Dry brined roast chicken is roast chicken taken up a notch! Deliciously crispy skin, juicy tender meat, and seasoned simply with salt and pepper, it is roast chicken perfection!
Thoroughly dry chicken inside and out, using paper towels.
Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly all over chicken and inside the cavity.
Place the chicken on a rack in a pan and place in the fridge overnight for 24 hours. Leave chicken uncovered, or cover lightly with plastic wrap, but do not seal.
Remove chicken from fridge about an hour before roasting to bring to room temperature.
Preheat oven 450 deg F (230 C).
In roasting pan, toss together sliced onions, carrots, and unpeeled garlic cloves with olive oil.
Place chicken, breast side up, on bed of vegetables.
Put chicken in the oven and reduce heat immediately to 400 deg F (200 C).
Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes. Check doneness of the chicken at 1 hour. Instant-read thermometer should register at 165 deg F (75C) when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone.
Remove chicken from oven and cover with foil. Let rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.
Serve with the roasted vegetables and use the juices and chicken drippings as gravy.
Notes
Dry brine your chicken for 24 or 48 hours.
Tuck the wing tips back and underneath the wings so that they do not overcook while roasting.
You can tie the drumsticks together before roasting, but it is not necessary.
If vegetables are overcooking or drying out in the roasting pan after an hour, add a small amount of water to the pan.
Dry brining can be done with chicken pieces and not just a whole chicken.
You can also spatchcock a whole chicken and dry brine it for roasting.