Sick of Marry Me Chicken? Meet Divorce Chicken

“Unlike marriages, this recipe will work out more than 50 percent of the time."

It’s spicy, sassy, and might just inspire you to break up with those viral "engagement" and "marry me" chicken recipes.

But before we get into our new favorite dish, some background. Let’s transport back to 1982. A fashion editor at Glamour shared her favorite roast chicken recipe with an assistant at the magazine, who proceeded to cook it for her boyfriend at the time. Within a month, the boyfriend had proposed. Their relationship’s success was about so much more than a single meal, true. But when that assistant shared the chicken dinner idea with three other staff members, they too added “fiancée” to their resumes soon after. Enter: The “Engagement Chicken” era.

Since then, culinary icons like Ina Garten and Rachael Ray have created variations on the theme, and Delish just about broke the internet when its skillet chicken breast riff “Marry Me Chicken” took over TikTok. Unlike the other roast chicken dinners, this one-pan chicken dinner is made in 40 minutes—and it includes a luscious sun-dried tomato cream sauce.

Marry Me Chicken didn’t lead to any engagements (that we know of yet), however, after tasting a bite during the recipe video’s photo shoot, the videographer told the recipe developer, “I'd marry you for that chicken!"

And just like that, Skillet Sicilian Chicken was rebranded as “Marry Me Chicken.” Allrecipes’ twist on Marry Me Chicken is served over pasta and has earned rave reviews like “Very flavorful...my partner didn't propose after eating, but he enjoyed it a lot,” “Made it for my parents’ 60th anniversary,” and “This recipe got A's all across the board from my family.”

While we love all of those sweet stories and tried-and-true chicken recipes, our new culinary crush is “Divorce Chicken.” One bite was all we needed to break up with the others...at least for this week.

What Is Divorce Chicken?

Kristin Stangl, from our sister brand, The Spruce Eats, is the mastermind behind Divorce Chicken. It didn’t earn its name because it caused a divorce but because it was part of Stangl’s healing process afterward.

“The idea for this divorce chicken was born from an irreverent reply I gave when someone brought up the forever-trending marry me chicken recipe,” she explains. “This recipe I developed over time mostly so I could have a counterpoint to the wedding bell bird.”

Divorce Chicken gives a nod to the "Eat, Pray, Love"-like travels that Stangl had in the wake of her divorce—and the flavors she discovered along the way. It’s a whole roast chicken enrobed in a warm, Moroccan-inspired spice blend. (You could also swap in bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces if you prefer; just cook to temperature rather than by time.)

Then, we’re heading to southeast Asia via the carrot salad, featuring fresh herbs, citrus, and zippy Korean gochujang paste.

“Unlike marriages, this recipe will work out more than 50 percent of the time,” Stangl confirms.

Whether you’re engaged, divorced, single, or happily partnered, this just-spicy-enough comfort food recipe will have you coming back for seconds.

How to Make Divorce Chicken

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds (as a reminder, you need not—and actually shouldn’t—rinse raw poultry)

For the Gochujang Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons gochujang

• 1 navel orange for zesting and juicing (you’ll need 1 tablespoon zest + 1/4 cup orange juice)

• 1 lime for juicing (you’ll need 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• kosher salt

For the Carrot Ribbon Salad:

• 5 medium carrots, washed and peeled

• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds

• 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces

• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

• 2 to 3 tablespoons (or more, to taste) of the gochujang dressing

• 1 to 2 bird’s eye chilis cut into thin rounds (optional)

Directions

For the Chicken:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and position a rack in the lower third.

2. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, salt, cumin, pepper, ginger, and oil to form a paste.

3. Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels, then transfer to a large cast iron skillet or roasting pan, breast-side up. Tuck the wings behind the back. If you have kitchen twine, tie the legs together, if desired. (Trussing the chicken is optional.)

4. Use your fingers to spread the spice paste evenly under and on top of the skin of the chicken.

5. Transfer to the oven and roast until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted in the thigh (be careful not to touch the bone), about 1 hour.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

7. While the chicken roasts, prepare the dressing and carrot salad.

For the Gochujang Dressing:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gochujang, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt.

For the Carrot Ribbon Salad:

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, swirling them in the pan until fragrant and toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

2. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin, lengthwise slices directly over a large bowl to make the carrot ribbons. Add the mint and basil leaves, reserving some for garnish.

3. Just before serving, toss the carrots and herbs with 2 to 3 tablespoons (or more, if you like) of the prepared gochujang dressing.

4. Arrange the salad on a large platter. Top with the toasted coriander seeds, garnish with mint and basil leaves, and bird’s eye chili slices if using.

To Serve:

1. When the chicken is done roasting and resting, carve it into 8 pieces. Serve on top of or alongside the carrot salad, with additional dressing for drizzling and dipping.

Adapted from The Spruce Eats.

Read the original article on All Recipes.