To make the CRISPIEST roast chicken ever, all you need is a cast iron skillet, a tablespoon of kosher salt, and a chicken!
I have made this chicken with oven temperatures ranging from 425 to 500F. They all work but for me 475 is the sweet spot. I don’t like to give exact times because every oven is different. A 4 pound chicken takes about an hour. The best way to tell if it’s done is with this check list:
1. Is the skin crispy and golden?
2. Can the leg wiggle a little when moved with your fingers? (A fully cooked chicken’s leg will loosen up on its socket.)
3. If I poke the thigh, do the juices run clear?
4. Does it register 165 in the thigh with a thermometer?
Preheat oven to 475 F with a large cast iron skillet inside.
Let the chicken sit on the counter at room temp if possible to take off some of the chill. This will help the chicken cook more evenly. Pat the chicken dry if needed.
Cover the chicken with a tablespoon of kosher salt. You can use a little less if you’re arching your sodium intake. The easiest way to do this is by putting the chicken in a large mixing bowl and then sprinkling the salt all over and patting it in with your fingers.
Add chicken to hot skillet (no butter or oil needed) and roast for about an hour or until a thermometer reads 165 when inserted into the thigh. You can actually take it out at 160 and it will climb those last five degrees while resting.
If you let it rest in the pan it will makes it’s own pan sauce while it rests. Some birds release more juice than others, so if you find you’re not getting much sauce, add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan and stir it in, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. 
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