Grilling season is almost over in my neck of the woods, but there’s still a little bit of time to cook outdoors. And if you’ve been looking for a way to liven up your grilling game, then you’ve come to the right place. This Old Bay chicken recipe is a great way to add a little zest to your outdoor cooking. It’s a classic, and it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

After making my own Old Bay seasoning recipe, I had a lot of the spice mix on hand. So of course I had to come up with a recipe highlighting the rub. Though it traditionally goes with seafood, I wanted to branch out with a different protein option.

Old Bay seasoning is a classic spice mix that adds a unique flavor to any dish. It is the perfect addition to any grilled dish and can take your favorite chicken recipe from average to extraordinary. The combination of flavors in the seasoning make it a perfect fit for a lot of grilling recipes. Try my recipe below for the delicious flavor of Old Bay chicken that will take your grilling game to the next level.

Ingredients for Old Bay Chicken

To get that perfect, juicy, flavorful chicken that will have your mouth watering, you have to start with great ingredients.

First and foremost, you’ll need some chicken. You can use whatever cut of chicken you prefer. I went with boneless skinless chicken breast because it is what I had on hand. Chicken thighs are also quite popular and will lend a more robust chicken flavor that will also be less likely to dry out on the grill.

Next, you’ll need some Old Bay seasoning. If you don’t have any in your pantry, you can find it in most grocery stores or buy it online. Using my recipe you can also make your own Old Bay seasoning. We’ll add some brown sugar and paprika in with the Old Bay seasoning to make a simple dry rub.

But the dry rub will stick best if we start with a wet rub.

Some olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and hot sauce mixed together will work. This creates a binder that helps the seasoning mix actually stick to the chicken.

That’s all you need to make some delicious grilled Old Bay chicken. Now let’s move on to the next step and see how to put all these ingredients together.

Coating and Topping the Chicken

Now that you have the perfect ingredients for your Old Bay chicken, it’s time to get the prep work done! When making this recipe you’ll want to preheat the grill just before you start mixing together the wet and dry rubs.

First, we’ll mix the wet ingredients together, and then separately we’ll mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Stir together until well combined.

In another bowl, add the brown sugar, Old Bay seasoning, and paprika. Mix them together until there are no longer any clumps or pockets of separate ingredients.

Coat the chicken with the wet rub first, making sure to cover all sides of the meat. Then sprinkle the dry rub over both sides of the chicken, pressing in to make sure it is held on with the wet rub and won’t just fall right off.

I like to make a little coating station using a baking sheet to have a lot of room for spreading the rubs on the chicken without spilling things everywhere.

The chicken is ready for the grill.

Best Way to Grill Chicken

With the chicken all dressed up, let’s get to grilling! Hopefully, you’ve already fired up the grill to medium-high heat and it is hot and ready to go. Check out my Top 10 Grilling Tips post for more helpful hints when planning to grill.

Once the grill is hot, carefully place the chicken onto the grates and let it cook for about 6 to 9 minutes per side.

I like using tongs to flip the chicken so that you don’t damage the coating we worked so hard for.

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat
2. Marinate and season the chicken
3. Carefully add the chicken to the hot grill
4. Cook about 6-9 minutes per side, turning once
5. Remove the chicken when it reaches 165°F (74°C) internally
6. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving

I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to check internal chicken temperature. It is especially helpful if you aren’t used to grilling chicken. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of things. Here’s the thermometer that I use.

Also, note that any type of grill will work as long as it can cook hot and fast. This isn’t a low-and-slow kind of meat like pulled pork.

What to Serve with Old Bay Chicken

Now for the side dishes.

A dish so flavorful and fragrant deserves equally delicious accompaniments, and the options are endless. From classic sides to unique twists, you can really let your culinary creativity flow when creating the perfect plate.

I would recommend some kind of vegetable and some kind of starch. But it can also go well with any fresh summer fruit – especially watermelon.

For the vegetable try the following:

• Grilled Poblano Corn Salsa
• Garlic Butter and Basil Snow Peas
• Homemade Guacamole

For the starch, you may want to check these out:

• Bacon Chive Potato Salad
• Homemade Comfort Food Mac and Cheese
• Pesto Pizza Pasta Salad
• Pillowy Soft Puffy Pita

No matter what you decide to serve with your Old Bay chicken, one thing’s for sure: you’ll be sure to satisfy your hungry guests.

Ways to Use Leftover Old Bay Chicken

Who said leftover chicken had to be boring? With a few creative ingredients, you can transform leftovers into a delicious meal.

If you have some cooked Old Bay chicken leftovers, try using them to make a tasty soup. A simple chicken noodle soup, a southwest chicken tortilla soup, or a hearty chicken and lentil soup would all be great contenders for leftovers.

This grilled chicken recipe would also be perfect for making chicken salad. My recipe calls for shredded rotisserie chicken, but the flavor this Old Bay chicken would bring is amazing.

Don’t forget about pizza! Try this chicken on my white chicken and bacon pizza.

Grilling with old bay chicken is a surefire way to add a zesty kick to your summer cookouts. The combination of the seasoning’s flavors with the smoky flavors of the grill makes for a culinary delight. With the right ingredients, coating, and grilling technique, you can create a delicious and unique dinner that your friends and family will love.

