Roast Sticky Chicken

Versions of this recipe have been all over the Internet for years, so I just picked one and ran with it. I ended up with moist, rotisserie-style chicken and a cup or two of flavorful, if a little spicy, gravy to go with it.

You have to plan ahead for this recipe because the seasoned chicken has to sit over night in the fridge. I tried skipping this step once before, and all I have to say is "Don't!". It makes a huge difference in the flavor and moistness.


Roast Sticky Chicken

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 onions, quartered
2 (4 pound) whole chickens

In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder.

Remove and discard giblets from chickens. Rinse chicken cavities, and pat chickens dry with paper towels. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture (I only did the outside). Place 1 onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. (I put them in the pan I wanted to roast them in and wrapped the entire thing in plastic wrap.)

Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 250° F.

Place chickens in roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 180° F. Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Notes: After about 1 hour of cooking, I poured about a cup of water in the pan, stirred it into the pan juices, and then basted the chickens with the liquids every 45 minutes or so.

To make gravy, remove the cooked chickens from the pan, pour the pan drippings into a small sauce pan, and add about a cup of water to dilute the spiciness of the drippings. Heat to a boil, and then thicken with a mixture of cornstarch and cold water (about 2 T. of cornstarch in 1/2 cup of cold water).

Makes 2 whole chickens and about 2 cups of gravy.