Paleo Roast Chicken {Whole30 Roast Chicken}
Learn the secrets to making the perfect Paleo Roast Chicken each and every time. This dry brined chicken is hands down the best chicken you will ever make. Perfect for a Sunday meal or as part of weekly meal prep, you’ll love this juicy and flavorful Whole30 roast chicken.
Gaaaaaaah. This paleo roasted chicken. I’m sorry. Let me collect myself. I need to act like a professional here.
Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It’s so freaking good, you guys. Assuming, of course, you have a thing for perfectly roasted chicken that makes you feel like you’re a complete boss in the kitchen.
Oh, you do? Excellent.
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.
If you have tried to roast 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 Easy Carrot Mash, Air Fryer Asparagus, Blistered Shishito Peppers, or Baked Cauliflower Patties.
For fast sides, check out these Easy Instant Pot Sides and Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes.
What Is Dry Brining?
Dry brining is a super-easy method for ensuring the juiciest chicken/turkey 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.
How long does it take to roast a whole chicken?
Each oven is different, but on average it takes me about 65-85 minutes to roast a chicken in my (very basic, low grade) oven. A roasted chicken is fully cooked when a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.
Do you cover a chicken when roasting in the oven?
For best results (read: crispy, juicy skin!) cook the chicken uncovered in the oven. 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.
Can you roast chicken in a slow cooker?
Absolutely! Follow the dry brine prep steps listed in the recipe card below. Place halved potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and/or other veggies in the base of the slow cooker. Place two tablespoons of butter in the cavity of the chicken. Add 1 cup of stock/water to the slow cooker and place the chicken on top of the veggies.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 degrees. All slow cookers are different so this is a recipe best made the first time when you are home to monitor. Baste occasionally with the juices in the crockpot if you so choose.
You can transfer to a baking sheet and place under the broiler on low for 3-5 minutes (watch closely!) to crisp the skin up.
Can you roast chicken in an Instant Pot?
Yes! But please understand that the Instant Pot does a great job cooking things but a poor job in giving you crispy and brown skin. If you want a whole chicken cooked for soup meat or sandwiches, the Instant Pot is an awesome choice.
For a tender Instant Pot roasted chicken, follow the dry brine prep steps listed in the recipe card below. Set your Instant Pot to Saute and add 1 tsp of butter/ghee/or oil to the pot. Place chicken breast-side down in the pot for 3 minutes. Remove from pot.
Either place the trivet or veggies in the bottom of the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of chicken broth or water to the pot, and the chicken on top of the trivet/veg. Cook for 25 minutes on manual high pressure. Use a natural release (15 ish minutes) instead of a quick release to lock the moisture in the meat.
You can transfer to a baking sheet and place under the broiler on low for 3-5 minutes (watch closely!) to crisp the skin up.
How to Make Paleo Roast Chicken – step by step
- Remove all parts that may be in the cavity of your chicken. Rub the whole chicken down with the 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. I prefer to keep my water running low so as to not splash the raw “chickenness” around my sink. Let sit at room temperature for 50 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place chicken in a dutch oven or roasting pan. Tuck some fresh rosemary around the legs for an extra special flavor. If you have a small rack that fits in your baking pan, rest the chicken on it. If you don’t, you can simply use two rings from mason jars to prop up the neck side of the chicken. The goal is to make sure the heat hits the chicken the same at all points for perfect even roasting. Bake for 35 minutes.
- While the chicken is roasting, mix ghee, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat on low until melted.
- 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. (That’s what she said). For me, it means a total of about 30-40ish minutes after the oven temp has been reduced.
- Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes before carving.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes For Perfect Paleo Roast Chicken
- Feel free to nestle some potatoes, carrot chunks, or other veg 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!
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:
- Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Whole30 Chicken Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Fries
- BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Leftover Turkey, Rice, and Black Bean Bake (sub turkey for chicken obvs)
- Dairy-Free Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- Chicken Gyro Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Chicken Salad With Greek Yogurt and Dill
- Not to mention you’re going to totally crush your homemade chicken bone broth making game!
Other chicken recipes you will love
- One Pan Teriyaki Chicken Dinner
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- 11 Best Whole30 Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Tortilla Soup With Rice
- 21 Easy Whole30 Dinners
Need help getting started with the Whole30? You’ll love my free printable Trader Joe’s Whole30 shopping list and my Whole30 Costco shopping list.
Paleo Roast Chicken WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving of Paleo Roasted Chicken has 3 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Making this recipe or others?
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Learn the secrets to making the perfect Paleo Roast Chicken each and every time. This dry brined chicken is hands down the best Whole30 roast chicken you will ever make.
- 1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp ghee or olive oil or butter
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 sprig fresh thyme optional
- 1 sprig fresh sage optional
-
Remove all parts that may be in the cavity of your chicken. Rub the whole chicken down with the 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 in a dutch oven or roasting pan. Tuck some fresh rosemary around the legs for an extra special flavor. If you have a small rack that fits in your baking pan, rest the chicken on it. If you don't, you can simply use two rings from mason jars to prop up the neck side of the chicken. The goal is to make sure the heat hits the chicken the same at all points for perfect even roasting. Bake for 35 minutes.
-
While the chicken is roasting, mix butter (or ghee), herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat on low until melted.
-
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. For me, it means a total of about 30-40ish minutes after the oven temp has been reduced.
-
Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes before carving.
Need to make more or less of the recipe? Click and slide the "servings" number on the recipe card and the ingredients will adjust as needed. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Feel free to nestle some potatoes, carrot chunks, or other veg in the roasting pan while the chicken is cooking. This makes it an awesome one-pot meal!
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
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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.