Cast Iron Baked Chicken

Cast Iron Baked Chicken

Serves 4  TIME 1¼ hours

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

This Cast Iron Baked Chicken is in the pursuit of roast chicken with juicy meat and lovely browned skin that we could make on a weeknight, we turned to the cast-iron skillet, which retains heat well and, once hot, distributes that heat evenly across the skillet’s surface. To avoid having to cut up a whole chicken and to reduce the cooking time, we started with chicken parts. To aid in getting a burnished color on the skin, we added paprika to a spice rub of onion powder, granulated garlic, and plenty of salt and pepper. For a finishing touch, we added six sprigs of thyme and a couple of tablespoons of butter to the skillet, which combined with the chicken juices to create a lovely sauce.

Cast Iron Baked Chicken Ingredients

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 2 wings with wingtips discarded), trimmed (I used bone in skin on thighs only)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 sprigs fresh thyme

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Our favorite cast-iron skillet is the Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12″. Note that the cast-iron skillet should be preheated along with the oven; this is key to getting crispy, well-browned skin. You will not achieve the same type of browning with a conventional skillet. A 4-pound whole chicken will yield the 3 pounds of parts called for in the recipe. Our favorite paprika is The Spice House Hungarian Sweet Paprika.

 

Instructions 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, and granulated garlic in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with spice mixture.
2. When oven is heated, carefully remove hot skillet. Add butter, let it melt, and add thyme sprigs. Place chicken in skillet skin side down, pushing thyme sprigs aside as needed. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from oven and flip chicken. Return skillet to oven and bake until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register at least 175 degrees, about 15 minutes longer.
4. Let chicken rest in skillet for 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter and spoon pan juices over top. Serve.