Cast Iron Roast Chicken

For a cast iron roast chicken with crackling skin and juicy meat: salt the bird a day ahead and air-dry it in the fridge, roast it in a preheated cast iron skillet at high heat, and pull it when the thigh reaches 165°F. The heavy skillet conducts heat into the underside for a crisp bottom and catches every drop of the drippings for gravy.

A cast iron skillet is quietly one of the best roasting pans you own: it holds and radiates heat, so the bottom and thighs crisp instead of steaming, and it goes stove-to-oven-to-table. This is the simple, reliable method. If you want even faster, more even cooking, spatchcock the bird (remove the backbone and flatten it) so it roasts in a single layer.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 3½ to 4½ lb
• Kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon per pound) and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil or softened butter
• Optional: half a lemon, a few garlic cloves, and herb sprigs for the cavity

Method

1. Dry-brine, ideally a day ahead. Pat the chicken very dry, salt it all over (and lightly inside), and leave it uncovered on a plate in the fridge overnight if you can. This seasons the meat and dries the skin, which is the secret to it crackling. Even an hour helps.
2. Preheat the oven and the pan.Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a 10.25- or 12-inch cast iron skillet inside. A hot pan crisps the underside from the first minute.
3. Prep the bird. Pat it dry again, rub the skin with a little oil or butter, and season with pepper. Tuck the optional lemon, garlic, and herbs into the cavity, and tie the legs if you like.
4. Roast. Carefully set the chicken breast-up in the hot skillet and roast. A 4-pound bird takes roughly 50 to 65 minutes at this heat; a spatchcocked bird is faster, around 40 to 45 minutes. If the skin browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
5. Check the temperature.It is done when a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) reads 165°F. Temperature, not time or color, is how you know.
6. Rest, then carve. Move the chicken to a board and rest it 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, spoon the fat off the skillet drippings and make a quick pan sauce or gravy right in the pan.

Tips

Dry skin is crisp skin: the overnight salt-and-air-dry is the single biggest upgrade, and it seasons the meat deeply besides. High heat gives the best color, but watch it and tent with foil if needed. Do not skip the rest, and never waste the drippings — the fond in a cast iron pan makes the best gravy. If you would rather roast in a covered pot for fall-apart meat, a dutch oven is the tool. Cleanup is easy: the skillet wipes out after a hot-water scrub, and roasting fat builds seasoning.