Easy Roasted Chicken

I always thought roasting a chicken was going to be some long drawn out process...the only roasted chicken I knew of as a kid was the kind you could by at the store. My Dad probably didn't like it so my Mom never made it. Come to think of it I don't recall my Mom roasting a turkey, maybe thats because my Grandma Katie would make the turkey on Thanksgiving day and Mom would bring her famous enchiladas. So I pretty much learned how to roast a chicken by trial and error. This recipe is simple and the same concept can be applied to roasting a turkey!

Ingredients

1 5 to 6 pound whole chicken

1tbsp olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1tsp garlic powder

roasting pan 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, set roasting pan near your prep area, mix paprika,salt,pepper and garlic powder, (not garlic salt!) together. Rinse your chicken and remove giblets, save to make broth if you would like! Pat chicken dry and place in pan. I tuck the wings and truss the legs with the chickens own skin, cutting slits big enough to slide the end of  the leg through. Did not get pics of how to do that! Pour 1tbsp of olive oil on your chicken, and rub in. This makes me think of my sunworshipping days as a teen for some reason! Come to think of it my chicken looks like it has a really good tan when its done! Take spice mixture and sprinkle over chicken. Then rub into oil. Stick your chicken in a 350 degree oven and roast for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. A good rule of thumb when roasting chicken is to roast 20 minutes per pound unstuffed. 20 x 5 =100 minutes which =1 hour and 40 minutes. I check for doneness at the joint where the leg and thigh are attached, if it pulls apart easily and juice runs clear its done. I have rarely used a thermometer but if you are new to cooking invest in one. Most thermometers have a poultry gauge which is about 170 degree mark. Remember no two ovens are alike and your roasting time may be slightly longer or shorter! You will notice that the paprika gives it a beautiful golden color! Sage would also be a great herb to add!  Let your chicken rest a bit before you carve it, if it is too hot when you cut it it will shred!

patted dry and olive oil added

spices sprinkled on

spices rubbed in ready to roast!

finished chicken, so easy and simple sooo good!