Roasted Chicken- Mexican Remix

Roasted chicken is one of my favorites, especially when the weather is cold and rainy.

So when roasting chickens go on sale, I get a few.

The other night, though, I was in the mood for some Mexican flare, so my regular roasted chicken got a little remix (cue club music).

Now, I should preface this post by saying that this is NOT a 30 minute meal. It's NOT convenient. It's NOT for the faint of heart. It IS, however, tasty and simple, so cowboy up and just try it.

In a bowl, mix together your marinade:

1/2 cup apple juice

the juice of 2 lemons (reserve rinds)

the juice of 2 limes (reserve rinds)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped

1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can (the more sauce, the spicer it will be)

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Clean 1 roasting chicken, removing all it's "inside parts." Put your reserved lemon and lime rinds into the chicken carcass. Place chicken in a large bowl or sealable bag, and pour over your marinade. Cover in plastic wrap and refridgerate overnight (if you don't have the time, you can just cut straight to cooking, but I highly recommend treating her like a lady and giving this bird the time she needs).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place bird on roasting rack in a large roasting pan or dutch oven. Pour marinade over the top and place her in the oven. Roast for about an hour and a half or until the internal temperature measures 180 degrees. Time will depend on the size of your bird. Bast or brush the chicken with the marinade every 20-30 minutes. Take chicken out of the oven and tent pan with aluminum foil for at least 15 minutes to let the meat rest.

Now, you could stop there. It's done. It's tasty... but...

If you want to get really crazy (I sure did), do this:

Once chicken has cooled a bit, take the meat off the bone and tear pieces to desired size. Take your rack out of the pan and place over medium heat on the stovetop. Once the drippings are hot, toss chicken in sauce and give it a quick saute until you get some nice crispy bits.... mmmm.... yes.

I used this meat to make chilaquiles, one of my FAVORITE mexican dishes, but honestly, it would be great with anything... tacos, enchiladas, nacho meat, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!