Super Easy Roasted Chicken in Salt

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You know the delicious whole roasted chicken you get at the grocery store? The one with the crispy seasoned skin and the juicy, falling off the bone meat?

You know why it comes out this way? I’ll tell you why… Because it is hanging in the air instead of laying in its own juices while it roasts. That’s why.

When you roast a chicken at home, you usually place it in a pan and when the chicken roasts a lot of liquid comes out of it and stays right there around it. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not crispy either.

Even if you place the chicken on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan, the liquid is still there, evaporating and softening the skin.

Super Easy Roasted Chicken in Salt…

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone. #chicken #roastedchicken #easydinners #dinnerrecipes #chickenrecipes

So to get this crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside thingie going at home, we are going to use an ancient Israeli trick that is super easy and quick (I have no clue if it’s really an Israeli trick… I just learned it back home so I’ll give Israel the credit…)

We are going to use salt. Coarse salt, not the fine table salt.

It’s really simple, the salt doesn’t touch the chicken, all it does is absorbs the liquid that comes out of the chicken while it’s roasting, keeping the outside dry so it can crisp while locking the juices inside to make the meat super soft.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

We start with, you guessed it, a whole chicken.

I wash it well…

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Then get rid of this access fat that they leave around the opening of the stomach.

Also, if your whole chicken has that bag with inners in its cavity, remove it (you know… The bag with the liver and heart…).

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Transfer the chicken to a paper towel…

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

And pat it dry.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Then place it on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

In a small bowl, make your seasoning mixture. You can add about two million different things here… Dry oregano, thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne, cumin, chili, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper… Whatever you like.

I kept it simple with a tablespoon of sweet paprika, a tablespoon of garlic powder, little less than a teaspoon of black pepper, and just a little bit of salt since you can always add more later.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Add some olive oil…

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Just enough to turn it into a runny paste.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Then brush the chicken well from all sides with the seasoning mixture.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Now we are getting to the salt part… Along the two short sides of the pan, pile up some salt.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

Don’t be shy here, pile the salt up as high as it will go without touching the chicken.

Do this on both of the short sides of the pan. Lots of coarse salt piled up high without touching the chicken.

That’s all it takes. Now preheat your oven to 400F, and roast the chicken for an hour and a half to two hours uncovered.

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

When you remove the pan from the oven you’ll notice that there is no liquid around the chicken…

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

The salt absorbs all the liquid! Magic, huh?

This is a very simple recipe for Roasted Chicken In salt. The salt doesn’t touch the chicken but instead absorbs the juices while the chicken is roasting leaving the skin crispy and the meat falling off the bone.

The skin of the chicken is crispy while the meat is falling off the bone.

This is such a simple way to roast chicken. It takes minutes to put it together. I usually serve this chicken with rice and a salad and if there are leftovers (usually there aren’t…) I sometimes can the meat

Here is the handy printable…

Super Easy Roasted Chicken in Salt

Super Easy Roasted Chicken in Salt

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, washed and dried
  • 1 tbs sweet paprika
  • 1 tbs garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • Coarse salt

Instructions

1. Pre heat your over to 400F.

2. Place your chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper.

3. In a small bowl, mix all the seasoning, add enough olive oil to turn it into a paste.

4. Brush the chicken with the seasoning mixture.

5. Along the two short sides of the baking pan, pile as much salt as you can without the salt touching the chicken (about an inch high it good).

6. Roast for an hour and a half to two hours.

7. Remove from the oven and enjoy! I usually serve it with rice and a salad.

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5 thoughts on “Super Easy Roasted Chicken in Salt”

  1. Hi Lee,
    I have about an 8 pound chicken to roast this way. Would you suggest I check the temperature after 1.5 hours and if not done just keep it at 400° and continue checking?

    I’m praying for the people of Israel. They are still God’s chosen people.

    1. Yes, cook time can vary depending on the size of the chicken. Just keep cooking until it’s done.
      And thank you for your support. It means the world!

  2. Justin O Connell (Ireland)

    Lee,
    I hope you and family are keeping well in these very sad times in your home Country. I hope that any family you may have there are safe.
    keep strong

    1. Thanks you so much. We were all in shock for about a week. Now trying to get up and do just a little bit each day. The pain is so big! Everyone is as ok as possible at the moment but it will take a while to recover from this. Thanks for your support, and thank you for thinking about us.

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