My Life is a Picnic
A Canadian Celiac Blog
Better than Rotisserie Chicken
Meal preparation doesn't have to be difficult. There are plenty of naturally gluten free options out there. This is one of them. This chicken is tender, and very flavourful. I've used a whole chicken, but feel free to use bone-in breasts or legs. The results will be delicious.
Roasted chicken is such an easy meal to make. Really, you just season your chicken, and roast it for about 2 hours, depending on the size. For a traditional roast chicken, season your chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and a bit of rosemary. If you're feeling a little less traditional, and looking for something special, then try this recipe! For an extra special kick, try smoky sweet paprika instead of regular paprika. I promise, you'll love it!
Better than Rotisserie Chicken
1 roaster or fryer sized chicken.
1/2 TBSP cumin
1 TBSP Paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP olive oil
Remove chicken from packaging, remove any giblets or other items from the cavity, rinse the bird and pat dry with paper towel.
Place chicken on roasting pan (the kind that has the drippings falling away from the food).
Season the chicken with salt. This is important so that your chicken has flavour. No matter what seasonings you add to it, it will taste bland if you don't season it properly). I use a salt grinder and basically cover the entire chicken in a dusting of salt. There isn't enough salt in the spice paste to properly season the chicken.
Make your spice paste in a small bowl, mixing all the spices before adding the olive oil. Spread the paste all over the chicken. Use your hands to make sure that even the underside is covered, as well as the inside and underside of the wings and legs.
Roast the chicken in a 375F oven until juices run clear. I check inside the cavity and make sure that there are no pink juices sitting in there. A general timeline for roasting chicken or turkey is 20 minutes per pound. Sometimes though, the chicken I buy from the store can be a little frozen, so be prepared to add more time as needed. You can also use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. This is the safest method.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and tent with foil, allowing it to sit for 5-10 minutes before carving.
I served this with sautéed green beans, which is one of my favourite side dishes. Roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, a green salad... there are so many options for amazing side dishes this would pair nicely with!