Sticky Chicken (that's really more like a Rotisserie-style Chicken)

As I tell my customers at the farmers market, learning to work with a whole chicken was a game-changer in our home; I typically prepare one each week in my beloved Instant Pot for all sorts of meals.  And, while I love the convenience and versatility of this, it is nice to change it up a bit sometimes.  I've heard my friend, Trista, rave about this chicken recipe several times and was so glad when I first decided to give it a whirl several years ago. 

Please note: This dish does involve planning ahead, to both thaw the chicken (~3 days) and allow it to be seasoned and refrigerated overnight. Also, during the slow-roasting process, you need to be available to baste the chicken every 45 minutes or so; this only takes a few moments each time, but helps ensure flavorful, crispy-skin and a juicy chicken. Since we are often quite busy during the week, this is a great dish to prep ahead and then roast on the weekend. 

One thing to note from Tif, (Trista's friend who shared the recipe with her), is that the name can be mis-leading--the end result is not 'sticky' in any way, but more of a rotisserie-style chicken. 

After the chicken is done, consider making a simple gravy with the drippings to serve over mashed potatoes as an excellent side dish. Pairs well with green beans or your favorite veggies. 

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp white pepper (note: this is not an ingredient I keep on-hand; simply omit it if it is not in your spice rack.  You can add more black pepper, if desired)
• 1 1/2  tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 thawed Becker Farms whole chicken (~4.5 to 5 lbs)
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices.
2. Remove any giblets/neck from the cavity of the chicken (sometimes, our processors include those, sometimes they don't, so just take a look and take action as needed) Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
3. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Then, place the seasoned chicken in a large bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. When ready to roast the chicken, 'stretch' the bird by gently loosening the wings, legs, etc. so that the bird will cook more efficiently and stuff the cavity with the diced onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast uncovered at 300F for around 5 hours or until cooked through (may take longer, depending on the size of chicken you are using). To check for doneness, use a thermometer and insert into the thickest part of the chicken and look for a reading of 165F. 
5. After the first hour, baste chicken every 45 minutes or so with pan juices. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan and the chicken will turn golden brown.  Note: if you are using one of our chickens (or a similarly-raised bird), you will most likely not have pan drippings until around the 4 hour mark; this is because our birds are not packaged with extra water, like many commercial birds are.  Because I like a little extra drippings, I add a small amount of water (~1/4 c) to my pan and use this to help with the basting process). 
6. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving.