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When I see whole chickens on sale at the market, I pile them into my cart.
For less than $5, I can make a week’s worth of meals for the two of us with one chicken, then freeze the remains for a pot of chicken broth when time permits.
Roasted Chicken
All I need to cook my bargain bird is a meat thermometer and a cast iron skillet. My cast iron skillet does an amazing job of roasting meats to a lovely golden color, and collects all those savory juices for a pan sauce.
I rub a quality olive oil and whatever seasonings I have on hand all over my chicken, making sure to get under the skin of the breast. Then I throw the pan into the oven, or even on my grill.
The fact is, I prefer the grill to the oven because it gives my chicken a kind of smokiness the oven can’t create.
Roasting Chicken
This night we were in the mood for an Asian twist to our roasted chicken, so we covered it with a sweet apricot sauce.
Lovely!
Asian Apricot Roasted Chicken
See? I told you it was a breeze to roast a chicken! Don’t be afraid to give it a try. Then when you figure out how to carve it up, let me know. My husband and I argue over the best carving techniques all the time.
Enjoy your weekend!
| It’s a Breeze to Roast a Chicken – Asian Apricot Roasted Chicken |
- 5 pounds chicken, one whole chicken, insides removed
- ½ cup no sugar apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, Tropical Traditions Golden Label
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine jam, coconut oil, sesame oil, tamari, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Microwave on high for one minute. Whisk together, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove 1/2 the marinade to a bowl to keep for basting.
- Loosen the skin around the chicken’s breast and spoon some of the marinade under the skin and work around. Using a baster, spread the rest of the marinade (not the marinade you removed to the bowl, keep that) over the chicken and place in the lower 1/3 of the oven.
- Roast for 20 minutes per pound until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reaches 175 and the breast reaches 170 degrees. Remove and allow to rest. The chicken will continue to cook while it rests.
To make a pan sauce . . .
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil.
Make a sauce reduction by allowing the drippings to cool (speed this along by putting the pan into your freezer for a few minutes).
Add ice cubes to congeal the extra fat, and remove the fat that has adhered to the ice cubes with a slotted spoon.
Then 1 /2 – 1 cup to a cup of water, broth, or a drinking quality wine, depending on how many drippings you have.
Bring to a simmer as you scrape up the bits from the bottom. When the sauce is reduced to a thin syrup consistency you’re done.
I’m providing nutrition information calculated on the whole bird at 10 servings. You really need to calculate calories based in the pieces you choose to eat, but this might be helpful for some.
Calories: 567
Total Fat: 36.90g
Cholesterol: 165mg
Sodium: 361mg
Total Carbs: 10.74g
Dietary Fiber: 0.09g
Sugars: 7.01g
Protein: 39.40g
If you’re looking for more healthy and low calorie Weight Watchers recipes, check out my Recipe page. You’ll find hundreds of recipes that include nutrition information and Weight Watchers points.
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Please see disclaimer for further details. Nutrition information is compiled with MacGourmet. If you find discrepancies, please let me know. It’s important to me that I provide you with accurate information.
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{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
That chicken is truly lovely! I’m quite fond of the Asian flavors. Have to try the apricot next!
redkathy recently posted…Banana Nutella Snack Cake – Chilled Summer Cake
I love Asian flavors too. There’s such a lovely spiciness to them.
This looks great, thanks for the tips as well.
Hi Wendy – thanks for visiting. Have a terrific week.
The sweet apricot glaze sounds incredible! What a lovely idea for quick meal.
Baker Street recently posted…Bundt 101: How to remove bundt cakes from a pan
I love roasted chicken – it makes for several quick meals.
That apricot sauce really sounds great! I would like that crispy skin..
Medeja recently posted…Uogų Traškėsis/ Berry Crisps
My husband was picking at the skin too.
What a lovely sweet sauce!
Belinda @zomppa recently posted…Cape Cod: Oysters, Meet Wine
It really was good, but I would be sure to find a low sugar or no sugar apricot jam. It doesn’t burn quite as easily.
You’ve managed to make me drool over a chicken at 7:35 am on a Saturday morning. BRAVO!
The Candid RD (Gina) recently posted…Clean Eating’s Panko and Sage-Crusted Pork Cutlets
It’s the apricot – it’s a breakfast food, right?
I was sold on this recipe just by reading the title, then reading the recipe sold me even more. This would definitely be a hit with my family. Once we get out of th triple digits, I can turn on my oven again
Liz recently posted…Corn Pancakes…French Fridays with Dorie~
I’m so sorry about the heat. I wish we could share some of it – I’m completely tired of the rain here in Seattle.
