EASIEST Baked Whole Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken 5-6 lbs. Free range with no antibiotics, organic is recommended

6 cloves garlic still in the paper

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 lemon, cut into quarters

1/2 c seasoned salt

• 3 T kosher salt

• 1-1/2  t cumin

• 2 t garlic powder

• 1 T chili powder

• 1 T paprika

• 1 t freshly ground black pepper

Tools needed:

Shark knife

Cutting Board

Cast iron pan

Measuring cups and spoons

Mixing bowl

Wire whisk

Oven

Meat thermometer

Paper towels

How to make it:

Pull chicken from refrigerator, let rest on counter for 30-40 minutes to come up to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pull chicken out of packaging, remove innards from cavity. Rinse chicken under cold running water to get rid of packaging juices. Pat dry with paper towels.

Generously season the entire chicken with seasoned salt. Don’t forget the cavity! Place garlic cloves, lemon quarters and thyme in the cavity.

Place chicken in cast iron pan, bake for 90 minutes. Your cooking time may vary as your oven temperature may vary. I recommend checking the temperature of the thickest, deepest part of the breast after 1 hour to gauge where the temperature is and how much longer you will need to go. An internal temperature of 165 is the target temperature for a safely cooked chicken. The thickest part of the thighs are to be checked with the thermometer as well.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove chicken from oven and take out of the pan. Rest on a cutting board for 10- 15 minutes before carving it. This goes great with roasted root vegetables and parsnip puree. Mashed potatoes are also great!

Enjoy!

-Logan