This is our go-to roast chicken recipe. It’s one of my favourite recipes, and I use it again and again because it always turns out great without too much effort. Pretty much fool proof.
It’s a combination of Mexican flavours, but also Smokey Bbq.
The spice mix is easy to make with ingredients you probably already have in your spice cabinet and it’s great on all sorts of things like burgers, chicken tenders fried up in a pan or even just oven-fries.
The Chicken gets a beautiful deep golden crust, the flavor is smokey, spicy, salty and sweet all at the same time.

Cooking time : 2 1/2 hrs.

Prep time : 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

SPICE RUB:

• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
• ½ teaspoons crushed dried chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ tsp. Onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

CHICKEN:

• 3 pound chicken
• 2 heads of garlic separated into cloves
• Thyme, rosemary, bay leaf

ADDITIONAL:

• Potatoes, peeled and quartered

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F
Wash the chicken with cold water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Sit on a board.
In a bowl mix the ingredients for the spice rub and add the oil to form a thick-ish paste.
Hold the chicken with one hand and with the other loosen the skin by inserting a finger between the skin and the breast forming a pocket. You can also do this by using the back of a wooden spoon. But be gentle as not to break the skin.
Put a few teaspoons of the past under the skin and spread out, repeat with the other breast.
Rub the remaining paste all over the chicken and inside the cavity.
Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
In the cavity insert the herbs and one head of garlic separated into cloves.
Place the chicken in a roasting tin that has been lined with baking paper (easier to wash up) .
Cover (only the chicken and not the entire tin) very loosely with a piece of tin foil that is the same size as the chicken.
Place in the middle of the oven and bake for two and a half hours. Basting twice during cooking, by pouring the juices from the baking tray over the chicken.
After one hour add the potatoes and toss thru the juices and fat in the tin.
After an hour and a half, remove the tin foil.
Bake until golden and crispy.
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes, loosely covered with foil.

Enjoy!

Myra XO