Spicy Thai Roast Chicken

Roast chicken is a delicious and economical meal. Whenever I find a sale on whole chickens at the grocery store, I get really excited to think up a new way to roast them. I particularly love cooking whole chickens because you can get so much mileage out of one. Yes, it takes a while to cook, but you get lots of leftovers that can be used to make a whole bunch of tasty  meals.

So, I decided that an Asian twist on traditional comfort food was in order. I decided to use some Thai flavorings to spice up traditional roast chicken and mashed potatoes.

This spicy Thai marinade is a recipe I developed a year ago and have been perfecting ever since. It is spicy and complex and whenever I use it, I get tons of compliments. I decided to try it with a whole chicken to see what happens. I am happy to report the results were fabulous. The meat was super juicy and flavorful and had the right amount of heat and tang.

Note: cooking roasts can be tricky, since you want everything to be cooked perfectly. In order to do so, I always use a digital meat thermometer. I got one for $19.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond and it has paid for itself many times over. It has an alarm that lets you know when the meat has reached the desired temperature. I love it since I don't have a fancy stove with a roast probe, yet.

Read more for the full recipe!

Marinade Ingredients:
1.5 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp asian fish sauce
2" of fresh ginger, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, washed
2 thai chilies or 1 habanero pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
1.5 limes, juiced

Chicken Ingredients:
1 4-5lb roasting chicken, washed, patted
1 large (1 gallon) freezer bag
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
3-4 sprigs of cilantro, washed
1 lime, quartered
juice of 1 lime

Step by Step Ingredients:
1. Rinse and pat down chicken and place in the freezer bag
2. In a food processor, combine all marinade ingredients and pulse until pureed
3. Pour marinade in freezer bag, push out excess air and seal
4. Refrigerate chicken for 3+ hours (I marinate overnight)
5. Remove chicken from bag of marinade and place into a roasting pan
6. Discard marinade
7. Arrange onions around the chicken
8. Drizzle chicken and onions with olive oil and lime juice and season with salt
9. Stuff quartered lime and cilantro sprigs into the chicken cavity
10. Roast at 425 for 45-60 minutes - until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit
11. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes
12. Carve and serve with onions!