What’s Cooking in Kelli’s Kitchen - Roasted Chicken

Warmer temperatures are upon us–at the very least, they are right around the corner. So before officially declaring it “no cook/cook outside” season, take one last opportunity to roast some chicken in your oven. Here are a few roasted chicken recipes to ensure that your final indoor chicken for the season is exceptional.

Roasted Orange Chicken - adapted from Genevieve Ko

Ingredients:

• 5 tangerines, mandarins, or clementines
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ c soy sauce
• 1 ½ t rice vinegar
• 1 t ground cayenne or other red ground chile
• 2-3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or leg quarters)
• Salt & black pepper
• 1 ea 2” chunk of ginger, sliced into thin slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Squeeze juice from 2 tangerines into small bowl. Cut remaining tangerines into wedges with peels intact and set aside. Add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and cayenne to the juice and whisk until the sugar dissolves.
3. Generously season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in a roasting pan on top of sliced ginger. Scatter tangerine wedges around chicken.
4. Slowly pour juice mixture all over chicken, roast, uncovered for 30 minutes.
5. Quickly coat the chicken with the pan sauce using a large spoon or baster. Continue roasting, basting every 5-10 minutes until chicken is browned and cooked through (20-30 minutes). An instant-read thermometer inserted next to the bone should read 160°. Chicken will continue to cook while it rests.
6. If the pan sauce isn't syrupy, cook over medium-high heat in a skillet on the stovetop (about 5 minutes).  Discard the ginger.
7. Serve the chicken over rice with the glaze poured all over the meat. Round out this dish with sauteed baby bok choy or roasted broccoli.

Yogurt-Marinated Roast Chicken - adapted from Ali Slagle

Ingredients:

• ½ c plain full-fat yogurt
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1T minced ginger
• 1 t chile powder
• 1 t cumin
• 2 t kosher salt
• 3 ½-4 lb bone-in skin-on chicken pieces

Ingredients:

1. In a large bowl or ziplock bag, stir together yogurt, salt, ginger, garlic, and dry spices.  Pat the chicken dry, add to the yogurt mixture, and coat every nook and cranny. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 425°. Line a sheet pan with parchment or aluminum foil. Scrape off excess yogurt, then transfer chicken to the sheet pan, skin side up. Roast until browned and cooked through (35-40 minutes), until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 155° in the breast and 165° in dark meat.

Sweet Tea-Brined Roast Chicken - adapted from Millie Peartree

• Ingredients:
• 2 qts sweet tea
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ c Cajun Seasoning
• 6 chicken leg quarters or about 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on dark meat chicken
• Canola oil
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot or bowl, combine sweet tea, lemon juice, and Cajun seasoning; whisk to dissolve. Submerge the chicken in the brine, cover, refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 425°. Grease rimmed baking sheet with oil (or nonstick cooking spray).  Remove chicken from brine, pat dry.
3. Place chicken skin-side up on baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast until the chicken is cooked to 165°.
4. Tandoori Chicken - adapted from Farideh Sadeghin

Ingredients:

• 4 ea bone-in skin-on chicken leg quarters
• Salt
• 2 ea lemons, juiced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 2” piece of ginger, peeled
• 1 c plain yogurt
• 1 T sweet paprika
• 1 t Kashmiri chile powder
• 1 t garam masala
• 1 t ground cumin
• ½ t ground cardamom
• 2 T ghee or butter, melted
• Lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

1. Using knife, make 3-4 small incisions in each piece of chicken, about ½” deep. Place the chicken in a bowl and rub all over with 1-2 t salt. Add lemon juice, coating chicken and let sit for 20 minutes.
2. In a food processor, puree the garlic and ginger with 3 T water until a paste forms. Combine with yogurt, paprika, chile powder, garam masala, cumin, and cardamom. Mix to combine, then pour over the chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Set the oven to broil. Line a sheet tray with foil and fit it with a rack. Remove chicken from marinade, place on rack, and brush with melted butter or ghee. Put tray under the broiler and cook chicken for 25-35 minutes, flipping meat halfway through, until lightly charred and a thermometer in the thickest part of the meat registers 165°.