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This Rotisserie Chicken is juicy, succulent and deliciously flavoured with a combination of herbs and spices. I like to serve it with some crispy roast potatoes, fresh cabbage salad and an intense Romanian-style garlic sauce called mujdei de usturoi. It’s a healthy, balanced and filling meal that happens to be Whole30 and gluten-free.
What You Need for Rotisserie Chicken
- Rotisserie Attachment: Don’t worry if you don’t have a rotisserie attachment for your oven or grill. You can still prepare this recipe and I share some different methods below.
However, if you do have a rotisserie, this is a great time to use it. The benefit to using the rotisserie is that as it spins, the chicken cooks more evenly and develops better browning than if you were to just place a chicken in a roasting pan. - Herbs and Spices: You can get as elaborate with your seasoning blend as you like. This recipe keeps things fairly simple with some olive oil, dry onion, dry garlic, paprika, smoked paprika, dry thyme, salt and pepper.
- Yellow Potatoes: Rather than let all those delicious chicken drippings go to waste, I like to place a tray of potatoes underneath the chicken as it cooks. The result is an insanely delicious side dish that cooks at the same time as the chicken.
What You Need for Cabbage Salad
This easy and simple cabbage salad is light, crisp, refreshing and a healthy side dish to accompany rotisserie chicken, grilled meats or fish.
Cabbage salad (salata de varza) is a staple in Romanian cuisine. You can find it on nearly every menu and there are a variety of versions. Sometimes fresh dill, vinegar, or shredded carrot is added. Other times, the sliced cabbage is used in a more elaborate garden salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and herbs.
This version is super simple and easy to prepare. The secret is to massage the sliced cabbage very well in some salty water before rinsing it. This helps soften the texture a little and mellow out some of the flavour in the cabbage.
How to Make Romanian-Style Garlic Sauce (Mujdei de Usturoi)
Another staple in Romanian cuisine, mujdei de usturoi (pr. mooj-day de oos-too-roy) is a sharp, intensely flavoured garlic sauce. Some versions are creamy, thick and white in colour, similar to Lebanese Toum, and others are more loose and liquid, like the version I share here.
For this mujdei you need some fresh garlic, a neutral-flavoured oil, such as avocado oil, a bit of salt and some cold water. Avoid using extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe because the bitter flavours can be a bit too overpowering.
- Start by making a paste with the garlic. You can do this on a cutting board with the flat side of a knife, in a mortar and pestle or with a microplane grater.
- Add the garlic to a bowl or cup and pour in a little bit of the oil at first. The goal is to vigorously mix the garlic and oil together until it emulsifies. Then add the remaining oil and repeat.
- Once the oil and garlic have come together, slowly add the water and mix to emulsify. The amount of water you use will largely depend on the size of the garlic cloves.
- Season the mujdei with salt to taste and set it aside until ready to serve.
You can serve this mujdei with rotisserie chicken, grilled meats, grilled fish, grilled vegetables or mamaliga (Romanian-style polenta).
No Rotisserie? No Problem!
If you don’t have a rotisserie attachment, you can still make this recipe at home using your oven or grill.
In an oven:
- Place the chicken on a wire rack and position it over a roasting pan with the potatoes in it.
- Place the chicken directly on the upper rack of your oven and position the roasting pan with potatoes in it below.
On your Traeger Grill:
- Place the chicken on a wire rack and position it over a roasting pan with the potatoes in it.
- Place the chicken directly onto the upper rack of your grill and position the roasting pan with potatoes in it below.
Pro Tip:
If you aren’t using the rotisserie, I recommend spatchcocking the chicken for a more evenly cooked finished product with crispier skin that cooks quicker.
Click here for my step-by-step process on how to spatchcock a chicken.
Rotisserie Chicken, Potatoes, Cabbage Salad and Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
For the Mujdei de Usturoi:
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- Kosher salt to taste
For the Cabbage Salad:
- ½ medium green cabbage, very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Kosher salt to taste
For the Rotisserie Chicken:
- 3- pound chicken
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry onion flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1.5 pounds yellow potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
For the Mujdei de Usturoi:
- Finely chop the garlic on a cutting board. Add a pinch of salt and slowly press the garlic with the flat side of your knife. Continue moving the knife back and forth over the garlic until you form a paste. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle or microplane to finely grate the garlic.
- In a small bowl or cup, combine the garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil. Vigorously stir with a spoon until the oil starts to turn slightly white and opaque. Add the remaining oil and repeat. Once the oil is fully combined with the garlic, add the water one tablespoon at a time and repeat the process. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt as desired. Can be refrigerated up to 2 days.
For the Cabbage Salad:
- In a bowl, combine the sliced cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover with water and massage to coat. Let stand 10 minutes then rinse with fresh water and drain completely. Add the oil, toss to coat, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt as desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the Rotisserie Chicken:
- In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, thyme, onion flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix until combined.
- Rinse and pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Place in a large bowl or zip-top bag and pour the marinade over top. Massage the chicken to coat and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.
- Preheat oven or grill to 425F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes evenly into a single layer. Set aside.
- Truss the bird with butcher’s twine, pass the rotisserie spit through the cavity, and secure both sides using the prongs. Place the spit on the attachment of your oven or grill and position the potatoes underneath to catch the drippings. Cook the chicken until the skin is golden brown and the thickest part of the thighs reaches 165F, around 80 minutes. The potatoes are ready when they are golden brown and fork-tender.
- Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let it rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the potatoes, cabbage salad and garlic sauce.
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About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.