This recipe is super easy and the good news it is healthy. It is roasted chicken! I use Egyptian marination with little bit of additions to get more flavors. I love roasted chicken, however most of the time it lacks flavors, so I try to make the marination rich and let the chicken swim in it for 1 night to get through. Some people even brine the large chicken first, but I prefer this way since it is not too much hassle.

Ingredients

1 Large chicken
1 large onion
4 minced garlic cloves
1 small tomato or a half
Za’atar (it is in all Armenian or arabic stores spices section, if not do not worry, mix some thyme, oregano, sumac and sesame seeds if you have them)
1 teaspoon cloves powder
2 teaspoon 7 spices
2 Lime juice
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Good amount of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Half a lime zest

Mix all the above in your food processor except the chicken, lime zest and the fresh ginger 🙂 Now you have your marination ready. Set it aside.

Regardless of the health articles about not washing the chicken, I have to wash the chicken well. Not even just water, Egyptians add also some flour inside out the chicken then wash it again. Also, add some salt or 1 tablespoon of vinegar then wash it again. Then my mom usually sticks her nose so close to the chicken (perhaps touching it by mistake sometimes) and smell it to make sure God Forbids if it smells like a dead chicken.

Dry the chicken after washing it with paper towels.

Now get ready to smell like onions. Use this marination and really cover the chicken inside, out, under and above skin, top and bottom with the marination. Get really under the chicken skin.

Put the chicken in a ziploc for 1 night.

Next day, set your oven to 400 degrees and roast chicken in a pan breast side up for about an hour. Check if it is done by using a thermometer to look for 165 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. Or if you do not have a thermometer, poke the chicken with a toothpick or sharp knife and check the juices color, if it is pinkish, let it cook more.