Everyone says roast chicken is simple. This is true. The problem is that people don’t believe it, so they add steps until it becomes complicated.

Here’s what you actually do.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, 3-4 pounds
  • Salt
  • Pepper if you want

That’s the list.

The day before

Take the chicken out of its packaging. Pat it dry with paper towels. Salt it generously all over, including inside the cavity. More than seems right.

Put it on a plate, uncovered, in the refrigerator. Leave it overnight.

This is the only step that matters. The salt draws moisture out, then pulls it back in with the salt. The skin dries out. Dry skin crisps. Wet skin steams.

The day of

Take the chicken out an hour before cooking. Let it come to room temperature on the counter.

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Put the chicken in a cast iron skillet or roasting pan. Breast up. Legs toward the back of the oven. Nothing under it, nothing around it.

Roast for 50-60 minutes. A 3-pound bird takes about 50. A 4-pound bird takes closer to 65. The thigh should read 165°F if you have a thermometer. If you don’t, cut between the leg and the body—the juices should run clear, not pink.

Let it rest 10 minutes before carving. This also matters. Cut it too soon and the juices run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.

What people add that they don’t need

Butter under the skin. Herbs in the cavity. Trussing. Basting. Vegetables in the pan.

None of these are bad. But they’re not required. A chicken with nothing but salt, roasted hot until done, tastes like a chicken. That’s enough.

The drippings

Spoon off the fat and save it for cooking potatoes later. The brown bits stuck to the pan are fond. Add a splash of water or wine to the hot pan and scrape them up. Pour this over the carved meat.

I’ve made this a hundred times. It’s never the same chicken twice, but it’s always good. The oven does the work. You just have to let it.