I have been meaning to post this recipe for a while. It’s simple but so delicious and the name is very appropriate! 🙂 My Drunken Cajun Chicken is this Georgia girl’s tribute to Louisiana! The skin is crispy and full of flavor and the meat is juicy. It even makes it’s own gravy. This is seriously the most flavorful and FAST cooking roasted chicken I have ever eaten!
Tips about the Recipe
I know a lot of people don’t like handling raw chicken. My solution is to wear disposable gloves to keep the mess down to a minimal. Be sure to still wash your hands and your work surface after handling chicken, you don’t want to take any chances! Most roasted chickens take 70-90 minutes to cook but by splitting the chicken down the back bone, you easily shave 25-30 minutes off of your cooking time while seasoning the entire chicken through and through. Cooking chicken on grills has never been easier!
Chicken cut down the back (right beside the backbone) and generously seasoned.
After your family devours the chicken for dinner, be sure to throw the bones in your slow cooker and make homemade bone broth!
If you don’t normally keep wine around, I really encourage you to get some to cook with. I don’t normally drink it but it is wonderful in this recipe as well as my Amazing Roast and Bolognese Sauce from my cookbooks. I also use white wine in a few recipes, mainly with fish and shrimp. Don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off leaving lots of flavor. If having alcohol in the house, consider buying from https://www.gattertopdrinks.com/.
Drunken Cajun Chicken and Creamy Spinach.
- 3-3.5 lb. whole chicken (preferably organic)
- 2 heaping tbsp. Cajun House Seasoning (or more)
- 2 tbsp. bacon grease or fat of choice
- 1/3 cup red wine (I used Merlot) or gluten-free beer*
*You can also use water or chicken stock.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. On a cutting board, use kitchen scissors (or a VERY sharp knife) and cut down the back of the chicken (to the left or right of the back bone) until the chicken has been cut all the way through. GENEROUSLY sprinkle the Cajun seasoning on the inside of the bird and then flip and generously season the skin side, being sure to lift the legs and season ALL the skin. Wash your hands and set bird aside.
Heat a large cast iron skillet (mine is 10 inches) over medium-high heat. Add the bacon drippings and then using tongs, add the seasoned chicken, skin side down to the hot pan. Allow the skin side to cook for 5 minutes and then flip. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
Pull out the center rack, carefully place the cast iron skillet and chicken on the rack and pour 1/3 cup wine into the pan. Carefully push the rack into the oven and close oven door. Cook for 45 minutes or until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Carefully remove from oven. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the drippings (aka gravy) into a coffee cup or a fat separator. Either skim off the fat with a spoon or allow the fat separator to do it's thing and pour off the juices, leaving the fat behind.
Carve chicken and serve with gravy.
- Nutrition: Fat and calories will depend on if eating white or dark meat. There are no carbs in the chicken and a minuscule amount in the wine.
