Grapefruit Roasted Chicken

Whole chickens were on sale at the supermarket the other day. I usually purchase them pre-roasted, since I am not an intuitive meat roaster. I decided to go for it anyway. One roast chicken equals lots of options.

It is also that citrus time of year, at least in New York City. Climate change has definitely wreaked havoc with this year’s east coast citrus. Alas, this is probably the wave of the future, though I continue to buy citrus with high hopes. This week was the week of the grapefruit. Big ones, little ones, red ones, sweet ones, white ones, ugly ones. Enough to fill a Dr. Seuss tale. So, I bought one.

Normally, I just peel and eat a grapefruit, but when I got home, I discovered that I was so focused on the largest of the citrus family that I forgot to get a lemon! Lemons are my go to citrus around chicken, closely followed by lime. Grapefruit has never even been in the line-up. Until now. Cause don’t you know ,I did that substitution. It’s winter out there. Cold and ugly. I was not going out again.

OMG is all I have to say about this new taste sensation. Run, don’t walk, and buy your grapefruit and roasting chicken. You won’t regret it.

Grapefruit Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 roasting chicken (3-4 pounds)
  • 1 large onion, sliced into fat slices
  • 1 grapefruit
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

  1. Arrange onion slices in a roasting pan.
  2. Place chicken on the onion slice ‘rack’ then rub olive oil all over the chicken and top with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Cut grapefruit in half and squeeze one half over the chicken. Stuff the ‘used’ half of the grapefruit inside the cavity of the bird.
  4. Either tuck or tie the chicken legs together.
  5. Roast chicken in oven pre-heated to 350 degrees F for about an hour and half.
  6. Baste the chicken with the other half of the grapefruit. I basted my 3 ¼ pound chicken twice and it took exactly 90 minutes to cook. I also added a little water to the bottom of my roasting pan, which was much bigger than my little chicken required.
  7. The chicken is done when juices from the leg joint run clear.
  8. Let chicken ‘rest’ for 5 minutes when it comes out of the oven before carving.

Delicious and easy and ready for leftovers!

6 thoughts on “Grapefruit Roasted Chicken

    1. Hi Brenda,
      Those are bits of the onion ‘rack’! It was indeed delicious. So delicious that I ate a bunch of it before I took the photo, which is why it is at that particular angle!
      Make and enjoy!
      Best,
      Dr. Mo

  1. Did it have a similar citrus taste of lemon chicken or more oomph??

    1. It’s definitely more subtle than other cirtrus and leaves your tastebuds going ‘Mmmmm, what is that. I like it. I should recognize it. Go ahead! Keep surprising me!’ It’s that kind of thing.

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