The other night I made this chicken with smoky paprika and it was delicious. It was a little bit smoky and a little bit spicy from the paprika. It was also very tender and juicy since it all cooks evenly throughout.
It was also pretty easy to prepare once you have the chicken processed. Taking the backbone out can be tricky unless you have a good knife or kitchen shears. Once you do have the bone out and the chicken flattened out on your sheet pan the rest is a cinch though. This is a flavorful dish for a weeknight meal. There is very little prep and very little cleanup...that's a keeper.
Chicken with Smoky Paprika
1 whole chicken
2 t salt
1 t freshly cracked pepper
2 t smoked spanish paprika (I use the kind from Penzey's)
1 T olive oil
Remove the backbone from the chicken and lay it flat. (Simply cut clong either side of it by setting the chicken in an upright position or use the shears to cut through the bones.) Press down on it with your hands to flatten it out so that it will cook evenly. Liberally season both sides of the chicken and drizzle with oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer for doneness. Let rest 5-10 minutes before carving.
