Cook Rotisserie Chicken
A rotisserie chicken is an economical way to have an elegant dinner, or to stretch one meal into many. A beautiful roast chicken complete with roasted vegetables and some jazzed up potatoes on the side is a comforting and healthy meal for any day of the week. While pre-cooked rotisserie chickens are usually available at the grocery store, if you roast your own at home the extra time in front of the oven will allow you to control the quality of the ingredients in your chicken.
To make this recipe you can use an actual rotisserie or the rotisserie attachment on the grill. However, this is not necessary. There are various "roasting" technique that can be applied including oven roasting or even using the crock pot.
Ingredients
To make a basic chicken you will need:
- 1 roasting chicken (about 4 lbs.)
- Olive oil or melted butter
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 clove chopped garlic
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 lemons quartered
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, thoroughly clean the chicken. Discard neck and giblets. Wash the chicken in salt water to remove any impurities and dry well with paper towels If there is visible excess fat, trim it at this time. Loosen skin by inserting fingers and gently pushing between skin and meat to give it some way. Be sure to keep washing your hands through this process. Chicken is a carrier of salmonella which can quickly contaminate.
Brush chicken with olive oil and liberally season with salt, pepper, thyme and paprika, including inside the cavity. Be sure to press the seasonings in and use your fingers to rub it under chicken skin. Place garlic under chicken skin and place 4 lemon wedges and onion inside the cavity. Use string or surgical pins to fasten legs together. This will ensure the ingredients in the cavity stay in place. If you are using a rotisserie, skewer the chicken onto the rod, breast side up and cook in rotisserie until golden brown. If you are using an oven, put the chicken, breast side up, on a rack oiled with olive oil. Tuck remaining lemon wedges around chicken. Place rack in roasting pan. Bake chicken for 60 to 75 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thigh reads 165°F.
Allow chicken to rest for 15 minutes before cutting it to allow juices to flow back into breast meat. Carve chicken and garnish.
As an alternative, after cleaning the chicken, marinate it in an Italian dressing and liberally sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning. Cook it on the grill, a rotisserie or in a roasting pan in the oven. Another option to use is the crock pot. To do this, ball up four pieces of tin foil and place in the bottom of a crock pot. Season the chicken inside and out with the seasonings of your choice. Place chicken on foil and cook on low until done.
For a complete meal, quarter some potatoes, carrots, and celery and place in the roasting pan while the chicken cooks. Make this meal on any day of the week, and it's sure to impress your family or friends.
