Cast Iron Roast Chicken

So Jeff and I received a cast iron skillet for Christmas, which I was super excited about! I have heard many good things about them, and I have seen them in action before, so I was excited to give this thing a shot. Oh my goodness, this chicken was delicious! Crispy and yummy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. Wow.

prep time 10 minutes

cook time: 45 minutes

serves: 4-6

• 1 3-4 lb. chicken
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon good-quality paprika*
• salt and pepper

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 425F**.
2. Place your cast iron skillet on a low rack  in the oven while it preheats.
3. Remove your chicken from the packaging and pat it dry with a paper towel (if there’s a packet of parts in the cavity, be sure to remove that, too).
4. Combine the olive oil and paprika in a small bowl, and rub it all over the chicken – get some inside the cavity as well.
5. Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
6. Once the oven is good and hot (and the skillet, too), transfer the seasoned chicken to the hot skillet.
7. Let roast at 425F for 45 minutes, or until the meat registers 150-155F on a meat thermometer (it will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven).
8. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.
9. Enjoy!

*You can use pretty much any seasonings you want here.  The paprika is nice, but you could also use garlic and herbs, or lemon and herbs, or go a more Latin route and use cumin and chili powder, or even Asian with soy sauce and ginger.  Get creative.  What’s important here is the technique.  

**Bittman recommends a temperature of 450F, and some of the other recipes I’ve seen call for 475F.  I did mine at 425F, and it was perfectly done after 45 minutes.  Sometimes I think my oven runs hot, though, so there’s that.  If you do it at one of the higher temperatures, check it after 35 minutes, just to be sure it’s not getting to dried out.

Recipe Credit: Life in Recipes