Crisp, tender and succulent…and you made it sound really SIMPLE to make.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted…Spelt Farfalle with Olive Caper Sauce
I think the problem for me was that a lot of recipes call for you to tie up the legs and tie up the wings, etc. It was just too much work and I never had any kitchen twine. I gave up and now I just throw the chicken in a pan over on the grill and cook it. It always comes out fantastic as long as I don’t overcook it.
Oh wow, yes, it does look gorgeous. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever roasted my chicken in a skillet before and I’m not sure why. It would be perfect. I love the apricot sauce as well.
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time recently posted…The Sunday Sip ~ A (Not So) Small Pet Peeve, Blueberries, Tae Kwon Do and the Dish of the Week
It’s funny, but that cast iron skillet cost less than $20 and it’s now my most favorite non-stick skillet.
I’ll definitely try this…looking so yummy!
Tenny recently posted…Amaretto Pancakes
The chicken made for some terrific leftovers, that’s for sure. Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi! I wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your blog, and just nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award over on mine! http://floptimism.blogspot.com/2012/07/paying-it-forward-with-versatile.html
Jess recently posted…Paying it Forward with the Versatile Blogger Award!
Hi Jess! Thank you so much for thinking of me for this award. I enjoy my visits to your blog, so I can see why you were nominated. I’ll do my best to pass this along, but it might be a few weeks. Between work and my son’s wedding I’m a bit overbooked. Have a terrific week!
Good stuff. I often use the cast iron frying pan method for roasting my chicken but haven’t grilled a whole one that way (I’ve grilled whole turkeys, though – without the pan, of course, too big!) Carving a chicken is tough. When it’s just the two of us, as often or not I just take a pair of kitchen shears and cut the breast into two pieces (one for each of us). The rest of the chicken will get boned when it’s cold, and I’ll use if for other dishes. Really like the flavorings of the marinade, BTW.
I really need to take a class on carving meat, then my hubby and I won’t have to argue over the results anymore.
I always just roast my chicken in a roasting pan but have never tried doing it in my cast iron pan. Interesting…
Anita at Hungry Couple recently posted…Pear, Ginger & Thyme Martini
I don’t know what it is about my cast iron skillet, but it can cook almost anything to perfection.
Chicken has so many uses in a person’s meal and it is so versatile. Thanks for sharing this nice recipe along with the nicely written blog post.
Pooja recently posted…Creamy Mushroom Platter
Hi Pooja – Thank you for visiting. I totally agree. That one chicken usually ends up in another meal and a few sandwiches. Very versatile.
A friend of my FIL’s gave him a similar recipe, except he adds some cayenne. He usually uses it when making vegetarian “meatballs” or “meatloafs.” You can hardly tell they are meat-free.
Tamar recently posted…Custom chocolate comes to Korea
Hi Tamar – great idea to add some heat. Sweet with heat is always a good combination, right?
I always roast chicken in a cast iron pan! I agree, the results are always so much better. That apricot sauce sounds super yummy, I would love to try it!
kale recently posted…a perfect sunday
I should probably Google it to see why that cast iron pan does such a good job. What types of herbs and seasonings do you use? When I think of it, I’ll marinade the chicken in buttermilk the night before. It really turns out wonderful then! Have a great weekend!
Definitely need to attempt roasting a whole chicken! This one looks awesome btw.
I used to think it was hard to roast chicken – that you had to tie the bird up with cooking twine, etc. I just roast it as is and it always works out. Enjoy your weekend.
Roast chicken is one of the great meals! We often roast one and I eat the leftovers in salad for lunch all week.
Cucina49 recently posted…Climb Ev’ry Mountain (At Least the Easy Ones)
I use my cast iron skillet to cook all sorts of things, including roasting chickens! I agree completely about their versatility and I stock up when I can, too! Great recipe.
the wicked noodle recently posted…baked strawberry oatmeal
I volunteer at PCC Cooks for classes and the kitchen there has a gigantic cast iron pan. I’ve yet to find one at the store, but when I do I’m buying it. My husband has a dutch oven for camping that’s awesome too! Have a terrific weekend!
This is a breeze. Thanks so much for sharing!
ellenbcookery recently posted…Baked Portobello Mushrooms with Spinach Sauce and Cheese
Genius idea to use a cast iron skillet! I always use a roasting pan but then all my drippings evaporate (since I only have large pans). That chicken looks gorgeous.
Food Jaunts recently posted…Greek Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Zucchini Orzo Salad
Hmm, if this is a double comment I apologize – but I’m not seeing my comment. Either way, genius idea to use a cast iron skillet versus a roasting pan. I’m trying it next time I roast a chicken!
Food Jaunts recently posted…Greek Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Zucchini Orzo Salad
this looks so amazing, i want this right now!
I adore roasted chicken. The apricot made a lovely glaze.
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