This chicken is marinated in an apple cider brine, and then basted during the roasting process with some apple cider that has been reduced to a syrup. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Fall arrives (very) soon, and you’re going to want to get out all the apples and maple and pumpkin and start cooking. Add this cider roasted chicken to your dinner making bucket list.
How do you roast a chicken at home?
We’re so spoiled these days because it’s so easy to pick up a chicken (already roasted) at the store. In fact, I’m going to guess that grabbing a roasted chicken from the store is quite often on most family’s “easy dinner” lists. I’d love for the world to know just how easy roasting your own chicken can be (with delicious results!) It’s really not difficult to roast your own chicken, and I suggest you try it sometime for a Sunday night dinner. In this recipe, you make a quick brine for your chicken. A brine is a soaking liquid that will help the chicken to maintain maximum juices while roasting. So make the brine in the morning, and then let the chicken soak in the brine much of the day (or you can do this the night before). Then you’re going to dry off the chicken, add onions/garlic/parsley to the cavity of the bird, and pop it into the oven to roast for 1 1/2 hours. While it’s roasting, you’ll reduce 2 cups of cider into a syrup by boiling it on the stove. Then you can go about your business until the chicken is done roasting. The last step is pulling it out of the oven, slipping off the skin (unless you prefer to leave it on), and then basting the chicken with that delicious cider syrup. It goes back into the oven for 10 minutes, then one more baste before carving this cider roasted chicken and serving it. Note that the photos show the chicken with the skin left ON.
Cider Roasted Chicken
There it is! Cider roasted chicken carved to perfection. Legs, wings and thighs pulled off, and the breast cut into slices. That amazing cider syrup adds great flavor to regular ‘ol chicken. And it looks far more appetizing than a roasted chicken from the market, doesn’t it? Try roasting your own chicken, and let me know what you think. Is it worth it? It’s perfect for a sit-down dinner with the family.
If you’re looking for more delicious dinner recipes to make in the fall, you might be interested in making my Roasted Pumpkin Sausage Risotto or this Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Crispy Sage. One Pan Cranberry- Balsamic Roasted Chicken, Chicken with Apples and Cider, and Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples and Butternut Squash are also delicious meals to try. And if you want to host a fall dinner party, check out my Harvest Dinner Party Menu!
