This whole roast chicken made in a cast iron skillet makes for juicy and flavorful meat with crispy crunchy skin. Potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic are roasted with the chicken making for a complete meal in one skillet.
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There's something so wonderfully simple about roasting a whole chicken. It's not as unwieldy as messing with a turkey and it's way tastier. Roasting a whole chicken on a bed of vegetables also creates a complete meal in one skillet. My kids don't complain about having to eat white meat chicken because they get the choice. All is right with the world.
I may opt to go without roasting a traditional Thanksgiving turkey this year in lieu of this cast iron roast chicken recipe. An hour and a half is all I need for a delicious meal. It's comfort on a plate.
Why I Love This Cast Iron Roast Chicken
- One skillet required. This makes for easy cleanup.
- Minimal chopping required. This recipes only requires you make thick cuts, which means you're only spending a couple of minutes chopping the carrots and onion.
- Economical. A whole chicken is a cheap way to feed a family. This is never a bad thing, especially given how expensive groceries are these days. There's also leftovers for chicken salad or a soup.
- Sunday supper or holiday table. This roasted chicken is equally delicious for a Sunday evening meal or on a holiday table.
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If you like this recipe, you should definitely check out my Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breast and Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs.
Jump to:
- Why I Love This Cast Iron Roast Chicken
- Ingredients You'll Need
- The Beauty of Cast Iron for Roasting Chicken
- Preparing the Chicken
- What are Giblets?
- How to Make Cast Iron Roast Chicken
- Making A Whole Roasted Chicken Without Vegetables
- What to Serve with Whole Roasted Chicken
- Storage
- Using All the Roast Chicken Goodness
- Best Ways to Use Leftover Roasted Chicken
- FAQ
- Other Warm Weather Comfort Food
- Favorites Side Dishes
- Easy Cast Iron Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's a list of ingredients you'll need for a succulent roast chicken!
- whole chicken - We get ours from Whole Foods and they typically range 4-5 pounds. If yours is smaller, just make sure to adjust the cooking time slightly.
- lemon - The lemon is used for seasoning the skin of the chicken with the zest and then the remaining lemon roasts inside the chicken for more aromatics.
- olive oil - You can certainly use butter, but I find I can get a wonderfully crispy skin with olive oil just as well. The skin becomes a crispy and beautiful golden brown.
- garlic - Can one ever have enough garlic? There is garlic roasted at the bottom of the cast iron and inside the chicken.
- rosemary - Fresh rosemary brings out more flavor in the chicken. Feel free to use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand like thyme, sage, or oregano.
- root vegetables - I use onions, garlic, carrots, and baby potatoes for this whole roasted chicken. You could use parsnips, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, or any other root vegetable. Root vegetables vegetables are thick and sturdy, which makes them ideal for being roasted for an hour and a half.
- salt + pepper - We use Morton's kosher salt but you can use anything as long as it's not table salt.
The recipe card below will have the full quantities of the ingredients as well as detailed instructions!
The Beauty of Cast Iron for Roasting Chicken
Cast iron is exceptional for roasting for a number of reasons:
- Even distribution of heat. Cast iron gets sizzling hot and maintains that temperature. This leads to perfectly crispy skin. The vegetables at the bottom of the skillet will get a nice caramelization on them thanks to the heat of the cast iron.
- High heat tolerance. Cast iron can handle high heat without issue.
- Retains moisture. Cast iron gets hot and it also retains moisture so the chicken stays juicy on the inside while getting that crispy skin.
- Durable. Cast iron will remain a staple in your kitchen for years and years. It's tough as long as you care for it.
If you don't have cast iron, you can certainly still make this recipe. Use a Dutch oven or a roasting pan. Just make sure the pan isn't too spacious. A bigger-than-you-need pan will steam the vegetables rather than make them crispy.
The important thing is the chicken doesn't cook in its own juices. You won't get crispy skin if the chicken isn't propped up.
I have a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet, and it's wonderful.
Preparing the Chicken
First, you'll need to prep the chicken for roasting. Ideally, let the chicken rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before you roast it.
You'll also need to remove the giblets and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. This two things will contribute to creating a crunchy skin.
What are Giblets?
Giblets are a bunch of organs and parts often found in the cavity of poultry. Giblets typically include the bird's heart, neck, liver, and gizzard (the part of the bird that breaks up food before it goes to the digestive system).
The Kitchn has a breakdown each part of the giblet and uses. We toss the giblets but plenty of people use giblets to make gravy, stock, or fry 'em up.
