Ditch the Rotisserie – Roast Your Own Chicken

June 2^nd, 2019 is National Rotisserie Chicken Day!

It’s easy to get into the habit of stopping at your local supermarket to grab a rotisserie chicken.

Seems healthy enough – It’s just chicken, right?

But, there are some shortcomings to picking up pre-cooked rotisserie chickens that can impact your health:

Rotisserie chickens are cooked early in the morning, then sit under a French fry lamp baking in plastic all day, exposing you to Bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxin that gets stored in your fat cells.

According to Breast Cancer.Org “Research strongly suggests…BPA may cause cancer in people.”

The FDA allows up to 30% of the weight of your chicken to be from an injected sodium solution. This explains why the chicken is still moist after baking under that French fry lamp for 8 hours before you roll into the market at dinner time. A three ounce portion of rotisserie chicken can pack a whopping 500 mg of sodium.

See This Shocking YouTube Vid of Chickens Being Injected

Other additives, such as in Costco’s rotisserie chicken, include salt, sodium phosphate, modified food starch, potato dextrin, carrageenan, sugar, dextrose, and spice extractives. Other brands may have gluten and dyes. So, instead of paying for quality protein, you are paying for water, salt, sugar, and chemicals.

Forbes reported that Americans bought 600 million rotisserie chickens in 2018. These birds are factory farmed to have big breasts, are only four to 11 weeks old, and are raised inhumanely. Let’s not even talk about how all those plastic clamshell containers looks in a landfill.

Store bought rotisserie chickens may be cheap, but they do not come without cost. These young birds are typically about two pounds. If you buy some prepared sides, that is where the store makes its’ money, so not as budget friendly a choice as it may seem.

So, how can we break up with rotisserie, and still enjoy our beloved birds?

Gulp! Consider roasting your own chicken at home.

With a little planning ahead, it’s super easy, and cooks itself in a lovely hands-off way.

See my foolproof recipe below…

When buying raw chickens to cook at home, choose farm raised, free range birds from trusted sources. If you can find a local farm to visit, you can get an idea of quality of life the farmers provide to their livestock. Buy a larger bird for leftovers.

Plan to roast your chicken when you will be home doing something else. It really does not need attention.

Use a thermometer with a probe that you leave in the bird, with the digital display on the outside of the oven. I use the Thermoworks Dot set at 165 degrees for poultry. For consistent cooking time, it is important to resist continually opening the oven, letting the hot air whoosh out. This is what makes the thermometer a wonderful enhancement to your chicken roasting experience.

Once cooked, let the bird “rest” by allowing it to sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. Tent it with a piece of parchment paper to keep warm.

Most important: You must plan ahead to avoid a last minute impulse rotisserie chicken buy. As Winston Churchill said, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”

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Rosemary Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken

*Chickens may be classified as fryer or roaster. Fryers are younger, and smaller than roasters. You can use whatever kind of chicken you like. The only difference is the cooking time. This recipe is for a larger chicken. If you use a fryer (smaller bird), you may need to adjust the seasonings. Chickens may come packed with “spare parts,” meaning the neck, giblets, and organs. If present, they are typically packed in the cavity and need to be removed prior to cooking. These parts can be boiled for soup stock, or frozen for later use. You may discard if desired.

Servings for this recipes is based on 4 oz cooked meat per person, and considers percent yield by subtracting weight of bones, and cooking losses

Course Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American, anti inflammatory, Chicken, dairy free, entree, gluten free, Italian, Mediterranean, Oil Free

Keyword 30 Minute Meal, 5 Ingredients, Anti Cancer, Anti Inflammatory, Apple Cider Vinegar, Barbecue, Chicken, Dairy Free, Detox, Entree, Food is Medicine, Meal Prep, Mediterranean, Oil Free, One Pan, One Pot, Organic, Rosemary

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

• One whole organic roaster chicken about 5 pounds*
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

1. -Adjust oven rack to one notch below center
2. -Preheat oven to 350 degrees, using “Convection Roast” setting if available – see note below
3. -Line a roasting pan with parchment paper
4. -Place chicken in pan breast side up
5. -Drizzle chicken with apple cider vinegar, including inside cavity
6. -Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and rosemary, including inside cavity
7. -Roast in oven for about 20 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F on a thermometer
8. -Remove from oven, and tent bird with a fresh piece of parchment paper
9. -Allow to sit for about 20 minutes before slicing

Recipe Notes

A note about oven settings:
Using the convection setting activates both the bake element (bottom), and broil element (top), while a fan in the oven blows the hot air around. This results in beautiful searing and browning of meats, and will ensure a crispy skin on your chicken. It also hastens cooking time, so check temperatures 20 minutes early. If you do not have a convection setting, your chicken will likely take a little longer. Be sure to achieve the minimum recommended temperature.