Sweet & Sassy Roasted Chicken

A whole chicken is typically the cheapest meat that you can buy, period. I also believe it is the easiest to cook. I'm not sure where the intimidation factor comes in. If you're like most people I know, you won't touch a whole bird, and wouldn't know where to start on breaking it down either. So, you pay 2 to 3 times the price per pound for those neatly packaged cuts, in the name of easy or quick. Well, maybe I can change your mind with this recipe. It takes less than 5 minutes to prep, and the oven does all of the cooking. You could even toss a few sweet potatoes in the oven to cook at the same time! It is easy enough, I could confidently leave it in the hands of my husband, and return home to a tender, juicy, tasty, fully cooked masterpiece! Don't believe me? Try it for yourself.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp ground thyme

2 tsp white pepper

2 tsp black pepper

1 cup of your favorite honey BBQ sauce

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix dry spices and seasonings together. Rub down both sides of the chicken. Place chicken in a roasting pan breast side up. 

Roast chicken at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and cover with BBQ sauce. Return chicken to the oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees. 

Roast chicken for an additional 30-45 minutes. Internal temp should reach 180 degrees, and the thighs should run clear when pricked.

(Depending on the temperature of your bird going into the oven, it may take longer to cook. If your chicken is partially frozen, expect the total cooking time to be 1.5-2 hours)

Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. The meat should fall right off the bone.

Enjoy!