So, go ahead and spice up your next grill session with some zesty Old Bay chicken.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this grilled Old Bay chicken! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Zesty Grilled Old Bay Chicken

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Lunch, Dinner, MainDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Jump into summer with grilled zesty Old Bay chicken – a delicious new way to spice up your summer grilling game!

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

Directions

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat
• Make the wet rub: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and hot sauce until well combined
• Make the dry rub: In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, Old Bay seasoning, and smoked paprika
• Now, evenly coat each piece of chicken with the wet rub mixture
• Next, generously sprinkle the dry rub on the chicken until all of it is covered with the seasonings
• Place the prepared chicken on the grill grates and cook for about 6-9 minutes per side (depending on how thick the chicken is) until it reaches 165°F (74°C) internally; don’t forget to turn the chicken occasionally to achieve that perfect, even cooking on all sides

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The post Spice Up Your Grill Game with Zesty Old Bay Chicken appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Winter is a beautiful season, especially with the snow blanketing the mountaintops near my home. And it also means that it is now soup season! Because soups can help warm you up from the inside and fight off some of the cold of winter. So, enjoy this perfect one-pot chicken and lentil soup.

This recipe, like most soups, is perfect for beginners because you mostly just throw all of the ingredients into a pot and let them simmer until they’re done.

A winter lentil soup is a delicious, healthy, and warming meal to enjoy during the colder months of the year. Lentils are known for their ability to keep you full for longer periods of time and to provide you with a significant amount of protein.

This soup has a unique, earthy flavor and is very filling. It is the perfect blend of hearty, healthy, and delicious.

What Are Lentils?

You may be wondering what lentils are.

Lentils are edible legumes. There are many different kinds of lentils. They’re categorized generally by color, though there are different varieties of each color. Lentil colors include red, green, brown, black, and yellow.

As well as including lentils, legumes are the same family that counts peas, beans, and peanuts as members.

When cooked, the various lentil varieties have different textures and therefore different uses. So it is important to pair the lentils with the right recipe.

Frequently associated with vegetarian cooking as a non-meat protein source, they’re high in protein and low in fat. Plus they contain a bunch of other good nutrients.

And as a nice added bonus – lentils are fairly inexpensive to buy.

Though a variety of cooking methods can be used, they’re most commonly boiled until soft. It can take anywhere from 10-50 minutes of boiling depending on the lentil variety. So, make sure to pay attention to the cook times on the packaging.

What Lentils Are Best for Chicken and Lentil Soup?

When you’re making a delicious dish like this, you want to make sure that you have all of the right ingredients. And with so many varieties of lentils, it may be hard to know. Especially if you aren’t as familiar with lentils in general.

What kind of lentils should you buy? You’ll want to purchase red lentils for this recipe.

Red lentils are some of the quickest cooking. Which is helpful when trying to make weeknight meals. They are also lentils with a milder flavor. They have a slightly sweet, earthy flavor.

Red lentils will break down a bit as they cook, they don’t hold their shape as well as some other varieties. But that makes them great for soup in my opinion. This will thicken the soup as it cooks and give the whole thing even more body and flavor.

Rotisserie or Roast Your Own Chicken?

There are three main options for the chicken in this recipe. You can either use a store-bought rotisserie, cook your own, or use some leftover shredded chicken. There is no best method, just whatever works best for you.

I planned and built this recipe around using a rotisserie chicken. Not to say that it is the best method it was just cheap and convenient.

Because a lot of stores (notably Costco) use the rotisserie as a way to entice people in, they’re cheap, tasty, and really easy to use in other recipes. Just remove the skin and pull the chicken into pieces for this recipe. You will use maybe up to half of the rotisserie in this recipe, so you’ll have some chicken to use in a different meal as well.

If you want, you can choose to roast, bake or smoke your own whole chicken. I’d suggest just looking at the spices and flavors of the chicken lentil soup recipe and then trying to complement the flavors when seasoning the chicken.

And, you can also use leftover chicken from a different recipe as long as you can shred or cut it into smaller pieces. If, for example, you happened to make this dutch oven garlic-roasted whole chicken but didn’t eat it all, then just shred it and you’re good to go.

In the end, choose whichever option makes more sense for you.

What Is the Soup Base?

The soup base is the main ingredient of a recipe and the foundation upon which other ingredients can be added. For example, chicken stock is the basis for this soup.

If you want to make sure that the soup tastes good, you need to use high-quality ingredients. That way, your dish will have more flavor. And that starts with the chicken stock that we use for this soup.

I highly recommend making your own homemade chicken stock if possible. It’ll be much more flavorful.

But it is not make or break and the chicken and lentil soup will still taste delicious when using store-bought chicken stock. My go-to when not using homemade is Costco chicken stock.

Before even adding the stock to the pot, we’ll build up more flavor by cooking up the mirepoix in olive oil. A mirepoix is a mix of aromatic veggies that give deeper flavor to soups and stews.

