Southwestern Roasted Chicken

This year I'm not doing any St. Patrick's Day recipes, but check out these previous posts: St. Patrick's Day Sugar Cookies, Grasshopper Pie, and Turkey Pastrami Reuben Sandwiches!

I love roasting a whole chicken in the oven. The smell is amazing and, when cooked properly, the chicken is flavorful and juicy. I made Pam's Spicy Roasted Chicken last year for Easter, and it was such a hit that I quickly bookmarked her Southwestern Roasted Chicken as soon as it was posted.

This chicken is fantastic! It's so simple to make and the blend of spices is simply delicious. The leftovers are great for any Mexican dish - think quesadillas, enchiladas, Mexican Pizzas, tostadas, Tortilla Soup, you name it!

Southwestern Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 4 - 5 pound chicken

Onion powder

Chili powder

Sea or Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Oregano

Cumin

Garlic Powder

1/2 sweet yellow onion, quartered

1 lime

6 cloves of garlic

Handful of fresh cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275F.

1. Clean chicken and pat dry. Squeeze half the lime juice on the outside of the bird and the other half inside the cavity. Sprinkle all of the seasonings evenly over the entire bird. Season the back first then flip it over and season the breast side.

2. Place onion and garlic inside the cavity along with the cilantro and used lime halves.

3. Place chicken on a roasting tray in a tinfoil lined baking dish. Place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Roast uncovered for 3 1/2 - 4 hours or until the meat thermometer reads 170 - 180 F (I think USDA says 165 is safe). To baste: begin basting bird after 2 hours and repeat every 1/2 hour after. This will yield a sticky and slightly crispy skin. If you want a crispy skin, don't baste the last hour and turn the heat up to 350F for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

NOTE: I think an oven safe instant-read meat thermometer is critical for perfect baked chicken. These times are just approximate, and ovens vary a lot (at least mine does!) I was short on time when I made this so I turned the heat up to about 375 - 400F and just monitored with my meat thermometer. I made sure that the skin didn't get too brown (if so, just cover with foil). It ended up cooking much faster and was perfectly moist and juicy, thanks to the thermometer!

4. Remove from oven and let the bird rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Source: Adapted from For the Love of Cooking