Classic Roasted Herb Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet

One of my biggest triumphs in my kitchen was learning how to roast a chicken. 

As silly as that sounds, I wasn’t much of a cook just a few short years ago and honestly, I was terrified of cooking chicken. I never grew up with a love of roasted chicken. It was always too dry and in our house, always served with pre-packaged gravy or Swiss Chalet sauce, another just add water sauce. To be frank, it tasted more like paste than anything resembling an edible dipping sauce.

When I started to collect cookbooks and learned how to recreate recipes, I quickly figured out that I could tweak recipes here and there and stray from the printed ingredients and instructions. A path I was much too scared to follow until then.

Eventually, I found a whole roast chicken recipe in one of my cookbooks. It was a Spanish inspired recipe. Cooked with corn husks and tomatoes and peppers. The dish was fantastic but I have yet to make it again.

My biggest take away from that experience was that roasting a chicken wasn’t as complicated as it seemed.

I started buying whole chickens and roasting them every week and every single week they got better and better. Now, I can throw a roast chicken together in no time! 

I like to cook my chicken in our cast iron skillets instead of a roasting pan. I love using cast iron! It’s versatile and low maintenance. A well seasoned cast iron skillet needs little cleaning after being used. We are a family of 5 so the less dishes I have to do after a meal, the better. 

Here is what you will need; 

• A 5-6lb whole chicken 
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 white onions 
• 3-4 russet potatoes 
• 2 celery stalks 
• Smoked Paprika 
• Dried Parsley 
• Oregano
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 stick of Butter
• 1/4 cup of olive oil 

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Start off preparing your chicken, remove the insides and pat it dry. I prefer to rinse my chicken before preparing it but I know that is a hot debate. Place your chicken directly into the skillet, breast side up. Push down on the breast bone until you hear it break. 

Mix together your salt, pepper, smoked paprika and parsley together into a small bowl with the oil. You may also add other herbs and spices, depending on your preference. I like to add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and cayenne powder on occasion. This is your chicken marinade. Rub it onto your chicken, coating the visible side thoroughly. 

Start chopping and dicing your vegetables. Lightly season them with salt and pepper and surround your chicken with them. I like to place a few slices of onion, a clove or garlic and some celery inside the chicken as well. 

Cut your stick of butter into equal chunks and place them around the chicken with the vegetables. 

Place your skillet inside the preheated oven. The rule of thumb for chicken is to cook it for 10-15 per pound, reaching an internal temperature of 165F. A 5lb chicken should take approximately 50 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes to cook fully. 

I like to monitor the temperature using this digital thermometer. I like that I can set a temperature and it will alert me when the chicken has approached the safe internal temperature. 

During the cooking process, I like to take the chicken out of the oven periodically to baste it with the juices now filling the bottom of the skillet. This gives the skin of the chicken the most beautiful crisp and flavour.