October 2019 Featured Sarah Cook is back with another delicious family-friendly recipe. This Roast Chicken Recipe is one you will be wanting to instantly try. Our thanks again to Sarah for this mouthwatering meal.
Learn the secrets to making the perfect Pale Roast Chicken each and every time. This dry brined chicken is hands down the best chicken you will ever make. Perfect for a Sunday meal or as part of weekly meal prep, you’ll love this juicy and flavorful Whole30 roast chicken.
Perfect Pale Roast Chicken Recipe
Whole30 Compliant
Prep, Cook, and Brine Time: 1hr 25min Total
Serves: 5
USWM Shopping List: Whole Chicken, Butter
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp ghee or olive oil or butter
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 sprig fresh thyme optional
- 1 sprig fresh sage optional
Instructions
- Remove all parts that may be in the cavity of your chicken. Rub the whole chicken down with the kosher salt. Place in a bowl or roasting pan and loosely tent with foil. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours, or up to two days.
- One hour prior to cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge and carefully rinse all the salt from the body. Let sit at room temperature for 50 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place rack in lower third of the oven.
- Place chicken in a dutch oven or roasting pan. Tuck some fresh rosemary around the legs for an extra special flavor. If you have a small rack that fits in your baking pan, rest the chicken on it. If you don’t, you can simply use two rings from mason jars to prop up the neck side of the chicken. The goal is to make sure the heat hits the chicken the same at all points for perfect even roasting. Bake for 35 minutes.
- While the chicken is roasting, mix butter (or ghee), herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat on low until melted.
- After 35 minutes, reduce oven temp to 350 degrees. Pour the butter and herb mixture over the chicken and place back in the oven. Baste in 10 minutes.
- Continue to cook the chicken until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees in the fattest part of the thigh keeping the tip off of the bone. For me, it means a total of about 30-40ish minutes after the oven temp has been reduced.
- Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes before carving.
Pro Tips/ Recipe Notes
- Feel free to nestle some potatoes, carrot chunks, or other veg in the roasting pan while the chicken is cooking. This makes it an awesome one-pot meal!
- I know 2 tbsp of kosher salt sounds like a lot, but it will all be rinsed off prior to cooking!
- If you want to be a total meal prep boss, cook two chickens at once. Not only will it give you extra food for the main meal, but you’ll have loads of extra cooked chicken for other delicious recipes.
Special thanks again to Sarah for this delicious recipe. Let us know if you try it by tagging us in your social media photos with #uswellnessmeats.
Sarah Cook
Sarah serves up sustainable, family-friendly recipes on her blog, Sustainable Cooks. She is passionate about her family, gardening, cooking from scratch, and organizing the pantry. Armed with a crazy fun sense of humor, Sarah will not only teach you how to make a delicious recipe, but you will definitely have fun while doing it. Want to learn more about Sarah? Visit her Featured Chef page.
