Author Notes
This is my go-to roast chicken recipe. It’s so easy and relatively inexpensive to do. Plus, everyone seems to like a good roast chicken. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. The cooking method is based on the America’s Test Kitchen technique which I have summarized below. the rub is something that I created over time, adding a little of this and a little of that. —Michelle Yokoyama
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Ingredients
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1
whole chicken about 3-3.5 lbs
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1 1/2 teaspoons
fresh rosemary, minced
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1 1/2 teaspoons
fresh thyme, minced
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zest of one lemon, reserve lemon
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1 tablespoon
kosher salt
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1 teaspoon
black pepper
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1/2 teaspoon
smoked paprika
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small pinch of ground cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon
powdered garlic
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1 1/2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
Directions
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Arrange your oven racks so that you can put the chicken roughly in the middle of the oven. Place a large cast iron pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 450F.
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Combine the herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper, spices and oil and rub all over the chicken both on top and under the skin. Cut lemon in half and place in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. I don’t even worry about the wings.
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Once the oven has come to temperature (and your pan inside), take out your cast iron pan (carefully, it’s hot) and place your chicken in the center.
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Put the pan back in the oven for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, turn the oven off. That’s right. O-F-F.
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Leave your chicken in for another 25-30 minutes or until the thickest part of the thigh is 160F and the juices run clear.
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