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Photograph of Skillet Roast Chicken - Core Recipe

Skillet Roast Chicken - Core Recipe

Cooking chicken in a skillet is one of my favourite ways to roast a whole chicken. You can either simply roast the chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper, to create the perfect golden brown, crispy skin or you can slash the chicken skin and rub on a marinade before cooking, introducing a range of different flavours and serving options.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Supper
Keyword chicken, roast chicken, skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 medium chicken, (roughly 1.4 - 1.5kg)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Or:

  • 1 medium chicken, (roughly 1.4 - 1.5kg)
  • 5 - 6 tablespoons marinade

Instructions

Chicken with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper:

  1. Take the chicken out of the fridge roughly 30 – 45 minutes before you want to cook it – it is always best to start cooking chicken when it is at room temperature rather than straight from the fridge. 

  2. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  3. Preheat oven to Fan Oven 200°C /220°C/425°F/Gas 7

  4. Cook the chicken: rub the oil over the chicken with your hands and season generously with salt and pepper.

  5. The chicken will take around 1 hour and 15 - 25 minutes.

  6. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before you carve and serve. If you want crispy skin, do not cover with foil or the chicken will sweat and the skin will lose its crispiness. It will still be quite warm so don't worry about not covering.

Marinated Roast Chicken:

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Make the marinade: as descried in whichever recipe you chose. 

  3. Marinate the chicken: make slashes over the surface of the chicken, through the skin and into the flesh. Brush over ½ of the marinade, on all sides of the chicken, making sure you brush it into the cuts and joints. Reserve the remaining marinade.

  4. Leave to marinate and come to room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes. Alternatively marinate for up to 24 hours, covered and in the fridge.

  5. Calculate how long your chicken will take to cook. If the chicken is in the fridge, take the chicken out of the fridge roughly 30 minutes before you want to cook it –  it is always best to start cooking chicken when it is at room temperature rather than straight from the fridge. 

  6. Preheat oven to Fan Oven 200°C /220°C/425°F/Gas 7

  7. Cook the chicken: cover the chicken with foil, put into the oven and set the timer to ring roughly 30 minutes (depending on recipe) before the chicken should be cooked.

  8. Take the chicken out of the oven, remove the foil and brush with the remaining marinade. Return the chicken to the oven with no cover for the remaining 30 minutes

  9. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before you carve and serve. The chicken should look slightly charred in just a few places which will give it a barbecued flavour. If you want crispy skin, do not cover with foil or the chicken will sweat and the skin will lose its crispiness. It will still be quite warm so don't worry about not covering.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • cast iron skillet or roasting tin if you do not have a skillet
  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • chopping board and knife
  • pastry brush