Prepping the Lentils

When cooking from a dry state, many legumes need to be soaked (frequently overnight) in order to then be cooked and get soft enough to eat. Luckily, lentils don’t require any pre-soaking. They’ll just get cooked in the soup with everything else.

However, there still is a little bit of prep that goes into using lentils in our soup. We’ve gotta rinse them first.

This just helps clean them off before cooking and gives you an opportunity to perform a quick inspection for any foreign materials like pebbles, seeds, etc. No need to cook any of that into our chicken and lentil soup.

Just measure out the lentils and toss them into a fine mesh strainer. Run some cold water over them and stir them around. Look for anything that might not belong. Then, once they’ve been thoroughly rinsed they’re good to go.

Cooking the Chicken and Lentil Soup

First, do all of the prep work. Chop, mince, rinse, slice, and shred. Get everything ready to go. This will make it so easy to cook the soup.

Start cooking by heating up the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Then add in the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook it up until the onion starts to become translucent. Before it’s done cooking, add in the garlic and ginger. Stir everything together and let it cook for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add in the spices and tomato paste. Stir it together and cook it for a minute or two to bloom the spices. Then add in the lentils, chicken stock, and bay leaves. Turn up the heat to get it to a low boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils are tender.

With about 2 to 4 minutes left of simmering, add in the shredded chicken and dill. Stir it all together.

Then, when the lentils are thoroughly cooked, serve and enjoy!

Optional Additions to Chicken and Lentil Soup

With the soup made and ready to serve, it’s time to think about serving and topping the soup.

The optional additions to chicken and lentil soup are very tasty and can take your soup to the next level. Try adding spinach, fresh basil, green onions, chopped parsley, or croutons on top of your soup. Just have these available for sprinkling on top of the bowls once they’ve been served.

Serve the soup alongside some bread or rolls to round out the meal. Or you can be a little adventurous like me and try adding in some potato chips or Cheez-Its. It gives a nice crunch and the saltiness really complements the soup.

As you can see, there are many ways to improve upon the traditional chicken and lentil soup. So, if you want to make sure that you get the most out of this delicious meal, then be sure to follow these tips.

In conclusion, chicken lentil soup really does have many health benefits. The best part? It’s quick, easy, cheap, healthy, filling, and delicious. Here’s an awesome recipe for a simple yet flavorful version of chicken and lentil soup. It’s the perfect meal on a cold winter day.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this chicken and lentil soup! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

One Pot Winter Rotisserie Chicken and Lentil Soup

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SoupsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

This warming one-pot rotisserie chicken and lentil soup is great for cold winter days, with lentils, broth, and chicken. It’s the perfect blend of hearty, healthy, and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion

• 1 large carrot

• 1 stalk celery

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

• 5 cloves garlic

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 and 1/2 cups dry red lentils

• 7 cups chicken stock

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• Parsley, green onion, dill for topping

Directions

• Chop the onion and carrot, slice the celery, and mince the ginger and garlic
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat
• Add the onion, carrot, and celery, stirring to coat with olive oil, and cook for about 4 minutes until the onion is almost soft and translucent, then add in the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute
• Stir the paprika, turmeric, thyme, cumin, and tomato paste in the pot and cook while stirring for a few minutes until fragrant
• Add in the red lentils and chicken stock, turn the heat to medium-high until it just starts to boil, and then turn it down to medium-low to let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are tender
• In the last 2 to 4 minutes of simmering the soup, add in the shredded chicken, chopped dill, salt, and pepper and stir
• Taste the soup and add any salt as needed, serve the soup in bowls and top with parsley, green onion, and dill

Notes

• Refer to the cooking time on your package of lentils and adjust the soup simmer time accordingly

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The post One Pot Winter Rotisserie Chicken and Lentil Soup appeared first on Do You Roux?.

This buffalo smoked chicken drumsticks recipe features the best of both worlds—it’s easy to prepare and is delicious, but doesn’t taste like your average chicken drumstick.

This one is a twist on the classic buffalo wing. So make these if you are feeling like chicken wings, but want a bit more smoky, tender flavor. Make these as an appetizer for your next gathering, or even as a main course with a few sides.

If you’re a fan of spicy, smoked chicken—then buffalo smoked chicken drumsticks are for you. I call these buffalo wings, but they’re really drumsticks. The recipe is simple and fun. The result is juicy, smoky drumsticks, flavored with a simple mixture of ground peppers, garlic, and salt then tossed in a buffalo sauce. The perfect recipe for game night or tailgating!

This recipe is great if you’re looking for something a little different as an appetizer or for the main course and want to serve up some delicious drumsticks.

Using a Dry Rub to Season the Drumsticks

Chicken is ubiquitous. It’s delicious and can be nutritious, and healthy. But maybe a little bit less health-conscious with our preparation today.

However, we’ll be focusing on a little less popular cut of chicken – the drumstick. And thankfully, because they are a little less popular, chicken drumsticks can usually be found on the cheap. I got the ones for this recipe at just 99 cents per pound.

To season the chicken drumsticks, we’ll use a dry rub. A dry rub is a mixture typically consisting of salt and various powders and seasonings.

