Cuban Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken

This is a variation of my baked chicken with salt, pepper, and lemon recipe. I haven't been able to achieve the crispy skin of restaurant baked chicken but the meat is reliably moist and tender, and the skin is still crispy, just not as crispy. I baked this with some baby Dutch potatoes to absorb all the lovely chicken and lemon juices. A variety of root vegetables would work as well. If you want the chicken to be properly lemony, it's best to marinate it overnight. Cuban Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken For 1 roast chicken, you'll need: 1 tsp of salt per lb of chicken juice of 1/2 lemon per lb of chicken 1 onion, sliced 6 cloves or as much garlic as you'd like, smashed 1/2 tsp oregano Wash the chicken and shake off any excess water. Rub 1 tsp of salt per lb of chicken all over the skin and inside the cavity. Let the chicken rest at room temperature to absorb the salt. Juice lemons, estimating about 1/2 lemon per lb of chicken. I like tart, so for an average 3-lb bird, I usually go up and use 2 full lemons. Pour lemon all over the outside and inside of the chicken. Add sliced onions, smashed garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp oregano. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least an hours or overnight. The next day, drain off any excess marinade and place the chicken on a roasting rack. Add the drained onions and garlic underneath. Or if you're cooking everything in a pan, add the onions and garlic with the potatoes or root vegetables. With a fork, deeply prick holes all over two lemons so that juices can drain out while cooking. Stuff lemons inside the cavity of the chicken. If you like tartness, you can also cut the pricked lemons in half so more of the juices drain out during cooking.

Cook chicken breast side down at 425 degrees for half an hour. Turn over so breast side is up, adjust temperature down to 325 degrees and cook for another hour until skin is crisp and golden.

After the chicken is done, allow it to rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Otherwise, the juices will all run out.

I served this with frijoles negros (Cuban black beans), bananas frita (fried bananas), and pastel de tres leches (cake of 3 milks). Enjoy! My other baked and roast chicken recipes you might like: Baked Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, Lemon, and Rosemary Baked Chicken with Citrus Marinade Baked Chicken with Salt, Pepper, and Lemon Fessenjan (Persian Walnut Pomegranate Cornish Game Hen) Ga Ro Ti (Vietnamese Roasted Chicken) Ga Ro Ti Xa (Vietnamese Roasted Lemongrass Chicken) Peruvian Roast Chicken