8 Expert Recipes for Crispy Roast Chicken

Serious Eats has compiled eight expert-backed roast chicken recipes designed to deliver perfectly crispy skin and juicy meat. The collection includes methods like spatchcocking, pan-roasting, and using a brick for pressure, alongside flavor variations from Italy, Spain, and Provence.

Each recipe focuses on a specific technique or flavor profile to transform a whole chicken. The goal is consistent: a deeply browned, crisp exterior and tender, moist interior.

Perfect Roast Chicken

Daniel Gritzer's method is described as producing a cover-worthy bird. The essential steps involve a dry brine for deep seasoning, resulting in skin that is perfectly brown and crisp all over. The meat is promised to be juicy and tender.

Pan-Roasted Chicken With Vegetables

This is a one-pan recipe that leverages cast iron's heat properties. The pan's retention and conductivity are said to produce a deep brown sear for evenly cooked, moist chicken. A Dijon jus, built from chicken drippings and fond, is rounded out with lemon and Dijon mustard for an umami-rich flavor.

Spatchcocked Roast Chicken

Butterflying a chicken by removing its backbone allows for quicker, more even cooking. This spatchcocked method is done under high heat with no need for brining or basting. A savory jus can be made from the discarded backbone.

Chicken With Fregola and Squash Salad

This recipe builds on a spatchcocked roast chicken and a quick jus. It is combined with roasted butternut squash and a toasted Sardinian pasta called fregola, brightened with lemon zest, to create a comforting fall supper.

Pollo al Mattone (Under a Brick)

For an even faster and crispier spatchcocked chicken, this Italian method sandwiches the bird between two hot, heavy surfaces. While traditionally under a brick, comparable weights like a barbell plate, dumbbells, or a cast iron skillet weighed down with cans can be used.

**Lavender, Lemon, and Honey Chicken**

This recipe aims for a Provençal flavor. A spatchcocked chicken, generously salted and peppered, is rubbed with a compound butter infused with lavender blossoms, thyme leaves, lemon, honey, and olive oil before high-heat roasting.

**Easy Roast Chicken With Asparagus and Leeks**

Praised for its efficiency, this recipe uses every part of the chicken. The backbone is used to make a jus for braising leeks, while the rendered chicken fat is used to roast asparagus.

**Spanish Roast Chicken With Romesco**

This variation features a chicken slathered with a spicy, citrusy pimentón rub. It is served with quickly grilled scallions and a tangy romesco sauce, which can be prepared a day in advance.