Learn the secrets to making the perfect Dry Brine Chicken each and every time. This is hands down the best roasted chicken you will ever make.
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If you have tried to roast a chicken before and were disappointed with the results, this is the recipe for you. You’re going to freaking rock this chicken.
Bawk, Rockin’, Meats <—- little known Chemical Brothers song.
And since you can’t just serve roasted chicken by itself, go ahead and whip up a batch of Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto, Sage Sausage Stuffing, Air Fryer Asparagus, or Air Fryer Butternut Squash.
Looking for a smaller version of this recipe that doesn’t require an oven? Check out our Air Fryer Cornish Hen recipe.
What Is Dry Brine Chicken?
Dry brining is a super-easy method for ensuring the juiciest chicken ever. You use salt to draw out the moisture in the meat. At first glance, that seems like a guaranteed way to serve dry chicken, but stay with me here!
You allow the salt to sit on the chicken for at least 12 hours. It initially will pull the moisture up to the surface of the chicken…but then something magical happens.
That moisture then mixes with the salt and goes back down into the meat. You’re essentially marinating this bird in a continuous cycle of awesome food science.
Can you dry brine chicken too long?
Yes. Too much of a good thing isn’t always better. I recommend a minimum of 12 hours for dry brining chicken and a maximum of 2 days.
How to Dry Brine a Whole Chicken
I’ll walk you through it with some tips and tricks and photos, and you’ll find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements and cooking times.
Take the whole chicken and remove any parts that come in the cavity. Rub the entire chicken down with kosher salt, making sure you get all the nooks and crannies. Try to get some salt between the skin and breasts at the neck.
Place your chicken in a large bowl or a roasting pan and tent it with foil. You want the foil to keep the raw chicken from touching anything in your fridge, while still making sure there is good airflow around the chicken. Put the chicken in the fridge for 12-48 hours.
One hour prior to cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge and carefully rinse all the salt from the body. Let sit at room temperature for 50 minutes.
Arrange the chicken on a rack in your roasting pan of choice (I use my larger Dutch oven) and add whatever herbs, veggies, extras you love with your roast chicken (I have some suggestions in the printable recipe card below).
Bake that beautiful bird for 35 minutes at 425F, and then reduce the oven to 350F. Continue to cook the chicken until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees in the fattest part of the thigh keeping the tip off of the bone (~30-45 more minutes).
What to Do With Leftover Chicken
If you want to be a total meal prep boss, cook two chickens at once. Not only will it give you extra food for the main meal, but you’ll have loads of extra cooked chicken for other recipes like:
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Whole30 Chicken Salad
- Chicken Pasta Broccoli Bake
- Leftover Turkey, Rice, and Black Bean Bake (sub turkey for chicken obvs)
- Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Puff Pastry Turkey Pot Pie (chicken for turkey again here)
- Healthy Chicken Salad
- Not to mention you’re going to totally crush your homemade chicken bone broth making game! Want to make it shelf stable? Check out this post on How to Can Chicken Broth.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes For Perfect Roast Chicken
- This recipe is based on the Very Classic Dry Brine Roast Turkey recipe from Bon Appetit which makes the best turkey you have ever truly had. I’ve adapted it to our tastes and for making a much smaller bird.
- Feel free to nestle some potatoes, carrot chunks, or other veggies in the roasting pan while the chicken is cooking. This makes it an awesome one-pot meal! Even better, add some pressure cooker caramelized onions for amazing flavor.
- I know 2 tbsp of kosher salt sounds like a lot, but it will all be rinsed off prior to cooking.
- This recipe calls for fresh rosemary. If you have leftovers, check out my tutorial on How to Dry Rosemary.
- Top each serving with these Fried Shallots for a next-level flavor.
Dry Brined Chicken WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 3 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Dry Brine Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken {4-5 lbs}
- 2 tbsp kosher salt {I use Diamond}
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic {chopped}
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 sprig fresh thyme {optional}
- 1 sprig fresh sage {optional}
Equipment
Instructions
- Remove all parts that may be in the cavity of your chicken.1 whole chicken
- Rub the whole chicken down with the kosher salt.2 tbsp kosher salt
- Place in a bowl or roasting pan and loosely tent with foil. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours, or up to two days.
- One hour prior to cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge and carefully rinse all the salt from the body. Let sit at room temperature for 50 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place rack in lower third of the oven.
- Place chicken on a baking rack in a dutch oven or roasting pan. Tuck some fresh rosemary around the legs.2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- While the chicken is roasting, mix butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat on low until melted.2 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh sage
- After 35 minutes, reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.
- Pour the butter and herb mixture over the chicken and place back in the oven. Baste in 10 minutes.
- Continue to cook the chicken until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees in the fattest part of the thigh keeping the tip off of the bone (~30-45 more minutes).
- Allow the chicken to rest on the counter 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Feel free to nestle some potatoes, carrot chunks, or other veg in the roasting pan while the chicken is cooking.
- If your oven tends to run hot and the top of the chicken is getting too crispy, loosely tent a piece of foil over the top in the final stages of cooking.
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This sounds awesome. Nothing more disappointing than going to all the trouble of making a whole bird and having it taste bland. Couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. One question please, do you salt the inside of the cavity when you brine or just rub salt all over the outside? Again, thx for the post
Just the outside! 🙂
I am new to your site and I LOVE it! Your recipes are great. Your writing is witty and even makes me laugh out loud. And here’s a secret – I rarely “jump to recipe” and haven’t even considered unsubscribing. Keep ‘em coming, you make Whole30 so easy to keep up with!
Aww, thanks, Debra! I make sure the recipes don’t have “fluff” in there. Just the facts and tips and tricks. But it doesn’t mean they have to be boring. 😉
I made this chicken for dinner tonight..it’s soooo good!
So glad you enjoyed it, Marcia! And hopefully the stock you make from it will be delicious as well.