Name: Buttermilk-Brined Roasted Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 quart buttermilk; 2 teaspoons pink Himalayan salt; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon dry rosemary; 1 teaspoon dry sage; 3 bay leaves; 1 5-pound chicken; 1 lemon, cut in half then quartered; 6 sprigs fresh rosemary; small handfull fresh thyme; 1/2 medium onion; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Think a buttermilk brine is just for fried chicken? Allow me to change your mind. A buttermilk brine works wonders for a roasted chicken as well. Buttermilk-Brined Roasted Chicken is so succulent and flavorful that you’re going to kick yourself for not trying it sooner. I know I have the bruise on my shin to prove it!

The recipe for Buttermilk-Brined Roasted chicken was born after watching the docudrama from Netflix, Fat, Salt, Acid, Heat. Yes, I know there’s a book, and it’s on my list of must reads, but time is limited for reading these days. Who am I kidding? It’s almost nonexistent.

Anyway, in the last episode of the series, Samin Nosrat, author of the book and star of the docudrama, made a buttermilk-brined chicken. She didn’t include a full recipe, but I’ve brined chicken plenty of times. I already had a chicken in the freezer, so the very next day, I picked up a quart of buttermilk to try this idea out. You better believe the results were nothing short of amazing.

With all the fragrant seasonings mixed into the brine, you would have thought Thanksgiving dinner was cooking in my oven. Yes, I know, the smells of Thanksgiving make us all drool. However, I kept the sides incredibly simply to let the roasted chicken shine—baked russet for him, purple sweet for me, and a simple salad. Yes, a rustic dinner, if you will.

Whatever you decide to serve with your Buttermilk-Brined Roasted Chicken, I’m confident that you will thoroughly enjoy it. Plus, you will have some fantastic leftovers to use in other recipes.

HOW LONG DO I NEED TO ROAST A WHOLE CHICKEN?

Your cooking times will vary depending on the size of your chicken. My chicken was 5 pounds and took about 80 minutes to reach 165ºF. Also, keep in mind that different ovens will vary in their exact temperatures which also changes your cooking time. The best way to know for sure if you chicken is done is to test with a meat thermometer. You want the internal temperature to reach 165ºF when the thermometer is inserted into the inner thigh without touching the bone. The juices should also run clear.

PREPARE BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROASTED CHICKEN:

Mix the buttermilk and seasonings in a large resealable plastic bag. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken, and rinse the chicken well. (Reserve the neck and giblets for gravy, if desired.) Place the chicken in the bag and rotate to completely cover the chicken with the brine. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, and drain into a colander. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF. While the oven is preheating, chop the lemon and onion. Separate your herbs. Stuff the chicken in layers with the onion, lemon, and herbs. Don’t worry, they’ll all diffuse into the chicken, so this isn’t a precise science. I started with lemon, then onion, and mixed herbs, then repeated the layer.

Once the oven is preheated, place the chicken in the oven with the thighs pointed to the back (*see Recipe Notes). Cook for abut 60 minutes, and check the browning and temperature. At this point, I rotated the chicken so the thighs were toward the front of the oven. This allowed the breast to evenly brown. I also brushed some extra virgin olive oil on the skin at this point, just to help it crisp nicely.

Check the temperature of your chicken again in about 20 minutes. At this point, my chicken had reached 165ºF. If your chicken hasn’t come to temp yet, continue roasting and checking until it does. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.

My Cheesy Cauliflower Bake and Brown Rice Pilaf would pair excellently with Buttermilk-Brined Roasted Chicken.

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RECIPE NOTES:

One tip I learned from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is to place the thighs toward the back of the oven. They take longer to cook, and the back of the oven is hotter. I did have to rotate my chicken after an hour because it wasn’t browning evenly. I simply moved the thighs to the front of the oven so the breast was in the back. (Update: I came across Samin’s recipe for Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken after trying my own method. Check out her instructions, if you like.)
Checkout Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat for yourself.
I love my Cuisinart enameled cast iron roasting pan for dishes like this. It is so easy to clean and distributes heat beautifull.
I always have a few Harbor instant read meat thermometers in the drawer for checking temperatures during cooking. They are inexpensive and easy to use.

PIN BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROASTED CHICKEN FOR LATER:

RECIPES TO USE THAT LEFTOVER ROASTED CHICKEN:

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Gluten-Free Veggie Chicken Pasta

Chicken Cauliflower Casserole