How to roast a chicken

 
 
 
 

Before Dak tried my roasted chicken she was convinced that all roasted chicken recipes turned out too dry and had little flavor. That all changed when we lived together and she tried my dry-brined bird. The key to this perfect chicken is a simple salt dry brine which helps give you the heavily sought after crispy skin while also locking in moisture. Now both of us roast a chicken at least every other week until we’re so tired of chicken we have to take a break for at least a month. —Ju

 

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ - 4 lb chicken

  • Kosher Salt

  • Spice rub (optional)

  • Olive oil

 

Instructions

  1. Remove chicken from wrapper and dry off completely using paper towels. Place on a plate. Using about 1 TBSP of kosher salt, generously season entire bird, inside and out, front and back.

  2. Place salted chicken in the fridge uncovered for at least an hour, up to 24 hours. The longer it sits in the fridge with the salt brine on, the more the moisture is locked in and the crispier the skin becomes once cooked.

  3. When ready to bake the chicken, preheat oven to 425 degrees, and place either a cast iron or baking dish (large enough to hold the chicken) in oven to preheat as well.

  4. Remove chicken from fridge. If using a spice rub*, sprinkle seasoning over entire bird.

  5. Remove cast iron or baking dish from oven once preheated and drizzle a small amount of oil in the bottom of the pan to prevent the chicken from sticking. Place chicken breast side up in the cast iron or dish and drizzle a small splash of olive oil on the breast to help with crisping.

  6. Place chicken in the middle of the oven and set a timer for 50-55 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove bird from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes — this allows the chicken to finish cooking in the hot pan without drying out, locking in all of the juices.

  7. Carve and serve.

*For this video, Dak and I used toasted and ground fennel seeds, sumac, salt and black pepper as a spice rub. Feel free to play around with your favorite spices to find a rub that you like, use your favorite store bought kind or simply use salt and freshly cracked pepper.