Nicole’s 10-Minute Chicken Rub

When fresh roasting chickens recently went on sale in the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live, I bought several. At just $8 for a two-pound chicken, we couldn’t have eaten more cheaply. I didn’t want to stuff this bird, so quartered a fresh lemon and tucked two lemon quarters inside the cavity. Rubbing my own seasoning mix into the skin, I popped the uncovered bird into a 325 deg. F. oven for an hour, basted it with 2 tbsp. lemon juice and the pan juices midway through cooking, and allowed it to roast a further hour (total cooking time: 2 hr.), until the leg and thigh jiggled nicely, signaling that the bird was done. 

The pan juices were simply too good to waste, so I heated them over the stove top, mixing in 2 tbsp. tapioca starch (see Note) until the juices thickened. Stirring constantly, I gradually added a cup of water mixed with a teaspoon of bouillon powder. When the bouillon and starch solution approached the right consistency (not too thin, not too thick, but just right!), I poured it through a strainer and into the gravy boat. Adding tapioca starch instead of flour produced a less calorific (but still terrific) gravy! 

The lemon inside the bird’s cavity kept the chicken beautifully moist, as did my rub, which sealed in the juices and delivered a burst of flavor. My 10-Minute Chicken Rub recipe makes about 1-½ cups; store it in an airtight container. You’ll need to use 2 tbsp. of the mix for a plump roasting chicken - more if you use this mixture for turkey. 

Nicole’s 10-Minute Chicken Rub:

2 tbsp. crushed, dried basil leaves

2 tbsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. granulated garlic

2 tbsp. granulated onion

4 tsp. salt

4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1-½ tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. cayenne

Combine all ingredients well. Store in airtight container. Use 2-to-3 tbsp. seasoning mix per roasting chicken. This rub takes just 10 minutes to make - hence, the name!

Note: I greatly prefer the texture of tapioca starch over cornstarch, but cornstarch works just as well, as long as you mix it with a little cold water before stirring it in. 

Pop half a fresh lemon into the cavity of the bird

Aye, there's the rub!

My 10-Minute Chicken Rub adds a golden hue