A cold winter has us craving a long, cozy evening at the table—a hearty soup, roast chicken and rice, and a few sips of whiskey. Roast chicken is one of the simplest and most satisfying dishes a home cook can make, the kind of meal you can throw together any night of the week. Our recipe is unfussy, super straightforward, and delivers a perfect bird every time. And it's made even better in our Mineral B Roasting Pan.
Perfect Roast Chicken
1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs.
2-3 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
black pepper
pinch of thyme (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the chicken from its packaging, remove the giblets inside, and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place in roasting pan and salt the skin and inside the cavity liberally, using your fingers to press the salt in. If you'd like, use a piece of kitchen twine to tie the legs together, which makes a nicer presentation and helps it cook more evenly.
Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Take the chicken out and turn the oven down to 375 degrees. Use a brush to coat the skin of the chicken in butter, which will help the skin brown. Optionally, add a bit of black pepper and a pinch of thyme over the top of the breast at this point.
Place back in the oven and continue to roast for about 30 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned. To check that it's done, use a thermometer to take its temperature in the thigh between the breast and leg. It's done when the temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest in the pan for 15 minutes before carving, to help seal in the juices. If you'd like, roast potatoes or fry bread slices in the drippings after removing the chicken.