If you are not familiar with Thanksgiving, its an American holiday observed on the fourth Thursday of November. It celebrates the story of the Pilgrim’s meal with the Native Americans and is reserved as a day to spend with loved ones and for giving thanks. Most families observe with a large meal and sometimes a religious service. A traditional Thanksgiving meal includes seasonal dishes such as roast turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie but is not limited to this exact menu.

As a Pakistani Immigrant my family is not accustomed to the flavor of Turkey or pumpkin, so we usually serve whole roasted chicken with various sides instead of Turkey. This Orange Cranberry glazed roasted Chicken is what brings the family together on Thanksgiving at our table. A perfectly balanced profile of the glaze is what’s going to keep your guests raving about this meal at many family get togethers. This glaze is sweet, spicy and tangy and compliment the juicy chicken perfectly.

Tips for a Juicy Chicken

The most important task is to ensure the skin is completely dry before apply the herb butter. If the skin is still wet and the butter keeps sliding off, use a blowtorch to tighten the skin on the chicken which will help the skin dry and the butter will stay on the skin.

Use a roasting pan with heat that can reach all around the chicken. If the skin is resting on a flat surface it will become soggy.

Do not open the oven or the airfryer frequently to check on the chicken.

Remember to baste the chicken with its juices in between to keep it moist.

The chicken is perfectly cooked when the juices run clear.

Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into to so that it has time to reabsorb the juices.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do and make your Thanksgiving meal memorable! Please don’t forget to leave a comment and review on this recipe for other visitors.

Orange Cranberry Glazed Roast Chicken

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Recipe by Fatima Maniya Soorty Course: Main CourseCuisine: American, ThanksgivingDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Juicy, tender whole roasted chicken with a perfectly balanced orange cranberry glaze.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken skin on

• 1 1/2 stick softened butter (12 tbsp)

• 10 cloves of garlic finely chopped

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 3 tsp salt or to taste

• 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped

• 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped

• 2 tsp fresh marjoram chopped

• 2 tsp dried mix Italian herbs (substitute)

• 1 carrot quartered

• 1 small onion halved

• 1/2 fennel (optional)

• 2 celery sticks halved

• 4-6 whole garlic cloves

• 1 small orange quartered

• Orange Cranberry Glaze

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 2 tbsp white vinegar

• 4 tbsp canned cranberry sauce (optional)

• 2 tsp cayenne

• 3 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

• 4 tbsp water (or as needed)

Directions

• In a bowl mix softened butter, chopped garlic, fresh or dried herbs and spices.
• Dry the chicken skin really well so the butter sticks to the skin.
• Apply the herb and spice butter to the chicken generously inside the cavity, on the skin and under the skin.
• Fill the cavity of the chicken with carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, onion and orange.
• Air fry the chicken at 400 degrees for 40 mins, remove from the oven and glaze the chicken generously with the orange cranberry glaze and bake for an additional 10 mins.
• Remove the chicken and place it on a baking rack so the skin remains crispy and let it rest for 10 mins before serving.
• Orange Cranberry Glaze
• In a sauce pan mix all the ingredients and simmer on low heat until a thin sauce is ready. Remove 1/2 cup for serving on the side.
• Heat the remaining sauce on medium flame until thick and glossy.
• Remove from the heat and set aside to glaze the chicken!

Notes

• If the herb butter is sliding off the skin, it means the skin is still wet. Use a blowtorch to tighten the skin and then apply the butter.
• Chicken can also be roasted at 430 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the oven if you do not have an air fryer.