Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken

This perfect Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken will soon become your family’s favourite weeknight dinner. It’s juicy and flavourful, with the most delectable Middle Eastern spice blend.

Dinner doesn’t get much more classic than a roasted chicken, and this simple recipe helps prove that. But, the question that looms is: how does one make the tastiest, juiciest roasted chicken?

One that is perfectly moist, and jam-packed with flavour vs. the all-too-often-served bland and dry roasted chicken. We're talking about having that mind-blowing perfect roasted chicken recipe that you can enjoy over and over again! For any occasion, with very little fuss and it always turns out delicious!

I've been on a mission to create just that recipe, an epic roasted chicken, not just once, but every time you make it! The Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken is just that recipe that you need in your life!⏤Zero, Zilch, Nada! No dry chicken here! It's so juicy, even the breast is moist.

So how does one make a Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken that is as simple and tasty as possible?

The perfect Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken is as easy as:

1. Buy a chicken—I usually use a 3-4lb bird.
2. Clean your bird. Remove any leftover bits in the cavity.
3. Brine it⏤You'll just need three simple ingredients.
4. Season the chicken. My Middle Eastern Marinade takes a basic bird to new levels in taste satisfaction.
5. Bake the chicken. Roasting a whole chicken in the oven doesn’t take terribly long when you've brined it overnight.

How do you brine a bird?

Once you've removed all the leftover bits from the cavity of the chicken, you simply prepare the brine solution. You may be tempted to skip washing your chicken and I DO NOT want you to skip this step. Please, trust me, take the time and just do it! Your taste buds will thank you!

Making a basic brine is so so EASY! All you need is salt, vinegar and enough cold water to submerge the chicken completely. Make sure all your salt is dissolved in the water. Cover and set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or let it chill overnight and remove the chicken from the brine before you start your day in the morning. You can leave it overnight in the brine, but I prefer to let it brine for 1 hour.

After the brining time is finished, remove the chicken from the brine, rinse, and dry with a paper towel. Then spice your chicken and bake.

Why should you brine your chicken?

Once you've discovered the power of the brine, you'll never be able to truly enjoy a roasted chicken without it.

• Brining ensures that your chicken will be super juicy and succulent.
• Adds flavour to the flesh of the chicken because of the salt.
• It prevents your chicken from drying out when it is being slow-roasted in the oven.
• The vinegar in this brine helps remove any raw chicken smell and leftover blood.
• Using cold water and storing in the fridge helps to avoid any bacterial propagation.

Tell me about that Middle Eastern Marinade...

This sauce is life-changing and mind-blowingly delicious! This Middle Eastern Marinade is made with a blend of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and baharat spice blend⏤ That's it, my friends! Mind-blowing Marinade with four ingredients!

This marinade isn't just for a roasted chicken! It's also a perfect marinade for grilling, baking, broiling and sautéing chicken. You can use it on chicken breasts, chicken thighs, drumsticks and any cut of chicken you have⏤I promise this marinade will result in a delicious chicken every time!

So, what is a Baharat spice blend?

You'll need a batch of my All-Purpose Baharat on hand. Don't let this long list of spices intimidate you. It's well worth a quick trip to a bulk store to purchase these spices and make a big batch of this blend⏤I can't recommend it enough.

The All-Purpose Baharat is a blend of:

• Coriander
• Allspice
• Cinnamon
• Cumin
• Paprika or Smoked Paprika
• Ginger
• Cardamom
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Rose petals (optional)

It's such a great spice blend, it works with so many dishes. I promise once you make it, you'll find so many uses for it.

Frequently asked questions

What to serve with the Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken

• This Mediterranean Bulgur Salad would make a delicious partner for your roasted chicken.
• This Roasted Zucchini Salad makes a yummy and simple side dish.
• Love a Chickpea Salad? This one is our favourite!

Love Roasted Chicken? Middle Eastern flavour fan? US TOO!

We hope this perfect roasted chicken with this Middle Eastern Marinade makes you a believer in a simple weeknight dinner that is fancy enough to serve to any guest, on any occasion. If you make this dish I’d love to hear about it! Be sure to snap a photo, add it to your Instagram feed or stories and tag @deliciously.mediterranean and #deliciouslymediterranean.

Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken

Sarah

This perfect Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken will soon become your family’s favourite weeknight dinner. It’s juicy and flavourful, with the most delectable Middle Eastern spice blend.

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Prep Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 4 -6

Calories 358 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 3-4lb Whole chicken, gizzards and neck removed

Chicken Brine

• Coldwater as needed
• 2 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 tablespoon kosher salt

Chicken Marinade

• ⅛ cup lemon juice
• ⅛ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon turmeric ground
• 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Baharat
• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 4 cloves of garlic pressed

Instructions

 

 Brining the chicken

• Clean the cavity of your chicken and remove all the bits.
• Add salt and vinegar to a deep bowl, then mix so the salt dissolves.
• Place your chicken in the bowl with the vinegar and salt.
• Pour enough cold water to submerge the chicken completely.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to 1 hour.
• After one hours, take the chicken out of the fridge and drain the brine. Rinse the chicken with water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Preparing the chicken:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl to make a paste.
• Lay the chicken in your desired baking dish.
• Generously coat the chicken with the marinade, covering all of the chicken, including the cavity.
• After applying the marinade, let the chicken sit out for 15-20 minutes while it comes down to room temperature.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken.
• Then, cover your baking dish with tin foil and place in the oven.
• Roast the chicken for 40 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking the chicken.
• It can take anywhere from 50 to 60 minutes for the chicken to cook. When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚F, the skin is golden, and the juices run clear⏤the chicken is done.
• Remove from the oven, baste the chicken with the juices, and let rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.
• Carve out all the meat and place it on a platter. Enjoy!

Notes

Spice Substitution

• If you don't want to make your own Baharat blend you can substitute with a 7-Spice blend
• Can't find 7-Spice? No problem! You can make it yourself, just mix 1 tablespoon Allspice, ¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, & coriander. Don't be scared of all the spices, it's what makes the chicken super delicious!
• If you use the 7-spice instead of the baharat blend please add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. 

Kitchen tip:

Don't throw away that yummy chicken’s pan drippings. Instead, you can use it for the most fabulous “stock base” for other recipes. I like to add it to rice, couscous, soups & stews to elevate the flavour.

Keyword easy recipes, middle eastern recipe, Middle eastern roasted chicken, Roasted chicken