Easy Venezuelan Roasted Chicken
This Venezuelan Roasted Chicken is juicy, tender and so easy to make! Every single bite will be a flavor bomb explosion in your mouth.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 104kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (I use white vinegar)
- 4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 8 - 10 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup green bell pepper (about half medium pepper)
- 1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika (pimento dulce)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 3 - 4 lb (2-3 kg) whole chicken, giblets and neck removed from the cavity
Mojo:
- 4 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dry oregano
- 4 – 5 garlic cloves (no peeled and slightly crushed - see notes)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place lime juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion, salt, sweet paprika, sugar, cumin, and black pepper in a small food processor or blender; blend until smooth.
- Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside of the chicken dry. Slightly loose the skin of the chicken with a spoon, if desired. Place chicken in a gallon zip-top freezer bag.
- Add marinade to the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and massage the chicken to coat in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it to let it come up to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 475º F/ 240°C.
- Remove chicken from the marinade, shaking excess and discarding the marinade. Optional: use kitchen string to tie the drumsticks together. Place breast-side up into baking tray or roasting pan.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350º F/ 180º C and continue roasting until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Baste the chicken halfway through cooking. NOTE: If the chicken is getting too brown to your taste, cover the top with foil, leaving space between the top of the chicken and the foil tent for heat circulation.
- When the chicken is cooked, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board or plate to rest for 10 minutes or so. Then, cover it with a layer of tin foil and a tea towel to keep it warm.
- Drizzle the chicken with the mojo, if desire. Serve.
Make the mojo (optional):
- Place all the ingredients for the mojo in a small bowl and mix to combine. This can be made ahead of time since it gets better with time.
Notes
Garlic for the Mojo: To make the mojo, you don't need to peel and mince the garlic if you don't want. Just crush them lightly with the flat of a knife and the heel of your hand; that will be enough to infuse the mojo with garlic flavor. Feel free to peel and mince the garlic if you like a strong garlic flavor.
Store: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Roast the Chicken in the Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350 for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the chicken to the air fryer basket breast-side up. Air fry for about 25 minutes, or until the top of the chicken is browned, then flip over and cook 25 minutes, until golden and crisp and brown all over and it reaches an internal temperature of 165º F.
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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.
Nutrition
Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1555mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg