Garlic Lemon Chili Chicken

A little savoury garlic, a little tart lemon, and a kick of chili heat! This chicken dish will hit all the flavour notes at your dinner table! This dish will serve 5 to 7 guests.

Ingredients:

4-5 lbs. chicken pieces, bone in, skin on
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large fresh lemons (zest and juice)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tablespoon chili powder (mild)
2 teaspoons red chili pepper flakes (or less to taste)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Place chicken pieces in a single layer on the bottom of a roasting pan or dish. Sprinkle pieces generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, zest the two lemons. Cut them in half and juice them into the bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, chili powder and chili pepper flakes. Whisk together all ingredients till well combined. Brush the chicken pieces generously with the marinade till evenly coated. Pour remaining marinade over the top of the pieces. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (no longer, or the acid in the lemon juice will break down the chicken meat).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the roasting pan or dish tightly with foil. Cut a few slits in the foil around the edges to vent. Place chicken in the oven and cook for about 1 hour, until the juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Remove the foil and raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Cook the chicken for about 10 more minutes until it is nicely browned and the skin is crisp.