Roasted Sticky Chicken

I've realized that I need to start taking this blog back to its origins instead of only talking about soap products. At some point, my soapy stuff will take on a life and blog/website of its own, so I need to steer this boat back into familiar territory - FOOD!

Sticky Chicken...just as delicious as it looks

Today, I am bringing you Roasted Sticky Chicken. I don't know exactly why it's called "sticky" when there aren't any ingredients that would cause it to be sticky, nor is it actually sticky IMO. I can tell you that I've been making this chicken for over 10 years, and I am always amazed at how good and simple it is to make.

Also, I can tell you it is simply delicious and worth the amount of time it takes to make it. This is a set-it-and-forget-it type of recipe and it's the perfect thing to make on a cold fall or winter Saturday when you are tucked inside the house doing other things. 

It requires 5 hours of sloooooow and looooow roasting. Yes, that is correct...5 HOURS to roast. You would think roasting a chicken for 5 hours would dry it out to the consistency of shoe leather, but no, these birds are incredibly moist and fall-off-the-bone tender. 

Amazing Sticky Chicken

In fact, since it takes so long to make and it's worth it, I usually roast more than 1, 2, or even 3 birds at a time and freeze the rest. The meat freezes WONDERFULLY and does not dry out. That makes it perfect for future chicken salads, casseroles, soups, or simply served with gravy and mashed potatoes. YUM! 

Roasted Sticky Chicken
Recipe source: Sharon Worster, Personal Chef's Network

3 lb. whole chicken
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large onion, quartered

Note: To roast more than 1 bird at a time (highly recommended), double or triple the seasoning amounts.

Combine all spices in a bowl. Rub mixture into the chicken WELL, inside and out; patting into the skin. Place chicken in a large Ziplock bag or large enough container, and refrigerate overnight. If you don't have time for this (I rarely remember to do this), it will still be delicious!

Preheat oven to 250°. Place quartered onion inside the chicken cavity and truss the legs closed. Tuck the wings under the bird. Place in a roasting pan and slow roast, uncovered, for 5 hours. Baste often with pan juices. The chicken will turn a delicious, golden brown. 

To freeze leftover chicken, pull meat off the chicken carcass and freeze in a Ziplock freezer bag. I often vacuum seal as well.

Homemade Chicken Stock

We're having a couple of cold, rainy, spring days this week so it's the perfect time to clean out the freezer and make some chicken stock! Throughout the year, I save chicken pieces-parts in the freezer until I have enough to make a big-ol'-batch of stock for pressure canning.

My chicken stock recipe is never really the same, but the ultimate ingredient, if I can get my hands (or feet!) on them, is chicken feet! Chicken feet add an incredible, silky richness to chicken stock. They are loaded with collagen and can take your bland, watery chicken stock to another level.

I've made stock with them before, and usually you can find chicken feet at specialty markets, but I actually found these at a local grocery store! Throw in as many as you'd like (uncooked), but be sure to nip/cut off the nail tips so all that collagen-y goodness can seep into your stock while cooking.

My stock usually comprises roasted chicken pieces-parts, a cut up onion, a handful of roughly chopped celery and carrots, some garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme and oregano, and some peppercorns. I bring to a boil and gently simmer for a couple of hours.

Afterwards, I let the stock cool, then strain out the solids and chill in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, I skim off any solidified fat, bring back up to a simmer, and pressure can according to directions for my location.

It's really important to allow the stock to chill overnite and then skim off any fat, as large amounts of fat in the stock can prevent your canning jars from sealing. I learned this lesson the hard way the last time I made stock.

Anyway, I'm enjoying these cold, rainy spring days, as I know it won't be long till it's too hot to do anything in the kitchen.

All Purpose Chili Lime Rub

My salad greens are coming in heavy in the garden, so that means diving into my all time favorite California Pizza Kitchen's Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad!

Man, I could eat this salad Every. Single. Day.

But, what really makes this salad special is the grilled chicken marinated with this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G All Purpose Chili Lime Chicken recipe from Carlsbad Cravings.

Photo from Carlsbad Cravings

I have used this rub recipe on chicken, pork, AND beef and it's nothing short of spectacular. It can be made and used right away, but do yourself a favor and let your meat marinate with it for at good 8 hours or even overnight. Besides being so flavorful, the lime juice and olive oil really tenderize the meat.

We like to grill a whole package of chicken breasts at a time and nosh on them over the week. They are just as tender as leftovers!

All Purpose Chili Lime Rub
Recipe Source: Carlsbad Cravings

*1 lb. meat of choice (chicken breasts, pork, beef)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (optional for heat)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoke paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
Lime zest from 1 lime
Fresh-squeezed juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)

*Note: I doubled this recipe to cook 1 whole package of chicken breasts (5 breasts). For faster cooking/grilling, pound chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thick.

In a small bowl mix all of the rub ingredients. Place meat inside a gallon-sized Ziploc back and pour rub ingredients over the meat. Seal the bag, pushing out at much air as possible, and massage the bag to evenly distribute the rub over all the meat.

Place bag inside the refrigerator and allow meat to marinate up to 24 hours. After marinating, let meat come to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking/grilling. If cooking/grilling meat right away, allow meat to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.