This easy-to-prepare smoked paprika chicken recipe features oregano, garlic and honey for a flavor reminiscent of Spanish food or your favorite BBQ. Try coating it with the rub, or marinating it overnight before roasting.
2tablespoonsfresh oregano leavesfinely chopped plus more leaves for garnish
2tablespoonssmoked paprika
1tablespoonhoney
1tablespoonground cumin
6garlic clovesgrated
4teaspoonskosher salt
For The Roast Vegetables:
2mediumyellow onionssliced into 1-inch rings
11/2 poundsassorted fingerling potatoeshalved
Instructions
Spatchcock The Chicken: Remove the chicken from packaging, discard and giblets, and pat dry with paper towels. To spatchcock, use a sharp pair of poultry shears or kitchen scissors to cut along both sides of the backbone; remove and discard. Place chicken, breast-side up, and press down on the breast to flatten it so it is lying completely flat.
Marinate The Chicken: Combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, all the paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic and 3 teaspoons of the salt in a bowl and mix until thoroughly moistened. Rub half the mixture under the skin of the chicken getting under the breasts, thighs, and legs. Then rub 1 tablespoon of oil all over the skin on the outside.
Prepare The Oven: Heat oven to 450°F and arrange rack in the middle. In a medium bowl toss the onions and potatoes with the remaining paste and remaining salt. Set aside while oven heats up, at least 20 minutes. (Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before roasting. Be sure to let the chicken rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before roasting so it cooks evenly.)
Roast The Spatchcock Chicken: Arrange onions and potatoes in the bottom of a roasting pan or large baking dish. Place chicken on top, and roast until the thigh meat is no longer pink and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F, about 50 minutes. The potatoes may not be fully cooked when the chicken is ready. If that happens, remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest and return the potatoes to the oven to roast for another 10 minutes while the chicken rests. Let the chicken sit at least 10 minutes before carving.
Carve The Spatchcock Chicken: Use a sharp knife to cut at the joints that connect the thighs to the breasts and remove the thigh and leg portions. Second, take the thigh and leg portion and put the end of the drumstick in your hand then cut through the joints between the thigh and drumstick to separate. Third, cut through the joints between the wings and breast to remove the wings. Fourth, cut down the middle of the breasts and use a sharp paring knife or poultry shears to cut along the breast bone on both sides to remove the breasts.Finally, cut the breast pieces crosswise for a total of four breast pieces.
Serve The Smoked Paprika Chicken: Garnish chicken with a few additional oregano leaves, and serve with onions, potatoes, and a spoonful of the pan juices.