Roast Chicken With Cumin, Honey and Orange

By Mark Bittman

Updated Aug. 2, 2022

Roast Chicken With Cumin, Honey and Orange
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(2,111)
Comments
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An easy way to give roast chicken some character is to baste it with flavorful liquid. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this does nothing to keep the bird moist. Even a very lean bird remains moist as long as it isn't overcooked. But the liquid adds flavor to the skin and creates a ready-made sauce that can be spooned over the chicken as you serve it. If you add some sugar or other sweetener to the basting liquid, the bird gains a mahogany color that you have to see to believe. As it heats, the sugar caramelizes, becoming thicker and stickier and turning the chicken's skin crisp and gorgeous. The result is not overly sweet, because caramelized sugars have a bitter, complex component. I prefer honey to sugar and like to combine it — as I do here — with orange juice and ground cumin, which together add acidity and even more complexity. This aromatic mix creates pan juices that can be spooned over rice or sopped up with bread.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ½cup honey
  • 1tablespoon ground cumin
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 13-pound chicken, giblets and excess fat removed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

649 calories; 35 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 37 grams sugars; 44 grams protein; 968 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a nonstick roasting pan, or line a roasting pan with a double layer of aluminum foil. Combine orange juice, honey, cumin, salt and pepper in bowl, and whisk until smooth. Place chicken in pan, and spoon all but ¼ cup of liquid over all of it.

  2. Step 2

    Place chicken in oven, legs first, and roast for 10 minutes. Spoon accumulated juices back over chicken, reverse pan back to front, and return to oven. Repeat four times, basting every 10 minutes and switching pan position each time. If chicken browns too quickly, lower heat a bit. If juices dry up, use reserved liquid and 1 or 2 tablespoons of water or orange juice.

  3. Step 3

    After 50 minutes of roasting, insert an instant-read thermometer into a thigh; when it reads 155 to 165 degrees, remove chicken from oven, and baste one final time. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,111 user ratings
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Comments

Laurie

Roasted over a bed of large-cut carrots, celery, onion; the vegetables braised in the liquid, without leaving anything dry. Fabulous.

John B.

When Meyer lemons are in season, I do a variation of this recipe using the juice squeezed from a couple of them instead of orange juice. I also stuff the cavity with the squeezed lemon rinds and a couple of carrots and some sweet yellow onion chopped into large pieces. Amazing flavor!

Dave Schabes

This is a killer combination of flavors. I spatchcocked my chicken and roasted it over some carrots and about a quarter of an onion. I had a lot of the basting liquid left in the bottom of the roasting pan, so I poured it off and reduced it down, mounted it with butter, and had a delightful sauce.

Robin A.

Loved the combination of flavors! I was surprised that the cumin was not overpowering but deepened the taste. A few points: It took about 1/5 hours to cook fully. I did stuff it with orange and Meyer lemon slices, so perhaps that increased the cooking time. Next time, because of the extended time to cook a whole chicken, I would definitely spatchcock it. Very easy dish with minimal ingredients, and a very satisfying centerpiece to our dinner.

yasmeen

made this with chicken leg quarters and brought it to a dinner party. big hit!

J. McCarthy

Did as written. Pretty boring. Roasting burned off the flavors of the honey and the cumin. Yes, it was moist, but marinating it for an hour or two might well let the flavors penetrate the meat. Didn't try it.

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