Brining poultry adds moisture to what can be a dry meat when cooked. With a little prep work the day before, this Brined and Roasted Whole Chicken will come together in minutes. This dish is easy enough for a weeknight yet fancy enough to serve to at a dinner party.
For those who aren’t comfortable with baking/grilling/eating a whole chicken, please let me set your mind at ease…this is what your grandma ate! Meat that includes the bones are juicier, tastier, and honestly, more natural than eating a processed and pureed meat pattie.
Now I know there are those who complain that seeing the whole bird is icky…I get it! But once we settle on the fact that this is the least processed way to eat chicken, I hope that you’ll learn to love the whole bird like I have.
A little confession…I used to be this way. I’d buy the packages of frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts at the store. They were okay in things (shredded in casseroles, for instance) but otherwise, they might turn out dry when baked. Grilling was even harder, as the little frozen chicken “tenders” dried up faster than they cooked!
Enter the Cornish Cross chicken into my life. We started raising these and I haven’t purchased grocery store chicken since. These bad boys are all business when it comes to growing. The group we took to the butcher this week went from chicks to four or five-pounders in 48 days! DAYS! And while I know not everyone can raise chickens in their yard, as a Family and Consumer Science teacher, I’m always preaching to my students that we are too far removed from our food. Where am I going with this? Boneless, skinless, frozen chicken breasts/thighs are about as far removed from our food as we can get. God gave things bones. You have bones. It’s good when chickens have bones! 🙂
Brined and Roasted Chicken Recipe…
This recipe for brining and roasting chicken is actually a combination of recipes. One that I use in my classroom when I teach about brining (see recipe here), and one that I use when I roast chicken from America’s Test Kitchen.
The flavor profile imparted from the brining liquid is actually quite amazing, and one that you can adjust to your own likes/preferences. If you prefer the taste of garlic, add more cloves. If you can’t stand garlic, leave it out. The brine comes together quickly…in a matter of minutes…and the bird gets to soak up all that goodness overnight.
After the bird has been in the brine soaking, be sure to drain the cavity and pat dry. Also, tuck those little wings behind the shoulders so they don’t get too crispy. One thing you’ll also want to remember is to be careful when placing the chicken in your hot pan…I always cover the handle of the skillet with a hot pad so I don’t accidentally forget and grab it.
Brined and Roasted Whole Chicken
Notes
A rectangular pan could also be used to roast the chicken.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3-5 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
- 1/2 T. black peppercorns
- 1 tsp. ground mustard
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 2 1/2 quarts of warm water
- 1 3-5 pound fryer (whole chicken), giblets removed
- 1 T. Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 T. olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Be sure to whisk until sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
- Let the brine cool slightly and add the chicken, breast side down.
- Cover and refrigerate at least twelve hours and up to twenty-four hours.
- To Bake:
- Place 12-inch oven-safe skillet in oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 T. Kosher salt and 1/2 t. black pepper.
- Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Rub entire bird with 1 T. olive oil.
- Sprinkle the salt/pepper mixture over the entire bird and rub evenly to coat.
- Be careful placing bird in HOT skillet with breast side up.
- Roast until breast registers 120 degrees and thigh 135 degrees (25-35 minutes)
- Turn oven off and leave chicken in oven until breast registers 165 degrees and thigh 175 degrees. (30-35 minutes)
- Let rest on cutting board for 20 minutes before carving. Enjoy!
I personally love feeding something this tasty and healthy to my family. Does it take a little more time than throwing something in the air fryer? Well…yeah! But it isn’t breaded, it is roasted in its own juices, and comes out perfect every time!
Something that is very important to remember is to check the temperature of the bird! We are looking for a finished temp of 165 degrees. NO LESS! I use a probe-style thermometer that I can check with my phone. However, any type of calibrated thermometer will work…just be sure to remember to do it! (Ask me how I know…) The good news is that even with the breast at 190 degrees, it was juicy!
If you’d like to see what products I used for my Brined and Roasted Chicken, please see below. Please know, these contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission on any sales, at no extra cost to you. The income I earn helps to pay for maintaining my blog. Thank you so much for your support!
For other easy dinner ideas, you might like to try my Cheesy Potato and Kielbasa Bake, Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole, or our absolute FAVORITE Grilled Pizza.