Spicy Rapid Roast Chicken

We love this chicken recipe. It takes a little while, but if you don't brine your chicken, it doesn't take as long, but it still wonderful.

Chicken Brine
2 quarts cold water
1/4 c. table salt

Stir water and salt together in a big bowl until salt is dissolved.
Add 4-6 chicken breasts, or one whole chicken. Let chicken sit in the brine for 3-4 hours, or overnight. If soaking overnight, add less salt.
Take chicken our of brine, rinse, and dry off.

Rapid Roast Chicken
1 (3 lb) whole chicken, or 4-6 chicken breasts (I do just the chicken breasts.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 (or less, depending on how spicy you want it. I usually half this) cayenne pepper

1. Presheat oven to 450 F.

2. Rinse chicken thoroughly inside and out under cold running water and remove all fat. Pat dry with paper towels.

3. Put chicken into a small baking pan. Rub with olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, paprika, and cayenne pepper together and sprinkle over chicken.

4. Roast the chicken in the prehated oven for 20 minutes. Lower the oven to 400 F and continue roasting 40 minutes, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 F. (If cooking chicken breasts, put oven at 400 F and cook for 30-40 minutes.) Let cool 10 - 15 minutes and serve.

I usually make a lot of extra chicken and freeze it. Then I put it in salads for lunch and stuff. Joel even takes it to work for lunch.