I’ve made this rotisserie chicken more times than I can count. Mainly when I entertain friends and family. Of course my menu is primarily plant based but I’ve become more accommodating to the many meat eaters that I am close to. My most recent offering was for friends Alan and Suzy when I visited them for fall break. Like always they raved and raved about this chicken asking me for my secret. My secret to the perfect roasted chicken is not really a secret at all. It all lies in the roasting time. Keep your chicken covered in a roaster for no less than 2.5 hours on 400 degrees. It seems like a long time to roast but trust me you will have a perfectly roasted golden brown bird practically falling off the bone time after time.
Perfect Rotisserie Chicken
1 6 lb roasting chicken
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium size carrots, chopped
1 onion, sliced
6 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup red cooking wine or vinegar
To taste: sea salt, cracked black pepper, onion and garlic powder, minced onion flakes
olive oil spray
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity.
- Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry.
- Liberally spray the outside of the chicken and the cavity with olive oil spray. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with seasonings. Stuff cavity with onions, carrots, celery and 3 tbsp. minced garlic and place chicken inside roasting pan. Rub remaining 3 tbsp. minced onion onto outside of the chicken.
- Then liberally sprinkle the entire outside of the chicken with seasonings. Be sure to coat well with salt and pepper especially. Pour the water and cooking wine into the roasting pan.
- Cover chicken with roasting pan lid and roast fully covered for 2.5 hours untouched. At the end of the 2.5 hours remove chicken and baste with drippings and the liquid at the bottom of the roaster. Add additional water if needed and then continue to roast for 1/2 hour uncovered. Remove chicken and let rest for 15 minutes
- Your chicken will be golden and just about falling off the bone.
- Enjoy with your favorite sides.
