• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
DadCooksDinner
  • Home
  • Rotisserie
  • Recipes
  • Tools
  • Books
  • Merch
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Merch
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Books
    • Tools
    • Merch
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cast Iron

    Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken

    Published: Dec 16, 2013 · Modified: Jan 24, 2018 by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken
    Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken

    Judy Rodgers had the courage of her convictions and the guts to keep things simple.
    David Tanis

    This post is in remembrance of Judy Rodgers, who passed away earlier this month. Judy is a huge influence on my cooking; The Zuni Cafe Cookbook is one of my go-to reference books, and the meals I ate at the Zuni Cafe still linger in my memory.
    My first meal at Zuni - roast chicken with bread salad - is still my favorite restaurant meal ever. Perfect roast chicken is simple, but not easy, and that was perfect roast chicken.

    Judy introduced me to early salting. I call it dry brining, even if it isn’t a brine, and I use it everywhere. There’s nothing better than a simple roast chicken, salted the night before cooking, roasted hot and fast.

    Now, I’m not following Judy’s exact recipe here; I don’t have Zuni’s super-hot brick oven. Instead of roasting the whole chicken, I’m butterflying it, browning it in a heavy, cast iron pan to crisp up the skin, then sliding that pan into the oven to finish roasting. Simple, delicious. Maybe not the perfection of a Zuni roast chicken, but the perfect meal for a cold night, and a fond farewell.

    Recipe: Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken

    Inspired By: Judy Rodgers, Zuni Cafe Cookbook

    Equipment

    • Large cast iron skillet (or a heavy, oven safe frypan)
    • Poultry shears
    • Probe thermometer (optional, but makes it easy to tell when the chicken is done)
    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken


    ★★★★★

    5 from 9 reviews

    • Author: Mike Vrobel
    • Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken recipe - the best way to roast a chicken in the oven.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 4-pound chicken
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

    Instructions

    1. Butterfly and dry brine the chicken: Butterfly the chicken: cut out the backbone, then flatten the breastbone by pressing down hard with the back of your hand. Fold the wing tips back under the wing. Mix the salt, paprika, and pepper, then sprinkle evenly over the chicken, concentrating a little extra on the breasts and thighs. Put the chicken on a rack over a baking sheet, and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours - overnight is best.
    2. Sear the chicken: Heat the oven to 400°F. Heat the cast iron pan over medium heat until hot, about five minutes, then add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan. Lay the chicken in the pan skin side down and let it sear for four minutes, or until the skin is crisp and brown. Gently flip the chicken skin side up - the skin should release from the pan if it is browned properly; if it sticks in spots, use a metal spatula to gently scrape it loose from the pan.
    3. Roast the chicken: Slide the pan into the oven. (If you have one, insert a probe thermometer into the deepest part of the breast.) Roast the chicken until it reaches 160°F to 165°F in the breast, and 170°F or higher in the joint between the thigh and the drumstick, about 40 minutes.
    4. Rest, carve and serve: Remove the pan from the oven, and lift the chicken onto a carving board. (Again, slide a metal spatula under the chicken to scrape loose any places it sticks to the pan.) Pour the juices from the pan into a gravy separator. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes, then carve and transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Add the juices from the carving board to the gravy separator, then pass the defatted juices at the table.

    Notes

    For more butterflying details, see my How to Butterfly A Chicken Video.

    • Prep Time: 4 hours
    • Cook Time: 45 minutes
    • Category: Main
    • Cuisine: American

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @DadCooksDinner on Instagram and hashtag it #DadCooksDinner

    Butterflied chicken
    Butterflied chicken

     

    Searing the chicken
    Searing the chicken

     

    Ready for the oven
    Ready for the oven

     

    Roasted, ready to serve
    Roasted, ready to serve

     

    Ready, set...
    Ready, set...

     

    ...carve!
    ...carve!

    Notes

    • The roasting juices are perfect drizzled over quick baked potatoes.
    • This chicken was larger than I expected - about five pounds - and it was crowding the pan. A smaller, four pound chicken will fit better.

    What do you think?

    Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

    Related Posts

    Quick Baked Potatoes
    Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Dry Brine
    Baked Chicken Thighs with Mustard and Herbs

    *Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner using the RSS or Email options on the right, recommend DadCooksDinner to your friends, buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site, or donate through my tip jar. Thank you.

