This cast iron roasted chicken recipe is beyond simple. Slather some olive oil all over the chicken, sprinkle Kosher salt and ground pepper liberally all over the bird, toss it in a hot cast iron skillet and toss it in the oven. Dinner practically makes itself!

Gather up your ingredients.

Put a large cast iron pan into the oven, turn on the oven, and heat it to 500 degrees. Let the pan sit in the oven to warm full to 500 degrees, about 30 minutes.

While the oven is heating, coat the entire chicken with olive oil and sprinkle Kosher salt and black pepper all over the bird.

When the cast iron skillet is completely hot, carefully remove it from the oven and add the bird, breast side up. Return the skillet to the oven and cook the chicken for 15 minutes at 500 degrees. The skin should begin to turn a golden color.

After the 15 minutes are up, turn the oven down to 350 degrees and cook the bird until an internal temperature reads 160 degrees, about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the bird.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the hot juices from the skillet.

This chicken is so flavorful, juicy, and delicious. You can use the leftovers to make anything from casseroles to salads. And please don’t discard the carcass! It will make the most beautiful home made chicken stock. If you don’t have time to mess with it right now, just put all the bones in a freezer bag and freeze it until you have time to cook it. My Instant Pot Chicken Stock recipe is super simple and you will thank yourself later!

If you love this Cast Iron Roasted Chicken recipe, you may also like my Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables, Easy Baked Chicken Breast, and Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas.

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