbs; fresh thyme is also amazing, or use your favorite combination.
• For a complete meal, before cooking, nestle some cut-up root vegetables such as white potatoes, sweet potatoes, fennel, carrots, parsnips, or onions in the skillet, or you can even place the veggies on the bottom of the skillet and then place the poultry on top.

Ideas for how to repurpose leftover chicken, store it, and reheat it:

In the unlikely event you have any leftovers, store them covered along with any pan juices in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you want to freeze them, they can be stored in airtight freezer bags for up to three months.

Leftovers can be used to make my Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, Wild Rice Chicken Salad, Chicken Ranch Dip with Cream Cheese, Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole, or Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup.

For reheating individual pieces, heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Place chicken skin-side down and cover with a lid. Reheat for a few minutes until the skin becomes crispy and the meat is warmed through. Flip the pieces and briefly heat the other side.

Advantages of cooking chicken in a cast iron skillet:

• Versatile cast iron cookware is a true workhorse in the kitchen.
• Cast-iron skillets are perfect for cooking everything from desserts such as Cranberry Upside Down Cake and Blueberry Upside Down Cake, breads such as Southern Cornbread and Orange Cinnamon Rolls, side dishes such as Smoked Baked Beans, and probably the most famous dish of all, Southern Fried Chicken.
• Cast iron is durable, requires very little care, and can last a lifetime. The cast iron skillet I used in this recipe was my mother’s and her mother’s before that.
• When they are correctly seasoned, cast-iron skillets are non-stick, and they not only retain heat but also distribute the heat much more efficiently, which means your dish cooks evenly.
• Because they hold the heat so well, food cooked in them becomes a glorious golden brown.

Recipe FAQs:

Expert tips and tricks:

• While technically, you can use a broiler-fryer in this recipe; they are usually much smaller, and the cooking times will need to be adjusted. Roasters that are larger and weigh between three and five pounds will work much better.
• If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a regular baking pan. Be sure to spray it with non-stick cooking spray first.
• I used rosemary in this recipe, and it’s my favorite, but feel free to experiment with adding other herbs. Thyme would be a good choice, as would tarragon.
• I know you are tired of me saying this, but if you don’t have one, please get a good instant-read digital meat thermometer. It will make all of the difference in the world.
• If you have never trussed a chicken (which is really just tying the legs together), check out this how-to video. You don’t have to do it, but trussing ensures that it cooks evenly.

More chicken in cast iron skillet recipes:

Need more menu ideas or recipes? You can find all of my chicken recipes here.

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Perfect Roast Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet Recipe

Sharon Rigsby

Perfect Roast Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet has golden brown, deliciously crisp skin with moist, tender, flavor-packed meat. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet it's also fancy enough to serve company or for a special occasion!

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 577 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Ten or twelve-inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 pounds whole chicken, choose a roaster, instead of a broiler- fryer
• ▢ 1 tablespoon kosher salt, If you use table salt, reduce the amount by half.
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 lemon
• ▢ 3 cloves fresh garlic, skins removed
• ▢ 4 tablespoons softened butter
• ▢ 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Remove any giblets and pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Take the handle of a wooden spoon and insert it between the skin on the breast and meat to gently loosen the skin so you can spread the butter under the skin.
• Take about half of the softened butter and use your fingers to insert it under the breast skin.  Spread the remaining butter evenly over the rest of the bird.
• Take about half of the softened butter and use your fingers to insert it under the breast skin.  Spread the remaining butter out evenly over the rest of the chicken.
• Liberally sprinkle kosher salt and pepper inside and on the outside of the poultry. I know this seems like a lot of salt, but trust me, you need it.
• Place the prepared whole chicken in a well-seasoned ten or twelve-inch cast-iron skillet.
• Insert the lemon quarters, two to three whole cloves of peeled garlic, and one to two sprigs of fresh rosemary in the cavity.
• Tuck the wing tips under and truss (tie together) the legs with kitchen string.
• Roast the bird for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Once the internal temperature has reached 160 to 162°F, remove it from the oven. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise to 165°F, which is the safe temperature according to the USDA.
• Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. To serve, carve it, then garnish it with lemon slices and rosemary or parsley.

Notes

If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a regular baking pan. Be sure to spray it with non-stick cooking spray first.

I used rosemary in this recipe, and it’s my favorite, but feel free to experiment with adding other herbs. Thyme would be a good choice, as would tarragon. 

I know you are tired of me saying this, but if you don’t have one, please get a good instant-read digital meat thermometer. It will make all of the difference in the world.  

If you have never trussed a chicken (which is really just tying the legs together), check out this how-to video. You don’t have to do it, but trussing ensures that the chicken cooks evenly. 

While technically, you can use a broiler-fryer in this recipe; they are usually much smaller, and the cooking times will need to be adjusted. Roasters that are larger and weigh between three and five pounds will work much better. 

In the unlikely event you have any leftovers, they will store covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you want to freeze them, they can be stored in airtight freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 41gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 193mgSodium: 1987mgPotassium: 456mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 663IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg

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