Kevin 'Mr. Wonderful' O'Leary makes his perfect chicken recipe

Dec 11, 2023

Kevin O'Leary, also known as "Mr. Wonderful," is a "Shark Tank" investor, entrepreneur and TV personality. He also has a passion for cooking and cuisine.

O'Leary recently dropped by "GMA3" to share his recipe for "perfect chicken" with Greek lemon rice and asparagus.

Check it out below and try it for yourself.

Roasted chicken ingredients

4- to 5-pound whole chicken

1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (dried thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram and rosemary)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 onion, peeled and quartered

Chicken rub ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 lemon, zested and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (dried thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram and rosemary)

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

For the chicken rub:

Add salt and garlic to a mortar and pestle or smash together on a cutting board and mash to create a paste.

Add paste to a bowl and add the juice of 1/4 of a lemon, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Dry brine the chicken:

Remove the organ pack from the chicken, and rinse and pat down the chicken with paper towels inside and out.

Loosen skin by gently sliding your fingers under the chicken skin on the breasts and legs.

Evenly spread the chicken rub under the skin as far as you can reach, and try not to tear any of the skin.

Ideally, this should be done the night before or a few hours before cooking the chicken to allow the rub to penetrate the chicken meat and give the skin time to air dry.

When allowing the chicken to dry brine, leave uncovered in the refrigerator. Do not be alarmed if the chicken looks emaciated when allowed to air dry in the fridge. The more dry the skin is, the crispier it will get.

If time does not allow for the last two steps, then the rub can be applied under the skin right before cooking.

Roasting the chicken:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Stuff the chicken with the quartered lemon and onion.

Truss the chicken with the Turbo Trusser.

Rub the chicken with olive oil.

Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper on the entire chicken.

Place on a lightly greased roasting pan with a roasting rack.

Place the chicken in the oven on the center rack.

Roast for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the chicken has reached 165 F in the deepest part of the breast. Check the temperature using an instant read thermometer.

Chicken tips:

For a super crispy skin, spritz the chicken with olive oil or clarified butter 2-3 times while roasting.

For even browning, rotate the chicken 2-3 times

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups long grain rice (uncooked and rinsed)

1 medium onion, small-diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup orzo pasta

2 lemons, juiced

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) or low sodium chicken broth

Salt to taste

1/2 - 1/3 cup of fresh chopped parsley

2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

Directions

In a medium preheated saucepan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Add onion and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant and onion is translucent.

Add orzo and stir to combine. Toast for 1 minute.

Add rinsed rice and stir to combine for 1 minute.

Stir in chicken stock and lemon juice. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a light simmer.

Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Remove from heat and let rest covered for 10 minutes.

With a fork, stir in fresh parsley and dill.

Serve.

Ingredients

1-2 bunches asparagus (depending on if thick or thin)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Wash asparagus and cut bottoms off where stalks start to become tender.

Lay asparagus on foil lined baking sheet.

Coat asparagus with olive oil.

Add salt and pepper and with toss with your hands until asparagus is evenly coated.

Bake asparagus uncovered at 350 F for for 15-20 minutes.

Serve.

Tips for rice and asparagus:

If Asparagus is thin, the cooking time may be less. Check at 10 minutes for tenderness.

For fluffy rice, it needs to be rinsed.

To rinse the rice, add to a bowl and let soak 15-20 minutes with cold water at least 1 inch above rice or use a rice washer and rinse until water is no longer cloudy.

Strain rice using a fine mesh strainer.

When cooking rice, if not tender after 15 minutes and liquid is almost evaporated, add 1/4 cup warm chicken stock to complete cooking.