I love using dry rubs to season my chicken drumsticks. They are fast, cheap, and give me more control over the flavor profile of my finished chicken. As a bonus, most people will have the ingredients needed to make a dry rub in a decently stocked spice pantry.

Dry rubs can be very useful for adding flavor to meats. It can help to impart flavor and tenderness to your meat. For smoking, dry rubs tend to be easier than wet sauces. Wet sauces can burn and change the flavors unless added much later in the cooking process.

For this rub, we’ll combine salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, and chipotle powder to make a spicy, smoky flavor. Before applying the rub, brush a bit of melted butter on the drumsticks.

How to Smoke Chicken Drumsticks

Smoking chicken drumsticks is a pretty straightforward process. You may want to check out my top ten summer grilling tips for a few helpful hints.

The smoking process will help the chicken stay moist and become tender. Smoking is easy to do if you own equipment. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then lay the drumsticks out on the grates with some space in between for smoke to flow.

We’ll cook the chicken for about an hour. You can flip halfway through to try and give both sides some grill marks.

Smoking is an easy way to prepare chicken. You should remember that smoking does take time, so you should start cooking early. Once you have everything prepared, it is time to put the chicken on a rack over the pan. The chicken should be above the smoke, so it shouldn’t touch it. Smoking is all about cooking low and slow. You should remove the chicken from the smoke before the skin turns black.

Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the chicken is cooked properly. When the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the chicken is done. Then we will turn up the heat to 400 degrees to try and crisp up the skin a bit.

Saucing Your Drumsticks

After you have smoked your chicken and ensured they are cooked through and crisp, it’s time to add some buffalo sauce. This adds even more flavor to the chicken. If you want a few different flavor options, look to the next section for some good ideas.

I highly recommend following my classic hot buffalo wing sauce recipe. But you can also prepare or buy whatever buffalo sauce you prefer.

To mix the smoked chicken drumsticks with the buffalo sauce, you will need to put them in a bowl and pour buffalo sauce on top. Pick the bowl up and toss the drumsticks around in the sauce. Depending on the size of bowls you have available and how much you want to handle at once, you may want to do this in batches.

Once you have fully coated the drumsticks, remove them from the bowl and out of any excess sauce. Now, you’re ready to serve them however you’d like.

Variations on the Drumsticks

Now, I had always planned on saucing these drumsticks after smoking them on the Traeger. But after they finished cooking I knew I had to give them a try without any sauce whatsoever. Just straight smoked chicken drumstick with the homemade dry rub.

And they are certainly delicious straight from the smoker with no added sauce. So if you want something a little simpler, then just omit saucing the drumsticks altogether.

The regular recipe calls for turning the heat up to 400 for 15 minutes at the end of the cooking time. But, you can crisp up the skin a few different ways. Try using an air fryer or deep fryer set to 400 to crisp the skin for 2 to 5 minutes. You can also use the oven to crisp up the skin at 450 degrees if you don’t want to keep using the smoker to cook.

Finally, you can try using a different sauce entirely on these drumsticks. Try any of the following options to flavor your chicken:

• Black Cherry BBQ Sauce
• Honey BBQ Sauce
• Sticky Sriracha Soy Sauce
• Parmesan Garlic Wing Sauce

What to Serve with Buffalo Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

They’re small enough to eat while standing up at a bar but hearty enough to satisfy a big appetite. So, they make a great appetizer at a party or as a main course for dinner. These are a great appetizer and you can serve them up just about any time of day.

Now that you’ve got the buffalo smoked chicken drumsticks all cooked, it is time to decide what to serve on the side.

If you are serving these as an appetizer, then consider some dip options and maybe some veggie options. Give these a try:

• Creamy Ranch Dressing
• Carrot and Celery Sticks
• Blue Cheese Dip
• Blistered Shishito Peppers
• Jalapeño Cream Cheese Poppers

There are many different foods that you can serve with buffalo smoked chicken drumsticks when serving it as a main course. So if you are looking for something to serve with your drumsticks, here are a few ideas that you might want to consider:

• Comfort Food Mac and Cheese
• Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
• Simple Cornbread and Butter
• Baked Sweet Potatoes

This is a chicken drumstick recipe with a unique flavor and aroma that you will surely enjoy!

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try making buffalo smoked chicken drumsticks! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Buffalo Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Appetizers, MainDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

15

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

45

minutes

This is the perfect buffalo smoked chicken drumsticks recipe, with a smoky, tangy flavor on tender, juicy chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder

• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder

• 8-10 pounds chicken drumsticks

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1 and 1/2 cups buffalo wing sauce

Directions

• Preheat the smoker to around 225°F (110°C)
• Make the dry rub by combining the salt, garlic powder, paprika, ancho powder, and chipotle powder in a small bowl and mix thoroughly
• Lay the drumsticks out on a large baking sheet, brush them with the melted butter, and sprinkle both sides of the drumsticks with the rub
• Place the drumsticks on the preheated smoker and cook for about 1 hour, until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C)
• Once the drumsticks are at 165°F, turn the heat up on the smoker to 400°F (205°C) for about 15 minutes to crisp up the skin, or take them inside and fry or air fry them until crisp
• Place the cooked drumsticks in a bowl with the buffalo sauce and toss them to coat, doing so in batches if necessary
• Remove the coated drumsticks from the bowl, serve, and enjoy

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The post Buffalo Smoked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe: Ingredients and Preparation appeared first on Do You Roux?.