How to Make Cast Iron Roast Chicken
I love how simple roasting a whole chicken can be. Here are some step-by-steps to ensure your roasting experience is successful. Don't forget to leave the chicken out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes if you can swing it!
- Step 1: Wipe chicken dry with paper towels. Generously put salt, pepper, lemon zest, and olive oil all over.
- Step 2: Place some of the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic in cast iron skillet. Toss with remaining salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Step 3: Stuff chicken with remaining onion, garlic, and lemon. Tie legs with kitchen twine (optional).
- Step 4: Place chicken over bed of vegetables.
- Step 5: Tuck in wings (optional) and roast in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Step 6: Gently tip cast iron skillet so the juices flow to one side. Spoon the juices all over the chicken. Place back in oven to roast for another 45 minutes until chicken reads 165˚F on thermometer.
The chicken is done when the middle of the chicken reads 165˚F on a meat thermometer.
TIP: If you want to brown the skin even more, you can place the chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Just be sure to watch the whole chicken because it will burn quickly if you're not paying attention.
Making A Whole Roasted Chicken Without Vegetables
If you don't have many vegetables on hand, you can still roast the chicken.
My recommendation is to prop the chicken on onion halves or quarters, similar to what I do for my Versatile Pulled Pork recipe. That way the chicken doesn't cook in its own juices and get soggy. The chicken will also absorb some of the delicious onion flavor, too.
I highly recommend still stuffing the chicken with whatever you have on hand (lemon, onions, garlic, etc.). It not only adds aromatics as the chicken roasts and flavors the chicken. It also keeps the chicken from drying out.
What to Serve with Whole Roasted Chicken
A classic whole roasted chicken is so versatile. It can be paired with so many sides, making it the perfect dinner party meal, too. Consider these sides:
- Chicken Gravy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or banana peppers
- Mashed Potatoes - If you don't include baby potatoes, definitely serve with fluffy mashed potatoes. I don't know there's any greater comfort food around!
- Kale & Farro Salad - I've had a taste for this salad so much this season. I love kale that's slightly wilted so it turns that bright beautiful green color when it's been tossed with the farro. The lemon vinaigrette is also easy to make and compliments the chicken.
- Side Salad - A simple spinach salad would be delicious.
- Other Vegetables - Consider something quick like asparagus that can roast while you're carving the chicken.
You can also browse all of the sides on the website to see what else strikes your fancy!
Storage
The chicken will be delicious for 2-3 additional days. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Using All the Roast Chicken Goodness
One of the best parts of roasting a whole chicken is making chicken gravy with the drippings. It's surprisingly easy and absolutely delicious over a bed of mashed potatoes.
Don't throw away the chicken carcass either! You can make homemade chicken stock!
Best Ways to Use Leftover Roasted Chicken
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Copycat Harvest Bowl Salad or Chicken Pesto Parm Salad from sweetgreen
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Sub chicken in for turkey in these turkey and cheese crescent rolls or the turkey and wild rice soup
FAQ
It is not necessary to cover the chicken. If the chicken skin begins to burn, you can cover with aluminum foil. Covering the chicken will prevent the skin from getting crispy.
The chicken is done when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165˚F.
Use a Dutch oven or a simple roasting pan.
Other Warm Weather Comfort Food
Try these other warm weather comfort foods to fill your bellies and hearts:
Favorites Side Dishes
Easy Cast Iron Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb whole chicken giblets removed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 lemon zested then cut into quarters
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 sprigs rossemary
- 1 package baby potatoes
- 1 ½ onions cut into large slices
- 4 large carrots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Position your rack so it's on a low rung.
- Prepare chicken* by taking out giblets and/or neck. Pat dry with paper towels. Generously put salt and pepper on the chicken, then generously coat with lemon zest and half of the olive oil. Set aside.
- Put half of the garlic cloves, a whole chopped onion, all of the potatoes and carrots in a cast iron skillet. Toss with remaining olive oil and generously salt and pepper.
- Stuff the inside of the chicken with remaining onions, garlic cloves, rosemary, and cut up lemon. Tie the legs back with baking twine (optional). Place chicken on top of the bed of vegetables.
- Roast for 45 minutes. Take chicken out of oven and tip one side of the skillet over so the juices flow to one side. Spoon juice from the bottom of the pan over the top of the chicken.
- Place skillet back in the oven for another 40-45 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reads 165˚F on a meat thermometer (make sure the thermometer isn't touching bone). Make chicken gravy with the remaining juices at the bottom of the skillet. Enjoy!
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