Best 2-Ingredient Roast-Chicken Recipe Everyone Should Know, From Chef

I’ve tested many recipes over my 15-plus years as a chef and cooking instructor — but in the winter, I still find myself coming back to this one for juicy roast chicken.

When the days get shorter, dinner should get cozier — and nothing gets those taste buds going like a comforting chicken dinner.

I know many home cooks feel intimidated by the prospect of making a whole chicken, but it’s easier than you may think.

Here’s everything you need to know about roasting a chicken, plus how to prepare my easy recipe.

The secret to a moist, well-seasoned chicken is brine

A properly roasted chicken is a showstopper with browned, crispy skin and the most tender, juicy meat.

To get that crispy skin, you either need a little extra cooking time or higher heat. However, doing either of those things can put you at risk of drying out your meat or unevenly cooking the bird.

Luckily, one super simple technique changes everything: brining. To make a delicious whole chicken, all you have to do is marinate the meat in a salt solution for about 24 hours.

The salt draws out liquids in the meat, and then, by osmosis, the liquid is reabsorbed, giving you a perfectly seasoned chicken that doesn’t lose moisture in the oven.

I’ve found that using a dry-brining technique, made famous by Zuni Café in San Francisco, makes the process even easier. Generously salt the bird all over, and let it rest in a cast-iron pan or a heat-safe Dutch oven in the fridge overnight.

The next day, pull the chicken out, heat your oven, and you’re essentially ready to go.

My recipe may require a little prep work, but the juicy results are worth it

Ingredients:

• 3- to 6-pound whole roasting chicken
• A generous amount of kosher salt 

Instructions:

1. Remove the neck and gizzards from inside the chicken. (You can also reserve them for another use or recipe.)
2. To dry-brine the chicken, add a layer of salt to the bottom of a Dutch oven. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry before placing it on top of the salt. Generously sprinkle salt over the bird until it’s entirely covered. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours (or up to 48 hours for larger birds).
3. Turn the chicken over at some point during the brining process to ensure an even distribution of salt. Don’t worry about getting the salt in the cavity or under the skin.
4. The following day, preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan, rinse off any excess salt, and wrap it in paper towels to dry.
6. Rinse out the Dutch oven with warm water to remove the salt and the chill from the fridge. Place the pan in the oven to preheat for 20 to 30 minutes. When the pan is heated, remove it with oven-safe mitts.
7. Using a strong pair of tongs, lift the bird from the cavity and put it breast-side down in the hot pan — it should sizzle. Cover and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
8. When the 30-minute timer goes off, flip the bird using tongs so the breast meat faces up. Leave uncovered and cook for another 15 to 25 minutes until the juice runs clear when pierced with a sharp knife.
9. Let rest 10 minutes, slice, and enjoy.

This story was originally published on December 31, 2021, and most recently updated on January 22, 2026.