A bowl of this soup is a flavorful take on the ultimate comfort food. Made with broth, shredded chicken, black beans, and a combination of spices, it’s as hearty as it is tasty. This chicken tortilla soup is a delicious and filling meal that will warm you up on chilly nights.

Chicken soup is good for the soul. And this is basically the southwest version of chicken noodle soup.

When it comes to making chicken tortilla soup, it’s a simple dish but we add complexity with some of the spices mixed in.

Once the soup is made, you can serve it up with an array of different options for topping your bowl. So everyone can personalize to their own tastes.

This delicious recipe is a hearty, savory soup that uses chicken broth to create a flavorful base, but then adds plenty of other ingredients to create a truly one-of-a-kind taste.

Using the Best Chicken Stock

To make a great broth-based soup, you need to start with the best chicken stock. The best chicken stock will yield a rich flavor and texture. The best stock will add depth and complexity to any recipe.

A homemade soup stock made from chicken bones is much more flavorful than a store-bought, ready-made variety. The only downside is the time and effort to make the stock yourself – which can actually be a decent amount of work.

But if you’re like me, then you will enjoy the process. You just need to make sure that you take your time and don’t rush the cooking.

Chicken stock is the first step in the process of making a good soup. It’s what gives the soup body and flavor. I tend to make large batches of chicken stock with frozen rotisserie chicken bones. I’ll keep a few containers in the fridge for upcoming recipes and then freeze the rest to use later. It freezes amazingly.

And then I make this lime chicken tortilla soup with some defrosted homemade stock.

Key Flavors for Chicken Tortilla Soup

To keep your soup flavorful and interesting, we focus on a few key flavors – like fresh cilantro, garlic, lime, and chili powder.

Be sure to use fresh limes to cook up this recipe. They make such a difference with their acidic citrusy punch of flavor.

There are a lot of things that go into chicken tortilla soup, but the one thing that makes the biggest difference is the chicken. I ended up cooking some chicken breast in my slow cooker with chicken stock, chipotle powder, and a few other ingredients. I may end up posting that recipe itself soon and linking it here.

But you can use whatever chopped or shredded chicken that you’d like.

Cumin, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika help round out the flavors in the soup. I strongly suggest using high-quality smoked paprika over regular paprika. But I absolutely love smoky flavors, so maybe it isn’t your kind of thing. In that case, switch it out.

Optional Soup Mix-Ins

I’ve included some of my favorite soup mix-ins and toppings in the recipe below, but feel free to play around with them and experiment.

There are several things you can add to your chicken tortilla soup to mix it up. Try adding any to the soup after pouring in the broth:

• Corn
• Pinto beans
• Chorizo
• Salsa
• Hot Sauce
• Jalapenos

And after the soup has finished cooking, you can top it with the homemade tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, and cheese. You can also serve any of the following:

• Queso fresco
• Jalapenos
• Hot sauce
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

The next time you’re in the mood for a delicious soup, think about making a chicken tortilla soup at home! It’s a great way to make a hearty meal with little effort and a lot of flavor.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this southwest chicken tortilla soup! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Broth-Based Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SoupsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8 to 10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

A savory broth filled with chicken, tomatoes, and black beans that is seasoned to perfection with peppers, lime, garlic, and cumin

Ingredients

• Soup

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 small yellow onion

• 2 tablespoons cilantro

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 10 ounce can of diced tomatoes and green chiles

• 8 cups chicken stock

• 2 and 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 15 ounce can black beans

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

• Tortilla Strips

• 5 small corn or flour tortillas

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• Toppings

• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• Sliced avocado

• Sour cream

• Sliced radish

• Chopped green cabbage

• Lime wedges

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
• Mince the garlic and cilantro, and chop the onion
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat
• Add in the garlic and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant
• Dump in the can of tomatoes and green chiles, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Stir in the broth and all remaining soup ingredients
• Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes
• While the soup simmers, slice the tortillas into 1/2-inch strips
• Lay the tortilla strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush them with the oil, and sprinkle them with a bit of salt
• Put the tortilla strips into the oven for about ten minutes until lightly browned and crisp, flipping over after 5 minutes – note that flour tortillas tend to crisp faster than corn
• Remove the soup from the heat and serve with cooked tortilla strips and other desired toppings

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The post Broth-Based Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Are you looking for a simple and quick way to make a rotisserie chicken salad? Well, then this is the place for you! We have found the best way to make a rotisserie chicken salad and are sharing it with you here.

This is an easy recipe using only simple ingredients, that will have your family begging for more. In just 20 minutes you will be able to have a great meal with very little effort.

Like pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, Rice Krispie treats, fry bread scones, and cream cheese dill dip, this recipe is one that my wife usually makes. So I had to turn to her for the actual recipe and method. Now I have learned for myself – and it actually is quite easy.

On this blog, I’ll spill all of her secrets on how to make a tasty rotisserie chicken salad. You’ll learn how to add flavor and enhance your salad with the best ingredients possible.

