Whole chicken roast with a rub of smoked paprika, butter, garlic salt and pepper, and glazed with lemon juice and honey.
I first experienced smoked paprika on a trip to New Zealand several years ago in a sweet potato soup. My host laughed as my eyes lit up with “Wow, what’s in this?!” At the time, smoked paprika could only be found in specialty stores or Penzeys.
Soon after though, McCormick started selling it and promoting it as a spice, so it’s much easier to come by, and we are always looking for an excuse to cook with it.
If you’ve never used it, smoked paprika is to regular paprika what chipotle powder is to red chile powder. I like to think of it as the flavor of my favorite barbecued potato chips.
The following recipe we’ve adapted from one in a free magazine by our local Raley’s grocery store. The flavor of this chicken is terrific, well worth seeking out this spice if you don’t already have some. Do you use smoked paprika in your cooking? If so, please let us know your favorite uses for it in the comments.
Check out the comments section for some great ideas on other things to cook with smoked paprika!
- Want to know how to get that chicken ready for the oven? Check out our guide How to Truss a Chicken!
Smoked Paprika Roast Chicken Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter*
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 whole 4-5 pound roasting chicken
- 4 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
*If using salted butter, use only one teaspoon of salt in the rub, not two.
Method
1 Preheat oven to 325°F.
2 Rinse and dry chicken: Rinse the chicken off with cold water. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels (otherwise the paste won’t stick).
3 Spread paprika butter mix over chicken: Mix together the paprika, melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread over the entire surface of the chicken and place the chicken in a shallow baking pan.
4 Heat the honey and lemon juice in a small pot and set aside.
5 Bake: Bake at 325°F for approximately 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Baste with the lemon-honey mixture after 35 minutes, and then every 15 minutes after that. You may need to adjust total cooking time depending on how big your chicken is.
The bird is done when the juices run clear (not pink) when a knife tip is inserted into both the chicken breast and thigh, about 165°F.
Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Links:
Penzeys Smoked Spanish Paprika
Pumpkin Soup with Smoked Paprika here on Simply Recipes
Sautéed Kale with Smoked Paprika here on Simply Recipes
