Perfect Roast Chicken

A whole roast chicken is one of the most rewarding and economical things you can cook: crisp skin, juicy meat, and a carcass for stock. Dry brining is the secret to both flavor and crackle.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (4–5 lb)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 lemon, halved
• 4 cloves garlic
• A few sprigs of thyme

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken very dry and season inside and out with salt and pepper, ideally the day before.
2. Rub the softened butter all over the skin.
3. Stuff the cavity with the lemon, garlic, and thyme, and tie the legs together.
4. Roast at 425°F for 70–80 minutes, until the thigh reads 175°F and the breast 160°F.
5. Rest 15 minutes before carving.

Tips

Spatchcock the bird (remove the backbone) for faster, more even roasting. Save the carcass for homemade stock.

Related: cooked with Roasting · learn about Whole Chicken · find pasture-raised poultry direct from a farm.