Why Use Rotisserie Chicken?

Chicken salad is tasty. But what about when you don’t have the time to cook your own chicken? Or, maybe you forgot to get the frozen chicken breast into the crockpot in time to have it ready for lunch or dinner.

That’s where rotisserie chicken comes in.

All you need to do is buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and you are ready to go. Pull the meat off of the rotisserie and then chop or shred it and you’ll have more than enough to make this recipe.

You can take the store-bought rotisserie chicken and add in your favorite ingredients to make a tasty chicken salad. This way, you don’t have to worry about the time and effort of cooking your own. It is so much more convenient.

Using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken speeds up the process and makes sure that the chicken itself isn’t bland and tasteless. Because I think sometimes that is how people perceive chicken. But it doesn’t have to be so bland!

Note that you can make your own rotisserie chicken, smoked whole chicken, or really use any other chopped or shredded chicken to make this salad.

Ingredients and How to Make Chicken Salad

You want to start with a few main items but then add on other ingredients that you like.

Most people find it pretty easy to make. The salad is a combination of chopped-up chicken, vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts, and a dressing of sorts. The dressing is typically made of mayonnaise with a little added salt and pepper.

Chicken salad is one of those dishes that you can’t really make wrong as long as you include the main ingredients. It is kind of like my guacamole recipe in that there are a few core ingredients, and then just throw in any of the add-ins that you’d like. Make sure you include chicken, celery, and all of the dressing ingredients. The rest is up to you.

In the recipe, I include the ingredients that I always use for the recipe. But there are a few more optional ingredients that you can add depending on how you are feeling. Once again, you can mix and match to your heart’s content:

• Lemon juice
• Bacon
• Parsley
• Sour cream
• Cucumber
• Roasted peppers
• Green onion
• Avocado
• Tomato
• Almond Slivers

Tips on How to Make it a Success

So, how do you make chicken salad successfully?

It’s always about balance.

The flavor combinations must be right. The ratios of ingredients must be right. There must be just enough dressing, but not too much. I think this recipe provides the right balance.

Then, make sure you have quality, fresh ingredients. Better ingredients will always lead to a better final meal.

In conclusion, this is the best chicken salad recipe I have tried. I really love this dish because it uses the rotisserie chicken for its flavor and meat, and adds in other ingredients for a variety of tastes and textures.

This is a great recipe to make at home for the family. But it’s also perfect to bring to potlucks and parties for serving a crowd. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it tastes delicious.

Use the recipe below to make this rotisserie chicken salad at home today.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try making rotisserie chicken salad! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

The Best Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Lunch, SidesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Total time

20

minutes

Making chicken salad at home is surprisingly simple. Quickly toss together this rotisserie chicken salad and stuff it in a croissant for the best lunch sandwich.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon minced onion

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 3 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded

• 1 1/2 cups apples, chopped

• 1 1/2 cups grapes, sliced

• 1 1/2 cups cashews

• 1 1/2 cups celery, sliced

• 3-4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Directions

• Chop, shred, mince, slice, and gather all of the ingredients together
• In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to make the dressing
• Add in all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly so that everything is evenly distributed
• Serve the rotisserie chicken salad on sliced croissants, bread, or as a side dish

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Welcome this colorful sesame soy chopped salad with chicken to your table for a feast on the eyes and the tongue. Color and flavor abound in a salad that comes together with tons of crunchy texture.

This one is inspired by another of my mom’s recipes from growing up. She actually first saw it in a local church cookbook. The yellow spiral binding of that cookbook is now quickly deteriorating and the pages are well worn with use.

This recipe calls for cooked, shredded chicken. If you’re looking for a way to cook the chicken, I chose to do it in the slow cooker. I added chicken breast into the cooker along with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and a dash of both sesame oil and ground ginger.

I’ve also made this recipe with canned chicken before by doctoring it up in a pan with some of the dressing for the salad. But you can cook the chicken any way you like.

Frying Rice Sticks

This is perhaps the most entertaining part of the recipe. Almost like a fun science experiment. But do be careful, because very hot oil is involved in making the magic happen. You may also want to have an apron handy. See the video below for a short demonstration.

You are currently entering the splatter zone.

Start with a package of thin rice sticks. You should be able to find them at your local grocery store, but they can also be purchased online if you can’t find them.

To puff them up for the sesame soy chopped salad, heat up oil about 1 to 2 inches deep in a pan. Drop in a handful of the rice sticks and watch as they magically puff up before your eyes. It should happen in about 5 to 7 seconds if the oil is at the right temperature.

If some of the top layer hasn’t fully cooked, then use tongs to flip it over for a few seconds. Then grab it all and pull it out of the oil, letting it drain out over the pan. Place the puffed rice on a paper towel-lined plate and cook another batch until you have enough for the whole salad.

Make a Meal of Sesame Soy Chopped Salad

For the most part, this is a meal in and of itself. Just toss together the salad or let everyone assemble it themselves based on their own dietary needs or wants. That is usually one of the best features of serving a salad – letting everybody add in what they want.

But you can embellish with a few sides to add even more food to the table.

