Brined Crispy Juicy Chicken
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Brine Time: 4-8 hours
Cook Time: 1-1 1/2 hours
Serves: 4
Cost: approx. $6.00
Brining the chicken makes it juicy. There are several ways to brine, and I do it the easiest way: with cold water and salt.
The skin of the chicken blackens as the syrup/butter mixture cooks, giving it a sweet glaze.
I bought the chicken when it was on sale for 99 cents a pound! (A deep-freeze is one of the best investments a family can make, in my opinion.) Serve this with the roasted vegetables and you have a complete meal for 4 for around $9.00. This dish makes for a great Sunday family meal or an impressive (but easy) dinner to cook when company’s coming-especially because most of the work is in the preparation.
Ingredients:
- One 4-5 pound whole chicken
- 1/2 cup light Karo syrup
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to brine the chicken
Wash and pat dry the chicken. Put the chicken in a gallon size zip-lock bag. Pour 1 cup salt in the bag and fill with cold water. Place in refrigerator and let sit for 4-8 hours. (Sometimes the bag leaks so I always place the bag in a bowl-you can also put the chicken, salt and water straight in a bowl and weigh the chicken down with a plate).
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Rinse the salt off the chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in roasting pan. Melt the butter, add the Karo syrup to the butter and mix. Brush about 1/4 of the butter/syrup mixture over the chicken, add a pinch of salt and sprinkle with pepper. Roast, uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the temperature reaches about 165 degrees, brushing every 20 minutes with the remaining butter/syrup mixture. The skin of the chicken will turn black-you want it to so don’t cover. Let rest before carving.
Roasted Vegetables
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Cost: approx. $3.00
This smells SO good while cooking.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium russet potatoes, cut into cubes (leave the skin on)
- 1 medium sweet potato (or yam), peeled and cut into cubes
- 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 large red onion, peeled, halved, and cut into 1-inch wedges
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 16-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place all the vegetables, garbanzo beans and garlic in a large, shallow roasting pan. Combine oil, rosemary, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix. Drizzle over the vegetables and toss, making sure to coat all the vegetables. Roast (uncovered) 45 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.