A delicious seasoning blend of herbs and spices for your roast chicken

Chicken is so versatile. You can add so much flavour through a tasty marinade or blend of spices. On it’s own, chicken is very bland so it needs seasoning in order to provide a depth of flavour.

When I have smaller pieces of chicken such as thighs and drumsticks, I find a marinade works so well. But when I have a full chicken to roast low and slow on the bbq or in the oven, I prefer a spice blend.

I always start my chicken by coating it with salt and pepper a day before, or at the very least few hours before cooking. This helps retain the juices in your meat and brings flavour to the surface. About an hour or so before cooking, I take the chicken out to bring it too room temperature. Trussing the chicken is important to help cook things evenly and if you are doing a rotisserie, it is necessary to keep things tight and balanced. I admit I am not great at trussing a chicken but most of the full chickens I purchase come pre-tied with the insides removed. If that is the case, you don’t even need to touch it! Now that the chicken is tied and ready, it’s time to add your flavour! Apply very liberally the spice blend all over the chicken. I often make more than enough so I can really get flavour into all the crevices and the cavity. Once the bird is covered with seasoning, let it sit for an hour to help soak in the flavour.

There are many different strategies to roasting a chicken. In the oven, you can do it at 225 degrees for an hour and a half or so and then crisp up the skin on broil. On the bbq, I have sometimes done a similar technique using indirect heat and sat the chicken directly on the grill. With a rotisserie, I do indirect heat and set the temperature to 350 degrees for an hour and a half or so. No matter the method you choose, time is merely a guide. Your chicken is only done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

In the end, a slow-roasted, seasoned chicken is one of my favourite meals. This spice blend is a perfect compliment for the tender and juicy meat that only slow roasting can provide