Rotisserie Chicken and Chicken Marinade

Just about a year ago now, the kids and I got David a rotisserie for either Father's Day or his birthday.  I can't remember which, it was so long ago...haha!  We were joking about using it earlier in the week last week, and we figured since we had three fryers in the freezer, it would be a good idea to pull out the rotisserie and try it!  When I was growing up, that's really the only way I remember my dad grilling whole chickens, on the rotisserie.  Once in a while he'd try a different method, but rotisserie was his go to method.  He still uses it to this day!  The taste of it brought me back to when I was a kid, the three of us enjoying dinner on our back patio, listening to the sounds of our neighbors argue while we chowed down on chicken, macaroni pasta salad and iced tea.  Maggie, our black Schnauzer mix, was running around the backyard chasing squirrels.  Those were the days!  Bringing us back to my family of six and three birds later...holy cow that was good!  I had the chickens resting comfortably in a marinade for about 8 hours, rotating them every couple of hours to bring as much flavor as possible.  I can see you're already salivating, so I better share my recipes with you.  Let's go through the marinade first, since that's where most of the work is done.  You can definitely use this marinade for any type of chicken, it doesn't have to be used solely for a whole chicken.  This would be great with chicken breasts, thighs, legs, and feel free to bake the chicken if you don't have a grill.

Chicken Marinade (the recipe is written for a whole chicken)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. olive oil
• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/2 c. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2 c. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1 tsp. thyme, dried
• 1 tsp. oregano, dried
• 1 tsp. paprika
• salt and pepper
• 1 -2 whole chicken(s), I made three because they were small and we are big eaters!

Directions:

1. Add ingredients in a large metal or glass bowl.  Whisk until well combined.  
2. Trim any excess skin or unnecessary parts of the chicken.  Place chicken carefully into the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf, if possible, for 2 to 24 hours.  Rotate chicken every couple of hours to develop the flavors. 

   

   Chicken is marinating.
   
   

3. Remove chicken and you are ready to cook!

*Note: Remember, you can use this marinade for any type of chicken you'd like.  It's versatile.  

Are you ready now for the rotisserie part?  This is super easy!  All you have to do is place your chicken .  

Place your marinated chicken on the rotisserie.  Attach it to the grill...let it spin!  You'll have to check your chicken for doneness, but no worries!  Just be sure to have your handy kitchen thermometer ready to check various parts on the chicken.  You'll want to check the legs as well as the breasts.  They don't often cook at the same speed.  Your chicken is done when all sections read 165 degrees.

Time for dinner!