Spicy baked chicken is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I love to prepare when I don’t want to invest much effort in cooking. You could call it my lazy dinner; simply toss everything into the baking dish, massage the chicken with the butter, and in a little over an hour, my delightful meal is ready, packed with flavour and visually appealing.
What goes into spicy baked chicken
Chicken
I like baking a whole chicken for two reasons: it is minimal effort to prep the chicken, and second, it just looks very presentable. Even though it takes more time to cook, if you are rushing, you can always spatchcock the chicken to reduce the cooking time. You can also use chicken thighs or chicken pieces for this recipe, but the cooking time will be less.
Spicy Butter rub
Butter is crucial to make a moist and flavorful chicken. Make sure to have the butter at room temperature; if it is not, then microwave it for 30 seconds or leave the butter stick in a cup of hot water for a couple of minutes, and it will come to room temperature quickly. Now mix salt, pepper, paprika, onion, garlic powder, cumin, coriander powder, and oregano. If you can handle the spices better, then use cayenne pepper instead of paprika.
Vegetables
Use any vegetable of your choice, but some common vegetables that go very well with the chicken are potatoes, carrots, onions, and even sweet potatoes. Peel and cut the vegetables into cubes.
Seasoning for the vegetables
Season the vegetables with salt, black pepper, paprika, and oregano. Add some olive oil and mix it well.
Chicken or vegetable broth
I like to add about 1/2 a cup of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth in the baking dish to provide moisture to the chicken, and it can also be used to baste the chicken.
Time and temperature for the spicy baked chicken
I baked the vegetables and chicken for about 1 hour and 20 minutes at 425°F and then checked with the thermometer on the thickest part of the chicken until it read 165°F before taking it out.
How to serve the spicy baked chicken
Spicy baked chicken and vegetables are a complete meal as it has the protein, fat, and carbohydrates. I cut myself a piece of chicken and serve it with the vegetables. There’s no need to add anything else, but if you like, you can add a side of bread or even a fresh salad to go with it.
How to store leftover Spicy chicken
Any leftover chicken and vegetables make a perfect lunch for the next day, or use them to make a vegetable soup or sandwiches. I like to store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
More Reipes
- chicken bread with spicy filling
- Easy Baked Chicken
- Air-fried chicken and potatoes
- Easy Butter Chicken
- Homemade Yogurt
Spicy Baked Chicken
Equipment
- 1 digital thermometer
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs chicken with skin 1 whole chicken
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
Spices for the butter
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper omit it, if you don't like it spicy
- 1 tsp garlic powder or fresh garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
Spices for vegetable
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Other ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes
- 2 carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and cut your veggies into cubes. Add all the vegetables to the roasting dish and sprinkle with salt, paprika, oregano, and black pepper. Also, add oil and mix everything, then set it aside.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F
- Wash and pat dry your chicken.
- To prepare the herb butter, mix all the spices and herbs mentioned under the spices for butter and mix it.
- With the help of your hands, separate the skin between the chicken breast and thighs. Add a generous layer of butter under the skin, then apply the rest of it all over the chicken, making sure the whole chicken is covered.
- Use a kitchen twine or a bamboo skewer to tie the chicken legs.
- Now place the chicken on top of the prepared veggies, and tuck in the wings under the chicken. Add 1/2 a cup of vegetable stock to the baking dish.
- Bake at 425°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Baste the chicken every 20-25 minutes with the juices from the pan.
- Check with the thermometer; once it reads 165°F on the thickest part of the chicken, it will be ready.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.