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Salt-Baked Whole Chicken

This roast chicken recipe calls for only two main ingredients: chicken and salt. And plenty of salt it is! ​Roasting a whole chicken in salt may sound like a crazy idea, but try this trick and you'll be surprised at how crispy and tender it turns out, and not nearly as salty as you'd think. It's important to use the coarsest salt you can find, such as rock salt, for this recipe, as it won't get stuck or dissolved as much. This trick doesn't work with fine salt.

Prep Time 2 hours
Serves: 4
Difficulty Level: Low
Salt-Baked Whole Chicken
Ingredients for Salt-Baked Whole Chicken:
Whole chicken - 3 1/2 - 4 lbs.
Kosher salt - 3 tbsp. or as needed
Rosemary - 2 sprigs (whole)
Thyme - 2-3 sprigs (whole)
Coarse salt - 4 pounds (1 box) (rock salt works great for this)
Method of preparing the Salt-Baked Whole Chicken:
  1. Pat dry the entire chicken with paper towels. Tuck the tips of the wings under the chicken and place the whole bird on a baking sheet or ovenproof skillet.
  2. Tie the herbs together with some thread and place them inside the bird.
  3. Take a big pinch of salt at a time and begin seasoning the chicken generously. Repeat with several more pinches of salt. Don't worry if you've added too much salt - you'll brush it away later.
  4. Transfer the chicken to the fridge and leave it uncovered overnight. This will allow the salt to absorb the moisture from the chicken's skin and make the resulting roasted chicken extra crunchy. Place plenty of salt under the chicken too.
  5. One hour before roasting, take out the chicken from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature.
  6. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  7. Roast the chicken until golden brown and the food thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh shows 165°F (75°C). This should take around 45-60 minutes.
  8. Remove the chicken from the oven, wiping off any coarse pieces of salt that may be stuck.
Source: Spinachtiger.com
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