Cuban Seasoning/Rub for Chicken

Seasoning/Rub for baked chicken.

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Step 1

Take all marinade ingredients and blend them together.

Step 2

Get the chicken and remove all inside parts. Then wash and pat dry.

Step 3

Place chicken in large glass dish. Gently make a pocket between skin and meat all over chicken starting at neck.

Step 4

Place chicken breast side down. Take the marinade and rub it all over chicken on the inside pocket. Turn chicken over and do it again.

Step 5

Season outside of chicken with Chicken Seasoning powder. Place onion pieces around chicken. Cover chicken with plastic wrap tightly and place in fridge.

Step 6

The longer its in the fridge basting, the juicer it gets. Turn the chicken over and baste the chicken everyonce in awhile.

Step 7

Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This is important for even cooking. Placing cold chicken on the roasting pan can dry out the outside before the inside has a chance to finish cooking.

Step 8

Preheat oven to 425°. This temperature allows the chicken to roast perfectly evenly without needing to adjust the heat at any point.

Step 9

An easy rule of thumb for roasting time is about 15 minutes per pound. This chicken was just under 6 pounds and took exactly 1 + 1/2 hours to roast perfectly at 425°.

Step 10

Also as its baking, take basting mixture and pour it over chicken.

Step 11

Baste the chicken halfway through (spoon the juices onto the top of the skin), and rotate the pan 180° when I put it back in the oven

Step 12

Press a thigh into the body of the chicken to extract some juice. The juice should run clear. OR Place a meat thermometer into the thigh or thickest part of the breast. The internal temperature should read 165°.

Step 13

Let the chicken rest, *uncovered* for a full 15-20 minutes prior to cutting into it. Otherwise the juices will run all over the place instead of getting reabsorbed back into the chicken. We’re going for juicy chicken, not dry! Some recipes advise that you cover the chicken with foil as it rests, but that causes moisture to build up in the foil and will make your crispy skin wet. We don’t want soggy skin.

Step 14

Pour the chicken drippings into a large measuring cup.

Step 15

Top off the chicken juices with chicken broth to make 2 cups.

Step 16

Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Step 17

Add 3 Tablespoons flour. Whisk for 1 minute.

Step 18

Add half of the gravy juice/broth. Whisk until there are no lumps.

Step 19

Add remaining liquid. Whisk for 2 minutes. The gravy will continue to thicken more and more.

Step 20

Season with salt/pepper if desired. Done!

Step 21

* If your chicken needs a touch more color, increase the heat to 500° and use foil to cover up any parts that are already sufficiently browned. * Roast for an additional 5 minutes or so. Keep a close eye on it. * Note: This step wasn’t necessary when I prepared this chicken, however I do rotate the pan 180° halfway through for even color.