For sides, I recommend any of the following:

• Semi Spicy Sugar Snap Peas
• Ramen in Homemade Chicken Stock
• Bao Buns
• Sauteed Green Beans

Whether served alone or with some delicious sides, the colors, flavors, and textures of this sesame soy chopped salad are sure to delight.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this sesame-soy chopped salad with chicken! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Sesame Soy Chopped Salad with Chicken

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SaladsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Color and flavor abound in this sesame soy chopped salad with chicken that comes together with tons of crunchy texture

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger

• 1/8 package of thin rice strings

• Vegetable oil for frying the rice strings

• 4 cups roughly chopped romaine

• 2 cups roughly chopped red cabbage

• 2 cups roughly chopped green cabbage

• 2 to 3 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 1 cup shredded carrot

• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

• 1/2 cup mandarin orange slices

• 1/2 cup sliced green onion

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

• Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and dried ginger in a small bowl to make the dressing
• Heat oil in a pan about 1 to 2 inches deep over medium-high heat
• Add in a handful of rice sticks and let them cook for about 7 seconds until fully puffed, flipping if necessary
• Remove the puffed rice sticks from the oil, let them drip extra oil back into the pan, and then place them on a paper towel-lined plate
• Repeat steps 3-4 until you have enough puffed rice for the whole salad
• Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl, add in the puffed rice sticks, and pour the whisked dressing over the salad
• Toss the ingredients until well-mixed and serve

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Caesar salads are a million times better than house salads in almost every case. Roman Cucina in Dallas is the only exception I’ve found. But this recipe is inspired by all the other cases where a house salad simply won’t do. So try your hand at this chicken Caesar salad dressing recipe for that added homemade touch.

This salad can either be on the side or be the main dish. Served without protein and in smaller portions, it makes a great side salad with nice acidity and flavor. Add protein for a main dish meal. My go-to protein for this dish is chicken. It pairs well with the Caesar dressing, cooks up quickly, and makes for a delicious meal. Add some cheesy garlic bread on the side to round it all out.

As far as salads go, the toppings are fairly tame. Just some croutons, parmesan cheese, and chicken. Most of the heavy lifting is with the recipe for the dressing itself. But that is what gives Caesar its depth of flavor.

Emulsion Facts

Most salad dressings are emulsions of some kind. The basic definition of an emulsion is one liquid suspended within another. The key is that the two liquids don’t truly mix with each other and become one. That is why you end up having to shake up your dressing if it has been sitting in the fridge and has had time to separate. Though there are also some emulsions that are stable and won’t separate – like mayonnaise.

Oil and vinegar are the two common liquids used to make any variety of vinaigrettes. Oil is slowly whisked into vinegar along with other ingredients for flavor and stabilization. There’s a fair amount of science behind it. But you don’t need to know all of those details to experiment in the kitchen. To give a vinaigrette a try, look at my gorgonzola pear salad recipe.

For the Caesar salad dressing recipe, egg yolks, lemon juice, and mustard are the main liquids paired with a combination of olive and canola oils to make the emulsion. Instead of slowly drizzling oil while whisking, this recipe calls for using a blender or food processor to get a smooth, creamy consistency and a good emulsion. It certainly can be done by hand but would be a bit more difficult. In that case, you would want to chop together the anchovy and garlic, whisk everything together except the oil, and then add the oil while whisking.

Making the Caesar Salad Dressing

Yes, this recipe uses anchovies. Most Caesar salad dressings do. Though there are likely some that imitate it without the anchovies. I had not used anchovies at all before this recipe. So it was a new experience buying the little can of oil-packed fillets, taking it home, and opening it up. I expected a powerful fishy smell. But for me it was actually fairly neutral. I added them in with everything else and it came together in a delicious dressing.

For washing and drying the greens for this salad, I highly recommend getting a good salad spinner. The spinning action really helps get the moisture off of the lettuce after washing. This leaves you with perfectly crisp greens that will not have the dressing diluted by water sitting on the leaves.

When marinating the chicken, I recommend letting it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. And you can make the marinade and let it sit for up to 24 hours in advance. Beyond that, the meat will start to break down and lose its texture.

To really go all-out, you can make your own homemade croutons for this salad. I did not end up doing that this time around and just went with a store-bought option. Essentially the process is to cut up some bread, flavor it, and bake it.

But once the chicken, dressing, lettuce, cheese and croutons all come together, you have a delicious salad. Try making this yourself with the homemade dressing for a salad packed full of flavor.

Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SaladsDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Marinating Time

1

hour 

Total time

1

hour 

55

minutes

A classic chicken Caesar salad but with the touch of a homemade dressing that’s packed with flavor

Ingredients

• Chicken & Marinade

• 1 and 1/2 pounds chicken breast

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• Dressing & Salad

• 2 heads romaine lettuce

• 4 anchovy fillets

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 2 large egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 1 cup croutons

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shavings

Directions

• Combine all of the ingredients listed under Chicken & Marinade in a large bowl or Ziploc bag, mix together thoroughly, and place it in the fridge to rest for at least an hour and up to 24 hours
• After the chicken has marinated, either grill it or cook it in a frying pan on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until it is cooked through and the juices run clear
• While the chicken is cooking, chop, rinse, and dry the lettuce
• Make the dressing by putting the anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, egg yolks, lemon juice, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper into a food processor or blender
• Blitz it together until smooth
• Once that mixture is smooth, turn on the food processor or blender and slowly drizzle the olive oil and the canola oil while it is running
• After all of the oil has been added and mixed into the dressing, turn off the machine and pour the dressing into a serving container
• Slice the cooked chicken into strips for topping the salad
• Assemble the salad with a base of lettuce, chicken, croutons, parmesan cheese shavings, and then top it with the homemade dressing
• Toss the salad together to evenly coat with dressing and then serve

The post Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

This is a true one-pot meal. The veggies, herbs, spices, and chicken all go into one Dutch oven. And that all goes together into the oven to cook together at the same time. This Dutch oven roasted chicken couldn’t be simpler.

A good roast chicken is all about getting juicy meat and crispy skin. The vegetables in the bottom of the pot cook in all of the juices to tender morsels of goodness. Paired together with some of the juice or a quick gravy and you have a whole meal with one pot.

Just look at that delicious browning above, but don’t notice that this chicken came with a broken drumstick on one side. Not my fault. That’s just how it was from the store. Note – this does not affect the flavor of the chicken in any way.

After enjoying this for dinner, you can save the chicken bones for homemade chicken stock. I made a huge batch of chicken stock the day after this meal. The flavor of the stock seems like it will be perfect to pair with some of the leftover chicken meat to make a simple chicken noodle soup.

Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven

The heat retention and distribution of a Dutch oven is great for roasting. It is the thick walls that help to cook everything evenly. They are suited for long, slower cooking. Which is exactly what we want for a roasted chicken. Though an hour and a half or so isn’t very long compared to some other meats, chicken is usually fairly quick-cooking.

Many recipes call for tying the legs together and sometimes tying the wings down as well. Though I do this when cooking turkey, I think it isn’t necessary for the chicken. It is not in the heat for long enough and the thick cast iron keeps things evenly heated inside.

For determining the proper doneness of the chicken, I highly recommend having an instant-read thermometer. It is useful for cooking any kind of meat and being certain that it is cooked to the correct temperature. You don’t want to have meat underdone and get sick – or have to throw it back on the heat. And you also don’t want to overcook meat because that makes it dry and tough. One thing I have learned from smoking meat is that you always cook to temperature and not time. Because things cook at different rates depending on hundreds of factors.

To serve it, I recommend carving the roast chicken up like a turkey. Then once you have vegetables and chicken plated, ladle some of the cooking liquid over the top of the chicken. You could also make a quick roux, add some of that cooking liquid, and turn it into a quick gravy to pour on top.

Mistakes Were Made

I made a few mistakes on my first attempt at this recipe. First off, I ended up putting the chicken in breast-side down without thinking about it. This didn’t ruin the chicken or anything. But, it makes it so that the skin isn’t crispy on that breast side. And because we load the herbs and spices on top of the chicken, there’s a little less chance for that flavor to really get down into the meat. So, make sure to put the chicken breast side up in the Dutch.

I also had too much paprika and too little salt in my original mix. Because I am a little partial to smoky flavors and always use smoked paprika. But when it was caking on top of the chicken I realized I had too heavy a hand. And the finished dish clearly needed more salt. So I went back to the recipe and made some adjustments

Rest assured that I am fully confident in the new spice ratios.

Dutch Oven Garlic Roasted Whole Chicken

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DinnerDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

50

minutes

Golden-crisp skin and juicy, tender meat make this roasted chicken perfect for dinner paired with roasted veggies

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion

• 4 large carrots

• 3 large potatoes

• 15 garlic cloves, divided

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 4 to 6 pound whole chicken

• 2 lemons, divided

• 8 tablespoons butter, divided

• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon salt, divided

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 6 sage leaves

• 3 small sprigs thyme

• 1 sprig rosemary

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)
• Wash and chop the potatoes, onion, and carrots into about 1-inch pieces
• Peel all of the garlic cloves
• Cut one lemon in half, juice one half of it, and slice the other half into thin rounds
• Slice the second lemon into quarters
• Cut the butter into cubes
• Add the onion, carrots, potatoes, and 13 of the garlic cloves to the Dutch oven, drizzle them with the olive oil, and stir to coat
• Top with half the butter cubes
• Slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves thinly and set aside
• Place the chicken in the center of the Dutch oven on top of the vegetables
• Drizzle the lemon juice over the chicken
• Sprinkle the paprika, salt, and pepper on top of the chicken and the vegetables
• Place remaining butter cubes on top of the chicken
• Add the sliced garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, and lemon slices on top of the chicken
• Place the lid on the Dutch oven, put it in the oven, and cook covered for 1 hour
• After an hour, uncover the pot, move the herbs and lemon slices from off the top of the chicken and cook until the thickest part of thigh reaches 165°F (75°C), another 30 to 45 min for a 5-pound chicken

The post One-Pot Dutch Oven Garlic Roasted Whole Chicken Meal appeared first on Do You Roux?.