Get Juicy Roasted Chicken Every Time | Roasted Peri-Peri Chicken

Dry chicken is one of those things you would never want to put in your mouth. Here we will show you some tips on how to get that juicy bird every time.

Roasted chicken is pretty much a staple in a cook book. It's a very simple dish (simpler than you think) but one that would elevate your position as a home cook among your friends. You hear it a lot when people comment that the chicken is dry and it feels like eating a cardboard and the last thing you want is for that comment to come out after having one of your dishes. We are here to share some of the tips that we've learned as we went through our fair share of cardboard chicken.

First of all, choose your chicken parts! I know that a whole bird is very much a wow factor and it is to be expected around a festive table. However, when you are serving up guests for a get together or simply enjoying a family dinner, a whole bird might be an overkill. I like choosing parts which are closer to the bone as they will impart more flavour and for that reason we are using the chicken thighs (or whole leg/hindquarters as some would call it) which has substantial amount of meat on them and are enough to satisfy an average person. Another reason to use the same parts is to ensure that they cook at the same time and avoid that horrible pink flesh. Finally, the best reason of all is that no one fights over different parts of the bird. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have to mediate a negotiation on who gets the drumstick.

Use a rack to elevate your chicken slightly to allow the juices drip off the chicken. As your chicken cooks, it will release some liquid and unless it's taken out, it will stay in the pan and basically braise your chicken. This is not necessarily a bad thing but if you're aiming for that beautiful golden roasted chicken you might want to avoid getting it submerged in the liquid (soft and soggy chicken skin...blerghh). In our recipe, you'd notice that we did not use a rack, however, we loaded up the bottom with vegetables so that they will hold the chicken above the pan and they're spread apart enough that the juices can still drip off the chicken. Best part about it is that the drippings will then flavour the vegetables underneath as they cook! You can then use the remaining liquid to make gravy for your chicken.

Finally, cover your chicken. By covering the chicken with parchment, or foil, or both, they will not be exposed to direct heat, overcooking certain parts of the chicken. The heat will instead circulate inside the vessel, making sure each piece gets evenly cooked at the same time. Another important thing is moisture retention. By covering it, the moisture gets trapped with the chicken, keeping the chicken moist and juicy for the entire cooking process. Goodbye carboard chicken! Around 10-15 minutes before the cooking time ends, remove the foil and finish the cooking process uncovered to get that beautiful char on the chicken.

I'm pretty sure there are plenty of ways to roast the perfect chicken but this is what worked for us and definitely one of the easiest methods we've tried. We hope you will try it for yourselves and remember to have fun with the process! :)

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Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs

• 3 garlic bulbs, tops chopped off

• 2 carrots

• 2 red capsicum

• 1 yellow capsicum

• 3 celery sticks

• 2 onions

• 1 zucchini

• 165g brown button mushrooms

• 150ml peri-peri sauce

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 chicken bouillon cube

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp black pepper

• Salt to taste

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Method

1. Pre-heat your oven at 200°C (392°F).

2. Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, chicken bouillon cube, salt, peri-peri sauce, and honey to the thighs and rub thoroughly. Set aside to marinade for about 30 minutes).

3. Roughly chop your vegetables and place them in a baking tray.

4. Place the thighs on top of the vegetable, skin side down, and pour the remaining marinade into the tray as well. Mix well with the vegetables.

5. Cover the baking pan with parchment paper followed by aluminium foil and roast for 1½ to 2 hours (depending on your oven).

6. Take it out 15 minutes before the cooking time ends an remove the cover. Flip the chicken and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the skin is golden.

7. You are ready to serve!