Brace yourselves. Today we’re going to learn to butter up a chicken and rub him down with herbs and spices. This might not be the most precious moment of your day, but I guarantee you will find it to all be worth it after you taste your delicious Oven Roasted Rotisserie Chicken.
Now, I’ve buttered many a slice of bread in my day. I would even venture to say I’m pretty good at it. But never before had I buttered a bird – until the first day I made this chicken.
Recipe research told me to “brush on the butter.” But that would require that I melt butter in a saucepan and dirty up a pastry brush. In the name of lazyness simplicity, I just slapped butter on my bird with a butter knife.
Did it work? Meh, good enough. I figure what didn’t get spread on smoothly will just melt and drizzle itself over the skin while baking.
Now, beyond the butter, we’ve got to do a little chicken massage for this recipe too. Don’t freak out about this because your hands will wash up just fine afterward. Sure, rubbing spices over a raw piece of meat in the shape of well, a chicken, will feel strange. But you can do this.
Here’s why the buttering up and the rubbing down are well worth your few minutes awkward chicken moments:
- You will create a most delicious meal for your family. This chicken is incredibly juicy and flavorful.
- All the “effort” you put forth to create this chicken will take less than 10 minutes.
- You’ll save money, because making this chicken at home costs less than buying one pre-made.
So gather up your chickens and let the fun begin.
Simple Oven Roasted Rotisserie Chicken
- 3-4 pound chicken
- 3 Tablespoons softened butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Remove gizzards from the cavity. Discard them or save them to make broth later.
- Spread or brush butter over the chicken.
- Mix herbs and spices in a bowl, then rub them all over the chicken.
- Bake, uncovered, in a 300 degree oven for 2½ hours.
Oh yes. I failed to mention the “reach up into the ‘cavity’ of the chicken and pull out the little bag of gizzards.” I guess I was trying to stop while I was ahead so as to avoid scaring you away from this recipe. But alas, this task cannot be avoided.
I’ve found it’s best to go ahead and say “eeeewwww” while completing this gizzard removal step, because that’s how I feel and it truly is helpful to express oneself verbally during moments of trouble.
So before you butter and rub your chicken, get the gizzard step over with. After that, you will feel empowered to do anything. All hail queen/king chicken preparers. We are all super heroes.
Keep this meal simple by serving this chicken with tossed salad, a steamed veggie, and fresh fruit (like strawberries, pineapple, or cantaloupe).
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Check out how long this list of Simple Recipes is getting!
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Laura, I would love to know how you cut the chicken up after it’s cooked. With a knife? Or just rip it with your hands? What about bones? Do you have to remove them some special way so they don’t splinter into little pieces and your kids choke on them? Some many recipes tell you how to cook a chicken, but not how to handle it afterwards!
That part is a little tricky. Usually one of us sort of “carves” it and serves it. My kids are old enough they just use a fork to yank off the chicken they want. After we’re done eating, we finish taking meat off (if there’s any left) and I save the bones for broth because #wastenotwantnot
ok, ok…..I will give home cooked oven ‘rotisserie’ chicken another shot.
I swore off cooking whole chickens for good since I have never been able to get them to cook evenly. When they look done and they’ve cooked for the recipe stated time, AND i test the dang bird with a thermometer (this also requires instruction, since I never know where to poke the bird, how far in to stick the thermometer, at what angle, etc.), I start pulling /cutting it apart, only to find some dark meat not cooked enough. I am not a newbie in the kitchen and I know how to put great meals together, but whole chickens are clearly above my pay-grade and expertise.
At that point, I am sufficiently creeped out and mad at the whole affair. I serve my family the white meat and I grumpily give myself a bowl of cereal.
Thanks for all of your easy recipes and encouragement, Laura.
I use a similar recipe for the crockpot. The chicken falls apart after 4-5 hours on high. After dinner is served I make chicken broth in the same crockpot overnight.
Please try this in the crockpot! Stuff chicken with onion and garlic and top with seasoning. Place in crockpot (no liquid needed) and cook on low all day. Chicken falls off bone! So yummy!!
We love to dust the liver in flour and then fry it in butter! So tasty! My dad always called them giblets and I didn’t know it was liver until I was grown.
Try this with a turkey! I buy 3-4 turkeys in November during the Thanksgiving sales and store them in the freezer. We do the same thing to the turkeys every couple of months. We call it a “Big Ol’ Buttered Bird.” We just rub butter all over it, season it with salt and pepper and bake it according to the directions. It is really good!
This is a quick, easy, & delicious recipe! I remove the skin before buttering & seasoning the chicken. I add about 1/2” water to the pan to prevent drying out. My whole family loves it. Yummy!