    More Cast Iron

    • Cast Iron Duck Tacos with Chipotle Salsa
      Cast Iron Duck Breast Tacos with Chipotle Salsa
    • Cast Iron Roasted Cauliflower
      Cast Iron Roasted Cauliflower
    • Cast iron needs to be used
      Cast Iron Needs To Be Used
    • Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Honey

    Sharing is caring!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sheldon says

      January 15, 2023 at 3:59 pm

      This has been my go to cooking instructions for a cast iron butterflied chicken for a couple of years now (just getting around to rating). Consistently crispy juicy and quick cooking chicken method.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        January 15, 2023 at 4:59 pm

        Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy it!

        Reply
    2. John Baratta says

      August 04, 2022 at 9:35 am

      I've done this a few times now. Both in the oven and out on my charcoal grill/smoker. Both times it came out perfect with the meat sliding off the bone and man so juicy. The important step is to do the rub and let it sit in the fridge. I like to prep it in the morning before work and then start it right after I wrap up work so it's had a solid 8 hours to sit in the fridge with the salt, pepper and paprika on the skin. Also, I've used spatchcock/butterfly chicken from Wholefoods both times that I've had in my freezer chest.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        August 04, 2022 at 9:52 am

        I’m glad it works so well for you!

        Reply
    3. Sophia says

      June 12, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      Perfect!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. JB says

      April 29, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      Hard to believe that something so simple tastes so good. Best roast chicken ever!!

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        April 30, 2020 at 7:39 am

        Glad it worked for you!

        Reply
    5. Sammy says

      November 29, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      Fabulous! I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving. There are only two of us and we prefer chicken over turkey. I only used Kosher salt rub and left it uncovered in the fridge 24 hours. Our 4.75 pound chicken cooked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes and was perfectly done. (Instant read thermometer) I usually use our smoker at 425 degrees for Spatchcock chicken, but due to rain I used this recipe. Big bonus is that I got yummy juices for gravy. By the way, Whole Foods will happily butterfly your chicken, giving you the back for stock.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Mary Juson says

      September 05, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      This will be the second time I’m making this chicken! We liked it so much the first time, we decided it will be a regular dish we have often. It’s so easy to dry brine and comes out so flavorful!! I was searching for a whole chicken recipe that I can use in my braiser and this recipe is perfect!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Eugenia says

      March 11, 2019 at 9:03 pm

      So easy. So good!!! Thank you

      Reply
    8. Aaron Friedman says

      February 28, 2019 at 9:26 am

      I used a wet brine because I didn't have time to let it sit overnight. It came out great. Thank you.

      Reply
    9. Marie Nixon says

      November 25, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      My first attempt at spatchcocking a chicken. It is really easy. This recipe turned out great. The smallest chicken I could find was 6 lbs. so I made 1 1/2 times the rub. I followed all of the other recipe instructions. My oven has the convection roast feature so I used it. I was rewarded with a beautiful and moist roasted chicken. Delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Lindsay Manzella says

      February 04, 2018 at 6:33 am

      Best roasted chicken I've ever made. Thanks for the recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    11. Erka says

      September 05, 2017 at 11:33 am

      My chicken was a little large, but it still turned out SOOOO GOOOD! super juicy and delicious. Definitely my new go to for chicken.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. erika says

      March 25, 2017 at 9:01 pm

      Made this tonight. Super easy and faster than traditional roasting. Love the crispy skin. Will add this to the rotation with different seasonings. Thanks!

      Reply
    13. Amy says

      March 10, 2017 at 8:33 pm

      I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful! My family raved over it! Will make this as a regular meal. Thank-you for the recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    14. Terry Howard says

      February 12, 2017 at 3:11 pm

      I love cooking in a cast iron skillet and I love that this recipe took a shorter time than the rotisserie chicken. Of course, I did NOT marinade it for an hour and it was just delicious.

      Reply

    Questions? Made the Recipe? Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Dad Cooks Dinner! I'm Mike Vrobel, a dad who cooks dinner every night. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, and I write about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, and other food topics that grab my attention.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Three bowls of cooked Pinto Beans on a wood table
      Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soaking)
    • Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
    • Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
      Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
    • Pressure Cooker Brown Jasmine Rice

    Recent

    • Mexican Brown Rice in a bowl
      Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
    • A plate of brisket slices with a pickle, onion, and bbq sauce
      Instant Pot Beef Brisket
    • Two jars of chicken broth on a wood table in front of an Instant Pot
      Instant Pot Chicken Broth
    • A bowl of Instant Pot Pastalaya with hot sauces and spices
      Instant Pot Pastalaya (One-Pot Cajun Pasta Jambalaya)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Dad Cooks Dinner

    1.5K shares
    • 113