I should be ashamed to even call this a recipe, but I’m not. I’m never embarrassed about saving time. I’ve mentioned once or twice that I almost always pick up a rotisserie chicken from Costco every time I’m there. It’s such a good deal, and feeds us for days. Now I’m a huge fan of shredding that bad boy up and throwing it into anything from quesadillas to salads. But there’s nothing better than eating it the same day you get it, the way it was supposed to be eaten, like a good satisfying roast chicken. And by the way, I watch too much Food Network. Whenever anyone mentions roast chicken, I think of Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa saying, “It’s Friday, so I’m making Jeffrey’s favorite roast chicken dinner.”
Rotisserie chickens are already seasoned, but I like to add a little extra flavor punch to it, and make it easier to cut and serve. To accomplish this, I flatten it, and then glaze it with a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. And since it’s already cooked, all I do is heat it up a bit in the oven, right before dinner time.
If you brought your chicken home piping hot, let it cool for a bit on the counter so it’s easier for you to handle. This will also prevent the chicken from completely falling apart when you start to snip it.
Flip it on its chest, so you can get to the backbone.
With kitchen shears, snip all the way up in a straight line next to the backbone on one side. Then go up the other side.
Completely remove the backbone and discard. If you’re really frugal, you can actually save this and freeze it and use it to make stock.
Then flip it on its back and press down on the chest a bit to flatten. Doing this not only makes sure that the glaze can get all over every nook and cranny, but it also helps to portion out the chicken very easily when serving. That means you won’t have to bring out your carving knife, or give your family forks for shredding and scraping off scraggly strands.
Transfer to a lined baking pan for easier clean up, and go prepare your ridiculously easy glaze.
Mix maple syrup and chili garlic sauce together. Use 100% real maple syrup. I better not hear that you pulled out your Aunt Jemima’s. This ain’t pancakes people. The maple syrup adds a sweetness that’s not overly sweet, and a smoky deep flavor. So buy the kind that comes in that nifty glass bottle. If you don’t have chili garlic sauce, try adding sriracha or something spicy of your choice instead. That’s your sauce.
You’re gonna pour most of that glaze over the top and get every square inch. BUT, save about 1 tablespoon of your sauce for finishing it off when it comes out of the oven. This will give it a nice sheen.
Make room for your broccoli side dish… or do without the broccoli. It’s up to you. Side note, I always buy my broccoli from Costco too. They sell a huge bag of florets for under $4.00. Drizzle with some olive oil.
Add a scattering of kosher salt and black pepper. Give that garlic powder a little shake.
Pop it into a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes or until that room temperature chicken becomes nice and hot, and the broccoli is roasted.
When it comes out, the maple syrup browns up and the skin will be so delicious. Pour on that remaining tablespoon of maple chili sauce, just to make everything right in the world.
You’ll see that it comes apart very easily, with nothing more than a sharp spatula. I portioned mine into 8 pieces.
And served everything with a side of rice.
Now I know this entry seems like one big advertisement for Costco, but I’m not apologetic for that either. I LOVE Costco! It is probably my FAVORITE grocery store, and then it’s the Korean markets for their cheap produce and kimchi. What, you think I make my own kimchi? Let’s get real people.
Well next time you grab your rotisserie chicken from any store, instead of plunging into it with a fork, think about trying it out this way. It’s a little extra work, but the pay off is huge.
Maple Chili Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 store bought rotisserie chicken at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- Broccoli florets
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Flip slightly cooled store bought rotisserie chicken on its chest to expose the backbone. With kitchen shears, cut a straight line up both sides of the backbone and remove. Flip the chicken on its back and lightly press on the chest to flatten. Transfer to a lined baking pan.
- Mix maple syrup and chili garlic sauce together and pour almost all of it over every part of the chicken, making sure to reserve about 1 Tablespoon of sauce for when the chicken comes out of the oven.
- Strew some broccoli florets around the chicken. Drizzle the broccoli with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Pop the whole thing into a preheated 350 F oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. If the chicken is cold from the fridge, heat for 30-45 minutes or until heated through. However, if this is the case, add both the glaze and the broccoli later, after the chicken is just 10 minutes shy of being done. This way the sauce won't burn, and the broccoli won't over cook.
- Pull out of the oven and drizzle the chicken with the remaining sauce for a nice glossy sheen. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
