Honey Harissa Roast Chicken
One of our favorite meals is a roast chicken. It lasts for days and can be used in so many ways. Tacos, salads, chicken pot pie, chicken tetrazzini - to name just a few ideas. This Honeyed Harissa Roast Chicken is a twist on our classic roast chicken. It’s spicy, sweet, a little bit smoky, and packed with unctuous flavor. It is a set it and forget it kind of meal, which is ideal during busy weeks and most likely can be done in a slow cooker! Serve it with roasted potatoes, fluffy quinoa, roasted cauliflower, kale or broccoli or carrots. When you take the lemons out of the cavity of the chicken squeeze them into the pan juice and add a tablespoon of butter for a silky sauce.
INGREDIENTS
1 (5-lb) whole chicken, giblets removed
3 tablespoons red harissa paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 lemons, halved
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh thyme, for optional serving garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F and place the chicken in a baking dish. Season the chicken inside and outside with some salt.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the harissa, oil, honey, spices, salt, and pepper.
3. Rub the harissa mixture all over the inside and outside of the chicken. Place the lemon and garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
4. Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Baste the chicken all over with any pan juices that have accumulated.
5. Return the chicken to the oven and roast for another hour, basting again. At this point, check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. If it registers 165°F, it is ready. If not, keep roasting, basting and checking the temperature every 15 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165°F.
6. Allow the chicken to rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh thyme before serving.
