Portuguese Roast Chicken – Frango Assado a Portuguesa

Pure Portuguese comfort food!   Look at that color!

Bring a taste of Portugal into kitchen table with one of the most popular dishes in Portuguese cooking. It will bring back sweet memories of your Avo’s, mae’s or pai’s home cooking.

The secret to getting this dark crispy look in your baked chicken is to season it with paprika and spices and then cook it at a higher 400 degrees F. for about 1-2 hours depending on the size of your chicken.

I love a crispy skin and a well done chicken that’s why I get this dark crispy look. Use a meat thermometer if you’re not sure on cooking time. Chicken should reach at least 190 degrees when done. The onions and carrots will also get a beautiful color and delicious caramelized taste!  Be sure to double the recipe and you’ll have leftovers for the next day.

Ingredients:

1 (3-4 pound) roasting chicken or 2 small fryer chickens

2 tablespoons (Portuguese dry rub) or (1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin powder (optional)

2 teaspoons bottled piri piri or hot sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soft butter or margarine

1 large onion (chopped)

1 pound chopped carrots or baby carrots (optional)

1/2 cup vinho verde or white wine

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Rub with the wine, olive oil, butter and piri piri, then rub with the dry ingredients. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator or at least 1-2 hours to marinate.

When ready to cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator and let sit for about 15 minutes to reach room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease a large roasting pan with olive oil and add the chopped onions and carrots. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Cook for 2 hours until the chicken is crispy and golden brown. Half hour into cooking, shake pan and stir the vegetables. After 1 hour of cook time, coat the chicken with the pan drippings and let cook until done. Enjoy!