Orange Roasted Chicken

I am always looking for new recipes using a whole chicken.  Probably because I am never really satisfied with how they come out!  Usually they seem dry and lacking flavor.

NOT THIS ONE THOUGH!

This recipe for Orange Roasted Chicken is wonderful!  Very moist and bursting with a mild orange flavor!  I was pleasantly surprised!  Thanks to my sis-in-law Jena for the recipe!

All glazed up and ready for eating!  This is so easy to make!

Sprinkle a whole chicken with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Make sure you lift up the skin so you can get the seasonings underneath the skin on the chicken breasts.  I had to use a knife to cut the skin away.

Roast chicken like this for 15 minutes.

On the stove, heat together preserves and low sodium chicken broth.

The recipe calls for orange marmalade, but I used apricot preserves because that is what I had in the frig and it turned out just delicious!

After 15 minutes take chicken out of oven and baste with 1/3 of the sauce.  Make sure and get it under the skin!  Continue roasting and basting for about an hour or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.  This part is vital!  Over-baked chicken is not tasty or moist!

When chicken is done, put on a serving plate and dump juices in pan over the top to glaze it once more.

Carve chicken and drizzle some of the juices over the top.  So yummy!!
Finish off the meal with cooked carrots and mashed potatoes!



ORANGE ROASTED CHICKEN


Ingredients

1/4 cup orange marmalade or apricot preserves
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 whole roasting chicken (about 3 1/2 lb)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place marmalade and broth in small saucepan on low; cook 4–5 minutes or until marmalade melts.
2. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry; loosen skin from breast of chicken and around legs and wings. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper over entire chicken, including inner cavity and under skin. Place chicken, breast side up, in 9- x 13-inch baking dish (wash hands). Remove orange sauce from heat.
3. Bake chicken 15 minutes.
4. Remove chicken from oven and brush with 1/3 of the orange sauce. Bake 45–60 more minutes, basting two more times, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness.
5. Let chicken stand 5 minutes before slicing. Slice chicken thinly and serve.