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Chef John's Salt Roasted Chicken
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Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
55 minutes
Total Time:
75 minutes
Simple roast chicken with crispy skin and flavorful herb butter sauce.
Ingredients:
  • 1 (3 1/2) pound whole chicken at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt, or as needed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 0.33333334326744 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into four pieces
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to a toasty 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  • Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips underneath and place in a large oven-safe skillet. Trim off the tail with scissors, if preferred.
  • Season the inside and outside of the chicken with a generous amount of kosher salt. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the breasts evenly with salt, making sure they are fully coated. Remove any excess salt from the skillet using paper towels.
  • Roast the chicken in the preheated oven until a meat thermometer inserted into a thigh reads 160 degrees C (70 degrees C), about 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
  • Remove most of the chicken fat from the skillet. Use a paper towel with tongs to keep the browned bits in the skillet. Saute thyme until wilted for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add lemon juice, chicken broth, and water. Stir until the sauce reduces by half, around 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Lower the heat and add cold butter, stirring until the butter starts to melt. Mix in any juices from the chicken, keep stirring until the butter is fully mixed in and the sauce slightly thickens, approximately for 1 minute. Take it off the heat and season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to your liking. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken for serving.

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