How to make easy simple roasted chicken with 5 ingredients
In many houses all over the world easy simple roasted chicken is a staple. We show you how to make it with just 5 ingredients! This recipe can serve as a guide for branching out and mixing it up with various seasonings, although with this you will seldom get tired of eating this and the leftovers make great meals the next day!
What is Za’atar, and why is it a main ingredient here?
Simply put Za’atar is a classic spice blend that has been in use for hundreds of years. It is a very savory blend of dried herbs and spices, including sumac and sesame seeds. Think of it as a non-overpowering one stop shop that can be used on meats, vegetables, and often can be seen sprinkled on hummus or olive oil. It is best enjoyed after being “activated” for at least a few minutes by softening with moisture or olive oil. The flavors come out after some time marinating so plan to rehydrate before enjoying. If you don’t have any handy simply replace with some neutral herbs such as marjoram, bay leaf, or thyme in smaller quantities.
What is the catch? How can it be so easy?
To make the best easy roasted whole chicken, take care to follow the method and do not overcook. As we mentioned the flavors can be changed, but the prize is in the roasting. Don’t rush it, take a moment to relax, and honestly its pretty hard to mess up! Don’t be tempted to raise the temperature or forget to take it out of the oven when ready and you should be enjoying a nice moist chicken in at most an hour and a half (depending on the size of the chicken). Some smaller birds may take as little as 45 minutes. Feel free to branch out and season with other dry rubs. Liquid marinades get a little trickier as they tend to burn and often lead to a soggy skin that may dry out the meat inside.
I’ve got leftovers and my family can’t eat a whole chicken. What next?
Honestly making a simple, easy roasted chicken is one of the best values at the grocery store, even when buying organic chicken. It is a staple in many houses as it is a huge money saver and depending on the size of family you can often get more than one meal from a whole bird. In fact, some people start with the agenda of having the leftover chicken on purpose. Here are a few ideas for the leftovers:
- Make a stock- pretty much mandatory with good leftover chicken bones… we will explain below..
- Use the pulled meat for many uses:
- Soups
- Salads
- Pastas
- Burritos
- Tacos
- Casseroles
- Sandwiches
Im not so sure about Za’atar, what’s a good alternative?
Easy simple roasted chicken with just a few ingredients used to be a chef’s staple recipe in many kitchens, but it has fallen out of popularity often for smaller plates trends the last decade or so in many restaurants. For this recipe, the main thing to take away is the technique as the components can be adjusted. Zataar just provides a good base so feel free to change up the seasoning.
How to make a stock with the leftovers
The best method for making a stock with easy simple roasted chicken is to allow the unused meat to cool on the bone, and leave the chicken in the juices that dripped into the pan. Allow to cool to room temp then place in the fridge overnight. The next day remove the chicken, and pull all the meat. Take the carcass, skin, and gelatinous juices and place everything (except the cooking twine) into a sauce pan. You can add some chopped onion, bay leaf, celery and carrot. It already has a garlic, herb, and salt flavoring so no need to add more. Bring to a simmer and cook for about an hour, then strain into a bowl. Refrigerate again overnight. The fat will rise and you can scrape it off. If you don’t plan to use within the next few days leave the fat and it will preserve for about a week, or you can pour into a plastic bag and freeze flat. When frozen you can break off chunks as needed for future soups!
Easy Simple Za’atar Roasted Chicken with 5 ingredients
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp za'atar
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Inspect interior of chicken for any gizzards or bags of offal. Remove if needed and drain any excess blood or liquids. Trim any excess fat if necessary, but do not remove too much.
- Prepare seasonings by measuring first. Then mix the za'atar and olive oil in a small bowl and allow to sit for several minutes to rehydrate.
- Tie chicken with butcher twine by starting with legs and wrapping around back before circling back over breast and tying again at legs. This will help keep the meat moist and cook evenly. However it is not crucial so proceed without it if you don't have any handy.
- Season the chicken starting with the salt to ensure that it is evenly distributed before adding the other ingredients. The salt may seem like a lot, but a lot will remain on the exterior. Make sure to add some to the interior as well. Proceed with the garlic, then black pepper. When done sprinkling the dry spices, slowly rub the paste made with the Za'atar and olive oil into the meat both inside and out. Allow this to marinade at room temp for a few minutes while the oven preheats.
- When oven has preheated to 350 degrees, carefully place in oven. Allow to roast about one hour depending on size of bird. During the roasting, bast the chicken with some of the juices that come from the bird with a large spoon, every 10-15 minutes. The chicken will be ready when golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh crevice reaches 165. Keep in mind that the temperature will continue to rise slightly after removing from oven, so you may take it out slightly before to rest then retemp before serving.
