Name: Cast Iron Chicken with Vegetables
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole 4lb (1800g), Kosher chicken; 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter; 1 garlic clove, minced; ½ tsp salt; 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh rosemary, minced; freshly cracked pepper; 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 1 Vidalia onion, cut into chunks; 2 cups (200g) red potatoes, skin on, cut into quarters; 2 cups (200g) sweet potatoes, skin on, cut into chunks; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil; 1 tsp (5 ml) herbs de Provence; ¼ cup (60 ml) white wine; 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard; ½-3/4 cups (120ml-180ml) chicken broth; freshly cracked pepper

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This cast-iron roast chicken is the perfect main dish to serve for a Sunday night dinner! It is moist and juicy and seasoned to perfection. Serve it with a skillet of caramelized root vegetables that roasts at the same time as the chicken, making the whole meal so easy because all the cooking is “passive cooking”!

The fantastic conducive quality of cast iron will produce an evenly cooked chicken that is crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. The chicken is also extra flavorful thanks to my rosemary garlic butter placed under the skin.

a whole roasted chicken — Once you roast a chicken in a cast iron skillet you won’t want to roast chicken any other way!

The Benefits of Cast-Iron Chicken

Cast iron is one of the world’s best heat conductors and when you roast a chicken in a cast iron skillet it turns out so tender and juicy!
If you don’t already own a cast iron skillet, it’s a great investment. They get even better with age and you can use them for so many other things. Like my Overnight Cinnamon Buns, or my Blackberry Cornbread Skillet Cake or a wonderful Apple Crisp Recipe too.
But except no imitations, go for the Lodge Cast Iron Skillets, they are the best around and will last for years. They are the kind of kitchen pieces that become “heirloom quality” because they get better with age. And save yourself the hassle of “seasoning it” Lodge now offers a pre-seasoned model which is the way to go!
At the end of the video tutorial for this recipe (see video in recipe card below) I offer tips on how to care for your cast iron pans so they don’t rust. For cleaning, I recommend a good scraper and brush and then you’ll be all set!

a white plate with a roasted chicken breast and vegetables — Cast-Iron Chicken and Caramelized Vegetables make the perfect Sunday night dinner

The Ingredients:

Kosher chicken: I like to use kosher chicken because the salt used in cleaning the chicken during the kosher process, acts like a brine, which I find creates a juicer, more tender chicken.
Butter: Melt the butter and allow it to cool, that way it won’t “cook” the chicken before you are ready! The butter will be used under the skin, to cook into the meat as it roasts adding wonderful flavor!
Garlic clove: The garlic will flavor the butter and the chicken as it roasts.
Salt: For adding flavor and retaining moisture.
Rosemary: Use fresh rosemary and chop it finely, it will flavor the butter and be placed under the skin.
Cracked pepper: To add additional flavor to the chicken.
Vidalia onion: Are wonderfully sweet and pair beautifully with the potatoes, but if you can’t find them, regular white or yellow onions can also be used.
Red potatoes: Wash and cut them into quarters with the skin on. It saves a ton of time leaving the skin on, and prevents the potatoes from drying out.
Sweet potatoes: The sweet potatoes add a wonderful sweetness to the vegetables. I leave the skin on them as well.
Olive oil: Drizzled over the top of the chicken before roasting will keep the skin crispy.
Herbs de Provence: Adds an earthy flavor to the root vegetables.
White wine: Select a dry white wine for the sauce recipe. Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc would work well.
Dijon mustard: Adds some savory zing to the pan sauce. Feel free to add less or more depending on your preference.
Chicken broth: For creating the pan sauce after the chicken is done

ingredients for roast chicken laid on a counter — Roasting the chicken in cast iron creates a succulent chicken that is crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside

Step#1: Prepare the Rosemary Butter

The rosemary butter is easy to create. You’ll first melt the butter, then add the rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper, and let it cool.
As the butter cools the rosemary and garlic will infuse a wonderful flavor into the butter.
Allow the butter to cool, since it will be spooned under the skin of the chicken, and you don’t want to put hot butter on raw meat or it will start to “cook” it before you are ready.
Truss the chicken to seal the cavity shut and then drizzle olive oil over the top of the chicken and rub it into the skin. This will create a crispy skin. Then season with salt and pepper

a raw trussed chicken in a cast iron skillet — Making incisions in the fatty flaps of the chicken skin and sliding the crossed legs through the slits makes for an easy way to truss the chicken without twine.

Step#2: Prepare the Root Vegetables

The great thing about this recipe is that the root vegetables can roast at the same time as the chicken.
Be sure to cut them into large chunks, since they will roast for an hour and half, as long as the chicken. If you cut them too small they will become overdone before the chicken is done.
If the red potatoes are small, cut them in half instead of quarters.
As the chicken roasts it will create lovely pan juices, baste the chicken with this sauce, every 20 minutes or so.
It’s also great to add a spoonful or two of this pan sauce to the vegetables, as they roast. It will add delicious flavor to them.

caramelized root vegetables in a cast iron skillet — Spooning the pan juices from the chicken as it roasts into the vegetables gives them great flavor!

Step#3: Allow the Chicken to Rest

It’s important to let the chicken rest for at least 10-15 minutes before carving. This will keep the interior tender and juicy.
If you carve the chicken too soon, the juices will spill out and will lead to a dried out chicken.
As the chicken rests you can keep the vegetables at room temperature, the cast-iron will keep them warm, or you can pop them back in the oven at 200F, while the chicken rests and you make the sauce.