Tex-Mex Roast Chicken
Submitted by kathyh
Whole roast chicken soaked in a zesty lime, cumin, and cilantro marinade then basted until golden and juicy. Bold Tex-Mex flavor in every bite.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis bird takes a long, luxurious bath in lime juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and fresh cilantro before it ever sees the inside of the oven.
Marinate it for as little as an hour or let it soak overnight in the fridge for even deeper flavor.
Once it hits the roasting pan, you baste every 20 minutes with those pan juices until the skin is burnished and the meat practically falls off the bone.
The citrus and spice cut through the richness of the dark meat while keeping the breast impossibly juicy. Feeds 6 to 8 and fills the whole house with a smell that’ll have neighbors knocking.
Kitchen Tips
- Pat the chicken completely dry before marinating. Dry skin means crispier skin after roasting.
- Let the chicken come to room temperature for 30 minutes before it goes in the oven for more even cooking.
- Don’t skip the basting. Those pan juices are liquid gold, building layers of flavor on the skin with every pass.
- Save the drippings for rice, beans, or gravy. There’s too much cumin-lime goodness in that pan to waste.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium-size bowl, mix together the lime juice, ½ cup of chicken stock, red wine vinegar, garlic, green onions, chili powder, ground cumin, cumin seeds, cayenne or jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and lime peel.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag and cover with the marinade.
Marinate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Place the marinated chicken together with the marinade in a roasting pan. Add more stock if needed to come 1 inch up the side of the chicken.
Bake, basting every 20 minutes, for 1 to 1¼ hours, or until a meat thermometer registers 180 degrees when inserted into the thigh.
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