Winner winner, chicken dinner!
Chicken is one of the most versatile meats to cook with and one of my favorite things to make. This is one of the best and easiest ways to roast an entire chicken. I promise it will not disappoint anyone in your household! The flavors run deep, are rich, and the method of using the cast iron keeps the heat consistent for even and simple cooking. The secret to keeping the chicken nice and juicy is stuffing it with the freshest ingredients. I love to use onions, whole garlic cloves, sage, rosemary, and thyme to add aromatics and flavor to the entire chicken. Stuffing the inside cavity really helps keep the white meat juicy and flavorful throughout. But, feel free to add whatever else you like or change out any ingredient. I find this combination seems to work best. The other secret is butter! – of course butter. The addition of butter under the skin and inside the chicken, helps keep the breast meat juicy and the skin light and crispy! Make sure to get the best quality butter you can find. Kerrygold is my favorite… it never disappoints!
Perfect and golden brown every single time, all done in one hour! You just cant beat that. (The only way to beat it, is if you make two – lol)
Carved and ready to serve!
Ok, ok.. enough of me obsessing over this chicken recipe. It’s time to cook! Check out the recipe below! Detailed and easy to follow. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. I promise to answer and help you make that perfect meal for you and your loved ones! 🙂
See, easy right? I told you! Enjoy! And don’t forget to share your experiences with me.
Juicy Cast Iron Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 lbs Whole Chicken
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Whole Garlic Cloves
- Medium Onion
- Half a stick of Butter room temp
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Place cast iron onto middle rack and pre-heat oven to 425 F. You want to get your cast iron nice and hot before you add your chicken to get the bottom of the bird a nice sear.
- Place chicken on a cutting board or work space, pat dry and clear cavity of any chicken extras. Trim and discard of any extra fat.
- Start by separating as much of the skin from the meat as possible without tearing the skin. Next, you want to rub the butter onto the meat under the skin you separated. Then season the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper.
- Now, take the sage, rosemary, thyme, half the onion (chopped) and 3 garlic cloves and stuff them all into the chicken’s cavity. Tie up the legs of the chicken with kitchen twin to keep the aromatics together in the cavity. Also, tuck the wing tips underneath the chicken to keep from burning while in the oven.
- Rub olive oil on the outside of the bird then season it with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. This is going to help crisp up the skin and add additional flavor to the entire chicken while it cooks.
- Once your oven is preheated, remove the cast iron skillet and place on a heat resistant surface. Be very careful and use oven mitts, the cast iron will be super hot! Place the chicken in the center of the cast iron. It will start to sizzle immediately. Don’t be alarmed this is a good thing . Add the other half of the onion (chopped) and garlic around the chicken.
- Roast chicken in the oven for 15 mins at 425F. After, reduce the temperature to 375F and continue cooking for about 50 minutes to an hour, until juices run clear. Test with a thermometer on the deepest part of the thigh (without touching the bone); it should register at 165F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 to 15 minutes. Now, its time to carve and enjoy!
