Tired of the same ‘ol roast chicken recipe you use all the time when you are serving up chicken for dinner? This is a pretty easy recipe, and it’s an amazing alternative to the old doldrums of repetitive dishes.
We are using a whole chicken for this recipe. You can use parts if you want, bone-in skin on. Follow the instructions for the basic baked chicken for the roasting part, glazing with apricot preserves the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.
When cooking a whole chicken, remember to remove to giblets (liver, gizzards, neck) first. They’re often in a bag in the cavity.
Method
1 Whisk together the cumin, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over the chicken. Loosely cover and let sit at least one hour, or preferably refrigerate overnight. In either case allow chicken to sit at room temperature for at least one hour (preferably two) before cooking.
2 Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast-side up. Rub olive oil all over the chicken. Place in the middle rack of the oven and cook for 50 minutes at 375°F or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reach 165°F.
3 While the chicken is roasting, heat the apricot preserves in a small saucepan or in the microwave until warm and runny.
4 Remove chicken from oven, and baste the exposed surfaces of the chicken all over with the apricot preserves, using a basting brush. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
5 Return the chicken to the oven and cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, basting the chicken again with the glaze halfway through, until the glaze is bubbly and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
