Perfect Roast Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet Recipe
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!
Ten or twelve-inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet
Ingredients
4poundswhole chicken,choose a roaster, instead of a broiler- fryer
1tablespoonkosher salt,If you use table salt, reduce the amount by half.
½teaspoonground black pepper
1lemon
3clovesfresh garlic,skins removed
4tablespoonssoftened butter
1-2sprigsfresh 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.