Before Thanksgiving last year I was reading tips on how to make the perfect turkey. I came across three tips that I tried that resulted in THE BEST Thanksgiving turkey we’ve ever had!
The first tip was to incorporate citrus into the coating recipe. I love all citrus so of course this one peaked my interest!
The second tip was to use mayonnaise instead of butter when coating the bird. Before you think I’m crazy, here’s why you should do it: when you cover your turkey with mayonnaise, it bastes it during the roasting process, keeping the meat moist and tender. And, no, it doesn’t taste like mayonnaise. Plus, doing this makes it dairy free (WIN!). This recipe is also Whole30 compliant. (For more info on Whole30, click HERE).
The last tip is to dry the skin of the bird before roasting. And I don’t mean to dry it using paper towels… I mean completely DRY. You can do this one of two ways: The first way is to leave the bird uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. The second is to use a hair dryer to dry out the skin. Simply blow cool air on the bird until the skin is dry. This is the method I use and it works like a charm!
Try it! I promise you’ll love it!
Citrus-Rosemary Roasted Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb chicken
- 1 navel orange
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- ½ tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425˚F.
- To spatchcock the chicken, position the chicken breast-side down and remove the backbone by cutting down either side of it. Once the backbone is removed, flip over the chicken and flatten it, then, using two hands, press directly down on the breast of the chicken to break the breastbone.
- Using a hair dryer set on the coolest and lowest setting, gently dry the skin of the chicken. (Don't skip this step! It's the key to crispy skin!). Set on a baking rack set over a sheet pan and set aside.
- Zest the orange, lemon and lime. In a small bowl, combine the zests, rosemary, garlic powder, oregano and mayonnaise, mixing well. Using your hands, slater the mixture over the skin of the chicken, coating completely. Evenly distribute the salt and pepper over the top.
- Place the chicken in the oven and roast 45 minutes or until the skin is golden and the internal temperature registers 165˚F.
- Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
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