Greek Roasted Chicken

I suppose I should have started off with the Greek roasted chicken recipe first...before I gave away a leftover idea. But I love that it was requested and happy to post this delicious recipe. There are complicated ways to marinate and roast a chicken and there are easy, slightly lazy and quick ways to roast a chicken. I am all about quick and easy...
because it gets dinner on the table fast and keeps the temptation to order take-out at bay. Enjoy!

Greek Roasted Chicken

cooking method adapted from: Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen 

Marinade by: Simply Fit Mama

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic (I use the frozen garlic at the grocery store...don't judge me...it's easy, save time,  and always fresh!)

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

2 lemons, juiced

*Sea salt and cracked pepper right before it goes in the oven

1 whole chicken, back bone cut out

Details:

First things first: if you don't have fresh herbs no problem, just use about half the amount of dried herbs as substitutes (dried herbs are stronger). If you are planning to buy herbs at the store in those little plastic containers for $4 in the produce aisle...STOP!!! Go to the hardware store instead. Get yourself a big pot of dirt and buy a couple basic herbs to plant on your back porch, in your kitchen and/or in the ground. It will save you money and make you smile every time you cut fresh herbs for your meals; you will use them more than you think.

Backbone cut out, huh?? This is easy; do it once and you will be a pro at it then it will take you two minutes while you are rinsing your chicken. Soo...while you are rinsing your chicken grab those kitchen shears out of your knife block and flip the chicken so that the breast side is down. Start to cut on one side of the backbone and cut from one end to the other. The chicken should open up now, then take those shears to the other side of the backbone and cut from one end to the other. Discard the backbone. Open the chicken up and finish rinsing, pat dry. This step just saved you 45 minutes to an hour of cooking time.

Instructions:

-Start this marinade first thing in the morning; later in the day is fine just give it at least an hour to marinate before cooking.

-Use a 13x9 dish to mix marinade ingredients together. Lay the clean, back bone removed chicken in the dish cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge until it's time to start dinner.

-Preheat oven to 500 degrees. This recipe will smoke up the house some, so just turn on the fans.
-Spray cooking spray on the pan and then the rack. (easier clean-up)

-Remove the chicken from the marinade, salt and pepper the chicken, on the skin side and then flip to the meaty/ bone side and salt and pepper.
-Place chicken breast side up, on broiler pan rack.
-Roast chicken 40-45 minutes until juices run clear on the thickest part of thigh.
-Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.