Mesquite Roasted Chicken Recipes

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Loosen skin on chicken breast; rub butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over; place lemon halves inside cavity. Set in a baking pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven, basting after 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest before carving, about 15 minutes.

HERB-ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry; generously season the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours or overnight to dry out the skin. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mash the butter with the chopped thyme and chopped rosemary in a small bowl. Gently slide your fingers under the chicken skin on the breasts and legs to loosen it. Scoop some of the herbed butter with a spoon; slide the spoon under the skin and hold the skin in place while you remove the spoon. Smooth the skin to distribute the butter. Repeat with the remaining butter.
• Squeeze a lemon half into the cavity of each chicken, then stuff the lemon half inside. Stuff 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 thyme sprig and 1/2 rosemary sprig into each chicken cavity. Tie the legs together with twine. Set a rack in a large roasting pan; put the chicken on the rack and roast 25 minutes. Toss the scallions, tomatoes, olive oil and a large pinch of salt in a bowl, then add to the roasting pan. Remove the twine from the chicken and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170 degrees F, about 50 more minutes.
• Transfer the chicken and vegetables to platters and let rest about 10 minutes before carving.

MESQUITE GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare grill for indirect medium heat (325°F to 375°F). Preheat grill by turning all burners to high with lid closed. Turn off burner(s) on one side of the grill. Turn burner on the other side to medium.Note: To maintain medium heat (325°F to 375°F), keep lid closed and adjust lit burner as necessary. Directions were developed using a gas grill. Grills vary; cooking time is approximate.
• Brush chicken with oil. Season cavity with 1 tablespoon of the Rub. Sprinkle remaining Rub evenly over surface of chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on unlit side of grill. Close lid.
• Grill chicken 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thigh).

MESQUITE CHICKEN MARINADE

Steps:

• Add oil, mesquite seasoning, lemon juice, salt, and water to a ziplock bag. Close the bag and shake/mix contents.
• Add chicken to bag and reseal. Allow chicken to sit in the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes, ideally 24 hours.
• Remove chicken from marinade and cook using the desired method. We grilled ours because the smokey flavor of the grill perfectly compliments the flavors in the marinade. Make sure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

CROCK POT MESQUITE ROAST

Steps:

• Place chuck roast in the crock pot and pour cola over the top of it.
• Mix water with the mesquite marinade packet and pour over the top of the roast.
• Cook 8 hours on low.

MESQUITE-ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the rub: in a bowl, combine all the rub ingredients; set aside.
• Chickens: remove and discard the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the chickens.
• Rinse the chickens, inside and out, under cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
• Remove the backbones and cut each chicken in half.
• Coat each chicken half thoroughly with the rub, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
• Make the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together along with ½ cup water.
• Follow your grill's instructions for using wood chips; grill the chicken halves skin side up, over Indirect Medium heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 170° in the breast and 180° in the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 ¼ hours.
• Remove from the grill and loosely cover with foil; let rest for about 5 minutes before cutting the halves in two.
• Serve warm with the sauce on the side.

MESQUITE-ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE RUB: In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients. Remove and discard the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the chickens. Rinse the chickens, inside and out, under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the backbones and cut in half (see REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Cutting Poultry For The Grill: Special Technique). Coat each chicken half thoroughly with the rub, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: In a small bowl whisk together the sauce ingredients along with 1/2 cup water. Follow the grill's instructions for using wood chunks. Grill the chicken halves, skin side up, over Indirect Medium heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the grill and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting the halves in two. Serve warm with the sauce on the side.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.