Dry Brine Chicken

5 from 9 ratings

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 15

Brine Time12

Total Time13 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dry brine roasted chicken, how to dry brine a chicken

Servings:

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 the chicken 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˚F. 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˚F.
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˚F in the largest 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.

I know 2 tbsp of kosher salt sounds like a lot, but it will all be rinsed off prior to cooking.
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.