Brown Sugar & Bacon Glazed Chicken

Brown Sugar & Bacon Glazed Chicken

Happy New Year Everyone! For my first recipe of 2009...I am posting one of my all-time favorites...I absolutely love roasted chicken but the key is cooking it correctly and making sure it has flavor! I also have a big love for bacon and often use it to add flavor to my dishes. This roasted chicken recipe has it all...it is moist, flavorful with the essence of the smoky bacon, the sweetness of the brown sugar and the spiciness of the cayenne pepper! I'm telling you...this is a winner and you will have a hard time not eating the whole chicken while it still sits in the roasting pan! YUM!

Brown Sugar & Bacon Glazed Roasted Chicken

1 1/2-3lb Whole Chicken

4-6 thick slices of bacon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt

pepper to taste

Brown Sugar Glaze

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of salt

cayenne pepper to taste (optional but oh so good!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the chicken into a roasting pan (breast side up) (I use my ceramic roaster that has a lid but you can use whatever roasting pan you have or just use a baking pan and you can cover the chicken with aluminum foil)

Rub the top of the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle plenty of salt and as much pepper as you like over the chicken. Now make sure to use plenty of salt...remember when roasting meats a lot of the salt is drawn out of the meat.

Roast the chicken with the lid on for 1 to 1 -1/2 hours or until the chicken is done. Remove the lid and baste the chicken once or twice while cooking. After an hour to 1 1/2 hours, raise the oven to 450 degrees and continue roasting for another 30 minutes with the lid off, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees (make sure to take the temp at the thigh).

In a small sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of flour to make a roux.

Once the butter is melted and the mixture is golden brown (not dark brown) add the juices from the baked chicken and bring to a slight boil while stirring.

Taste the sauce and make sure it is seasoned well.

Carve the chicken and pour a little of the sauce on top of the chicken.

This chicken will blow you away!!!!

This glaze is simple!

Make sure to cook the glaze until it thickens.

Once the glaze is nice and thick and brown...it is ready. This is also yummy on ham or pork loin!

I put a few slices across my chicken breasts so that the flavor can get under the skin.

Cover the top of the chicken with your bacon.

Now drizzle that amazing glaze you just made all over the top of the bacon and chicken!

Don't be stingy...cover it with glaze!

This is what your chicken will look like when it's done....mmmmmmm......

I had to cut into it immediately and taste it...well it was a little more than a taste! Do you see how the chicken is still juicy?

I served my chicken with a simple salad topped with dried cranberries and a light vinaigrette!

Honestly....this will make you and your family or guests so happy!