Southwestern Roasted Chicken (For the Love of Cooking)

Ingredients:

• 1 4-5 lb free range chicken
• Onion powder
• Chili powder
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, quartered
• 1 lime
• 6 cloves of garlic
• Handful of fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Clean chicken and pat dry. Squeeze half the lime juice on the outside of the bird and the other half inside the cavity. Sprinkle all of the seasonings evenly over the entire bird. I season the back first then flip it over and season the breast side. Place onion and garlic inside the cavity along with the cilantro and used lime halves.

Place chicken on a roasting tray in a tinfoil lined baking dish. Place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Roast uncovered for 3 1/2 - 4 hours or until the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. I start basting my bird after 2 hours and repeat every 1/2 an hour after that. My chicken turns out sticky and slightly crispy. If you want crispy skin then don't baste for the last hour and turn the heat up to 350 degrees for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from the oven and let the bird rest for AT LEAST 10 minutes before carving. Enjoy!