I’m here with another roast chicken recipe for you!

The last time I shared one with you, I talked about how I don’t make roast chicken enough. Well, truth be told, I’ve been making them more and more lately since that post! I’m telling you: it’s comfort food.

And since we’ve all been sick these past couple weeks (yesterday was the first day in forever where I actually felt somewhat normal), comforting is just what we need.

This fajita roast chicken is a fun twist. I season the chicken all over with my favorite homemade taco/southwest/fajita spice mix and roast it until succulent and juicy. There is SO much flavor from the spices, it’s crazy.

To make this a complete meal, I also roast onions and bell peppers right in the same pan as the chicken. It really rounds out the fajita experience.

When we were little, my dad would take us out and if fajitas were on the menu, he would often get them. The flavors and smells of this chicken dish remind me of that so clearly. The sizzle and smell of the peppers and onions on the hot skillet, along with the aroma of the seasoned and spiced chicken.

When I made this meal, it immediately transported me back to my dad eating chicken fajitas.

Crazy how food does that, right?

Anyway. This chicken quickly turns into a full meal. I made some brown rice and served the chicken, peppers, and onions over top and it was a fantastic, well-rounded, fuss-free weeknight meal.

I love roast chicken for this reason: it’s very hands off. You do need 2 hours or so to cook it, but it’s 2 hours of hands-off cooking. You check is once or twice during the entire roast time, but other than that, the chicken takes care of itself in the oven. No babysitting required.

And again, it’s pure comfort food. At its simplest! And best!

Fajita Roast Chicken

Author: Molly
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

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Description

This Fajita Roast Chicken has all the flavors of your favorite chicken fajitas but in a much simpler form!

Scale

Ingredients

1 (5-lb) whole chicken, giblets removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 lime zested and quartered
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F and place the chicken in a baking dish. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the chicken inside and outside with some salt.
In a bowl, whisk together the spices, salt, pepper, and lime zest.
Drizzle the olive oil all over the outside of the chicken. Rub the spice mixture all over the inside and outside of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Baste the chicken all over with any pan juices that have accumulated.
Add the quartered lime, bell peppers, and onions to the roasting pan. Season with a little salt and pepper and then return the pan to the oven to roast for another hour, basting again.
At this point, check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. If it registers 165°F, it is ready. If not, keep roasting, basting and checking the temperature every 15 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165°F.
Allow the chicken to rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with cooked rice and the peppers and onions from the pan.