- 1 whole chicken, about 4 to 5 lb
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric, optional
For stuffing the cavity
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 1 lemon, halved, optional
- A few sprigs fresh thyme or oregano, optional
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin gently over the breast with your fingers.
- In a bowl, mix together all ingredients.
- Rub the marinade all over the chicken, under the skin, and inside the cavity. Massage it in well. Stuff the cavity with lemon, onion, and herbs. Tie the legs if you like. If you have time, marinate uncovered in the fridge 4 to 24 hours. If not, even 30 minutes at room temperature works.
- Place the chicken breast-side up on a rack set over a roasting pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- For non-convection oven setting, roast for 20 minutes at 425°F, then reduce heat to 375°F and continue roasting 40 to 50 minutes. For convection setting, the oven can stay at the same temperature.
- Roast until breast reaches 160–162°F. Rest 10–15 minutes.Breast temperature should climbs to 165°F and thigh temperature will ideally climb to 175–180°F.