Juicy Skillet Roasted Chicken With Caramelized Vegetables

A cast iron skillet holding a whole roasted chicken with caramelized vegetables.

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Juicy Skillet Roasted Chicken With Caramelized Vegetables

Skillet roasted chicken with caramelized vegetables starts the night before with a dry brine, a hot oven, the right internal temperature, and one extra step at the end. The chicken is juicy and pairs perfectly with potatoes and carrots that roast in the same pan.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 15

Brining Time18

Total Time19 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrots, cast iron, chicken and vegetables, dry brine, dry brined chicken, new potato, one pan meal, roast chicken, roasted chicken

Servings: people

Calories: 659kcal

Author: Ali Mairet

Equipment

12-inch oven safe skillet
leave-in probe meat thermometer with an alarm
butcher's twine
rimmed baking sheet
chef's knife
cutting board

Ingredients

4 pound whole chicken
4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1 teaspoon/pound
16 ounces waxy potatoes red, gold, or fingerling
8 ounces carrots 2 or 3
10 ounces yellow onion
2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided ghee, vegetable, or canola
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Unwrap the chicken, remove the neck and packet of gizzards from the cavity. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the kosher salt evenly over the chicken, including the sides. Tie the legs together with butcher twine. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken. Store in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours, uncovered.
To cook, place the chicken on the counter and preheat the oven to 425℉.
Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Peel and cut the carrots into 2-inch chunks. Peel and quarter the onion, leaving the roots in tact to help keep the layers together.
Add the vegetables to the skillet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and a few cranks of black pepper. Toss to combine. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Apply 1 tablespoon of oil to the skin of the chicken. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. The probe tip should be ½ inch from the bone and not touching it. Set the high temperature alert to 160℉.
Roast the chicken with the legs facing the back of the oven. After 45 minutes, rotate the skillet 180°. Cook to an internal temperature of 160℉ for the breast. Cook by the internal temperature of the chicken, not by time alone. For planning purposes, it can take about 15 minutes per pound of chicken.
After your thermometer alarms that the breast is at 160℉, verify the thickest part of the other side of the breast to make sure it is also at 160℉. Then, check the center area on the inside of the thickest part of both drumsticks to be at least 175℉. If less, rotate the pan so the lower temperature parts are facing the back of the oven. Keep roasting until all parts get to temperature.
Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chicken to a cutting board to let it rest. Flip the vegetables to coat them with the juices and return the skillet to the oven for about 15 minutes to caramelize.
Once the vegetables are deeply browned, remove the skillet from the oven. Taste for seasoning. Carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables.

Notes

If using Morton kosher salt, reduce by half.

Two Day Gameplan

Here is how to plan your skillet roasted chicken with vegetables so dinner is ready when you want it.

Example: 5-pound chicken for a 6:30 PM dinner

The night before: Salt the chicken and store uncovered in the refrigerator.
Start preheating at 4:15 PM and remove the chicken from the refrigerator.
Chicken goes into the oven at 4:45 PM
Chicken comes out around 6:00 PM to rest
Vegetables go back into the oven at 6:05 PM for 15 minutes
Carve at 6:20 PM

To Store: Remove leftover chicken from the bone and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the vegetables separately in a covered container for up to 4 days.

To Reheat: Reheat chicken in a 350°F oven covered with foil for 10 to 15 minutes, or in the microwave in 20-second increments until warmed through. The vegetables reheat well in a microwave until warmed through.

Nutrition