Every Jewish cook needs to be able to make roast chicken in a hurry and this recipe fits the bill. This is the chicken dish you want for Shabbat, company, or even weeknight dinners when you just want to put the bird in the oven and pull out a perfectly cooked chicken.

The Backstory: This is my fast, go-to chicken recipe. Yes the name is funny, but it is what it is: roast chicken in a hurry. There is always a frozen chicken in my freezer.  Whenever I know I need to whip up dinner the next day, I take the frozen chicken out of my freezer, put in the refrigerator to defrost overnight and know that I’m going to be all set and stress-free. The next day, when I’m ready to prepare it, I take it out and let it come to room temperature.  While the chicken is resting, I’m not resting! I do whatever other chores need to be done around the house (make the beds, clean up a little, pay some bills, start a laundry, whatever!) I’ve been doing this for 50 years. We women can multi-task! But what else is new? More of the Backstory after the recipe…

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Roast Chicken in a Hurry

This succulent chicken roasts until it golden brown and moist and tender on the inside. It is perfect for Shabbat, weeknight dinners, or anytime you want a traditional comfort meal.

Course Lunch, Main Dish

Cuisine Jewish

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 4-5 lb. whole Kosher chicken
• 2 tbsp. oil, divided
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt, divided
• 1 tsp.. black pepper, divided
• 6 cloves garlic whole, divided
• 1/2 lemon
• small bunch of parsley or 1 tbs. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and pat dry the cavity and outside of the chicken. Place a rack in a large roasting pan and put the chicken on the rack. In the cavity, put 1/2 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. of pepper, 2 peeled garlic cloves and rub all these seasonings around the inside of the cavity, Then add the lemon and the parsley and truss the chicken.
2. Put some oil under the breast skin. Season the top of the chicken with the rest of the salt and pepper and sprinkle some paprika on top. Add a little oil to the outside of the chicken and rub all over the bird.
3. Add about 1/2 inch of water or chicken stock to the bottom of the pan. Put the rest of the unpeeled garlic in the bottom of the pan. Baste often and add liquid if needed. Roast for 1 1/2 hours. When juices from the chicken run clear the chicken is done. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. I usually serve this with roasted or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

…The Backstory continues: Now, back to my naked bird. I gather all my ingredients for whichever preparation I am using, preheat the oven, and get to work.  It usually takes a few minutes to get things organized, but this is all part of the process. Once you know that having a chicken on hand (in that freezer, ladies) is all you need, you’re always good to go. Chances are, you have everything else in your pantry and fridge, to pull together dinner in no time.

This recipe is so easy and so delicious.  Try it sometime and enjoy it as much as my family did.

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Myrna Turek

I'm a domestic goddess who got my 'PhD' in Home Ec in the early 1960s. I was married for 52 years and have six grandchildren. If it were up to me, everything would be fried. Including chocolate.

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