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Weeknight Roast Chicken
Recipe
1 hr 45 min

Spice-Roasted Chicken with Chili and Oregano

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Spice-Roasted Chicken with Chili and Oregano
Author: Alli Berkey

Recipe By Alli Berkey

Published on August 27, 2026

Roast chicken is a great weeknight dinner. Raiding your spice cabinet can make it even better.

Time

1 hr 45 min

Yield

Serves 4

Why This Recipe Works

A walk-away roast chicken can't get much easier, so with the set-it-and-forget-it method in mind, we used the spice cabinet to simplify the shopping, too. We doubled the volume of seasoning—an herbaceous and slightly spicy mixture of chili powder and oregano—so the chicken would be fully coated with flavor. Roasting at a moderately high temperature ensured fully rendered fat and slightly crispy skin. Roasting the chicken directly in a skillet also gave us a chance to catch any seasoned drippings beneath. After a quick skim off the top to remove excess fat, the drippings were easily turned into a pan sauce to pour over the carved bird.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
1 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chili powder, oregano, salt, granulated garlic, and pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer chicken, breast side down, to 12-inch ovensafe skillet and rub exposed side with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with half of spice mixture. Flip chicken breast side up and rub exposed side with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with remaining spice mixture.
    Recipe Tip
    Don't store spices and herbs on the counter close to the stove. Heat, light, and moisture shorten their shelf life. The longer the spice sits around (or is stored), the more compounds disappear. To check for freshness, crumble a small amount of the dried herb between your fingers and take a whiff. If it releases a lively aroma, it's still good to go. If the aroma and color of the spice have faded, it's time to restock.
  2. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until breast registers 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Reserve drippings in skillet.
    Recipe Tip
    Drape a towel over the handle of your skillet after it comes out of the oven to remind yourself that it’s hot.
  3. While chicken rests, dissolve cornstarch in water. Carefully skim as much fat as possible from drippings and discard. Add cornstarch mixture to drippings and place over medium-high heat, whisking to scrape up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is boiling and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in lemon juice. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce separately.
    Recipe Tip
    Finishing your sauces with an acid such as citrus juice or vinegar adds a welcome hit of brightness that would be diminished by simmering it in the sauce.

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Spice-Roasted Chicken with Chili and Oregano

Recipe By Alli Berkey

Published on August 27, 2026

Time

1 hr 45 min

Yield

Serves 4

Spice-Roasted Chicken with Chili and Oregano

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chile powder1 tablespoon dried oregano2 teaspoons kosher salt1 teaspoon granulated garlic1 teaspoon pepper1 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided1 teaspoon cornstarch½ cup water2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chili powder, oregano, salt, granulated garlic, and pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer chicken, breast side down, to 12-inch ovensafe skillet and rub exposed side with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with half of spice mixture. Flip chicken breast side up and rub exposed side with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with remaining spice mixture.
    Recipe Tip
    Don't store spices and herbs on the counter close to the stove. Heat, light, and moisture shorten their shelf life. The longer the spice sits around (or is stored), the more compounds disappear. To check for freshness, crumble a small amount of the dried herb between your fingers and take a whiff. If it releases a lively aroma, it's still good to go. If the aroma and color of the spice have faded, it's time to restock.
  2. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until breast registers 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Reserve drippings in skillet.
    Recipe Tip
    Drape a towel over the handle of your skillet after it comes out of the oven to remind yourself that it’s hot.
  3. While chicken rests, dissolve cornstarch in water. Carefully skim as much fat as possible from drippings and discard. Add cornstarch mixture to drippings and place over medium-high heat, whisking to scrape up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is boiling and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in lemon juice. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce separately.
    Recipe Tip
    Finishing your sauces with an acid such as citrus juice or vinegar adds a welcome hit of brightness that would be diminished by simmering it in the sauce.
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