Whole Chicken Dinner
Always wanted to cook a whole bird? Now’s your chance- it’s easier than you think!
We’re lucky to have a backyard BBQ at our Harlem brownstone, but don’t worry, this can also be done in a conventional oven.
Find a chicken at your grocery store that looks good to you and grab a generous helping of your favorite produce to serve with it.
You want to rub down the bird with olive oil and your favorite spices. Don’t forget to get oil and spice rub inside the cavity as well. Be generous with salt and pepper. We used a mixture of garlic, cumin, ground pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, smoked salt and brown sugar.
Suggestions of veggies that will roast well with the chicken are:
small potatoes
bell peppers
brussel sprouts
carrots
sliced onion
zucchini
cauliflower
If you’re doing this in the oven, set the bird in the center of a large pan surrounded by the veggies and roast at 375 degrees. If your bird is 3 pounds or less, cook for about 1 hour. If your bird is 3-4 pounds, cook for 1.5 hours. Be sure to add salt, pepper and garlic to the veggies.
We set our chicken on indirect heat in the charcoal grill and let it do its thing for about 3 hours. Periodically, we checked in and fed the smoker some of our favorite red oak chips to get that delicious smoky flavor.
Another tip is to brush the chicken with a sauce to moisten the skin every 30 minutes or so- that’ll help create that delicious crunchy layer. Use your favorite store bought BBQ sauce or make your own. To make a delicious homemade sauce combine apple cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, hot sauce and red crushed pepper seeds. And be sure to save some sauce for serving!