ROASTED CHICKEN

Do you remember Boston Market? Their chicken was in our weekly rotation, so I developed a recipe to replace it. You’ll just need an oval dutch oven like the one linked below. The chicken self-bastes, which gives you the most juicy and flavorful chicken. So simple that you’ll think you missed a step – ENJOY!

Yields 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs.)
2 small lemons
Seasoning of your choice (we use Beer Can Chicken seasoning)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray to keep the chicken from sticking to the sides or the bottom. (This will be important later on.)
Rinse your chicken off and pat dry.
Sprinkle a generous amount of seasoning all over the chicken and in the cavity. Press seasoning into the chicken with your fingers.
Soften each lemon by rolling on the counter while pressing with the palm of your hand. Use a fork to puncture them all around (about 20 holes is sufficient). Place both lemons in the chicken’s cavity.
Using butcher string, tie the legs of the chicken together.
Place chicken in the roasting pan BREAST SIDE DOWN. Put the LID ON and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take pan of the oven out and set the lid aside. Use big tongs to carefully flip the chicken over. Put the LID ON and bake for an additional 35 minutes.
After 35 minutes, take the LID OFF of the pan. (This will crisp up the skin.)
Turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. (Depending on the size it should take 20-25 minutes total cooking time for each pound.)
Remove pan from oven and use tongs to remove chicken. Carefully, remove the butcher string and lemons (they will be smoking hot!). Carve and enjoy!