Cranberry Skillet Roast Chicken
A whole chicken roasts breast-up in a cast iron skillet, surrounded by fresh cranberries that burst and turn jammy in the butter and pan drippings.
Cast iron holds heat evenly enough to roast a whole chicken with almost no attention, and it goes straight from the oven to the table. Cranberries scattered around the bird burst as they roast, mixing with the drippings into a tart, glossy sauce without any extra pans. A halved orange and rosemary tucked into the cavity keep the meat fragrant from the inside out.
Ingredients
Method
Tap a number to mark a step donePat the chicken dry, season the cavity with salt and pepper, and stuff it with the orange halves, garlic, and rosemary sprigs.
Rub 2 tablespoons of the softened butter over the skin and season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper.
Set the chicken breast-side up in a large cast iron skillet and roast at 425F for 20 minutes to start browning the skin.
Toss the cranberries with the honey and the remaining butter, then scatter them evenly around the chicken in the skillet.
Lower the oven to 375F and continue roasting for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165F and the cranberries have burst and turned glossy.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes, leaving the cranberries and juices in the skillet.
Set the skillet over medium heat, stir in the chicken stock, and simmer for 2 minutes to loosen the browned bits before spooning the sauce over the carved chicken.
Kitchen note
Use fresh or frozen cranberries rather than dried ones; dried cranberries will not burst or release the juice that makes the pan sauce work.
