Poblano, Cilantro, and Lime Roast Chicken

We have had very stormy and rainy weather here in Oregon for the past several days, which always has me wanting to cook comfort food. I was in the mood for Mexican flavors, so I decided to make the ultimate in comfort food–a roasted chicken. I found this recipe on Cooking for Keeps that looked amazing, and it used flavors I love. This poblano, cilantro, and lime roasted chicken smelled incredible while it roasted and tasted even better. The meat was so tender, juicy, and flavorful, and the potatoes, onions, and poblanos were tender, caramelized, and delicious–my favorite part of the meal, if I am honest. I paired this chicken with a Southwestern salad and dinner rolls, and we all enjoyed the entire meal.

Poblano, Cilantro, and Lime Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 poblano chile peppers, divided – 1 roughly chopped and 1 roasted
• ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
• 3 garlic cloves, divided
• Zest from ½ lime
• Juice from ½ lime
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4½ lb. whole chicken
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 large onion, cut into chunks

How to Make a Poblano, Cilantro, and Lime Roast Chicken:

Preheat the oven to broiler.

Line a baking sheet with foil, then place the pepper on top. Place in the oven and broil until the pepper is blackened on all sides.

Transfer the pepper to a large Ziploc bag, seal, and let it steam for 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the Ziploc bag and scrape off the charred skin. Remove the stem and seeds from the inside of the pepper. Set aside to cool.

In a small food processor, pulse together roasted poblano, cilantro, 1 clove of garlic, lime zest, lime juice, and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Slowly drizzle in 2 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Rinse chicken inside and out, pat dry. Season the inside of the cavity with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder.

In a large cast-iron skillet, toss onion, one chopped & seeded raw poblano, and chopped potatoes with one tablespoon olive oil. Season well with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Place chicken on top of the veggies. Stuff the cavity with the remaining half of the onion, remaining half a lime, 2 small cloves of garlic, and a small handful of cilantro.

Gently separate the skin from the breast and rub some of the cilantro/poblano mixture evenly under the skin.

Spread leftover mixture evenly on the outside of the chicken. Season the skin well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and roast for 45-50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.

Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Remove the veggies from the pan with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl.

Serve chicken and veggies with pan drippings, along with fresh lime juice and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Giveaway: ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED–WINNER ANNOUNCED!***

The generous people at Lagostina want to give one of my readers a Lagostina Martellata Hammered Copper Pastaiola Set!!! This amazing pastaiola set will be the star of your kitchen and is valued at $249.99! I love mine and look forward to using it again and again for years to come. To enter the giveaway, click this link and leave a comment on the giveaway post.