Roasted Lemon Chicken
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Roasted Lemon Chicken is easy enough to make for a simple weeknight meal, but nice enough to serve to guests or for a Sunday dinner!
So, I have to share with you… I do not care for meat on the bone. I don’t know when it started, I always remember having issues with it. My family ate A LOT of whole chicken and it was ALWAYS served on the bone with the skin.
I would pick the pieces off the chicken and throw them in my solid blue plastic cup or chuck them under the table (and clean it up after dinner). We were a “clean plate” family, as were most struggling middle income families of my day.
So, once it was served you didn’t leave the table until it was gone. Being an “out of the box thinker” even then I found a way to get rid of it.
As an adult I feel that I may be missing out on some of the most amazing dishes by not overcoming this challenge, so last week, I stepped out of my comfort zone and bought my very first whole chicken. It was quite the day for me.
Cleaning it was most disgusting, but I made it through. In the end this turned out to be the most amazing chicken I have ever cooked and I am anxious to make this again!!!
Whether you are a seasoned whole bird cooker, or a novice… I recommend this roasted lemon chicken recipe! It is a keeper.
Recipe by Marcella Hazan: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Table of Contents
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
Lemon Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 whole chicken, (4–5 pounds), giblets removed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 5 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 3 whole, peeled and smashed
- 3 –4 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
For the Gravy:
- Pan drippings from roasted chicken
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels — dry skin = crispy skin.
- Season Under the Skin: Gently loosen the skin over the breasts. Spread 2 tablespoons butter and the minced garlic underneath. Massage the skin to distribute evenly.
- Butter the Outside: Rub remaining butter over the chicken. Season the cavity and outside liberally with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the Cavity: Squeeze half the lemon over the chicken. Place both lemon halves, smashed garlic cloves, and herb sprigs inside the cavity. Tuck wings under and tie drumsticks with kitchen twine.
- Roast the Chicken: Place chicken in a cast iron skillet or roasting pan. Roast for 70–80 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Baste every 20–30 minutes for golden, flavorful skin. If skin browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil. Chicken is done when juices run clear and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (about 15–18 minutes per pound).
- Rest Before Carving: Transfer chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil, and rest 15 minutes. This keeps juices locked in. Carve and serve.
- Make the Gravy: Skim fat from pan drippings. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, whisk in flour, and cook 1–2 minutes until golden and nutty. Slowly whisk in drippings and chicken stock. Simmer 4–5 minutes until thickened and bubbly. Season to taste and pour over carved chicken.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally Posted November 2011
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
Well what a perfect bird. Our favorite way to eat this lovely photo!
LOL! Too funny, Donna! Did you ever reveal this to your parents? That is hysterical.
This recipe sounds delicious – love the lemon.
@Claudia – Thank you. Mr W does all the final shots. This one was taken at 9pm, as we couldn't wait to eat that chicken until morning.
@Lynne – I was talking to my mom while I was writing this post and I told her that maybe if she had taken it off the bone, I may have eaten it. She said "I thought you were eating it". So, I guess the answer is no. They had no clue. : )
I'm so proud of you, Donna! Way to go. The chicken looks perfect. And you totally cracked me up with the memories. We did similar things with the liver my mother attempted to make us eat. Unfortunately for us, our dinner glasses were clear!
I would say this sounds like a great way to try your first chicken "on the bone." I love how Marcella's recipes are so simple, but the focus is on the technique and ingredients. Lemon does add a great flavor to the juices from the chicken. This sounds wonderful!
Congrats! I had a phobia with chicken in general for along time, but the taste of chicken cooked on the bone is unreal…so I made myself get over it! I do up a whole chicken almost the same exact way and now we have it at least once a week! Save the carcass for homemade chix broth!
yummy yummy..Delicious..
My Blog
http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
Good for you! This chicken looks amazing and lemon is always the perfect addition to roasted whole chickens. Next thing you know you'll be posting a big giant turkey!
I'm a bit weird with meat on the bone as well. I prefer to just buy the boneless, skinless chicken. Much easier! I'm sure your chicken was just as delicious as it looks though. It's gorgeous! x
Such a simple bird recipe! Lemon always gives a good flavor to chicken!
Ok, this looks awesome! 🙂 AND easy! 🙂 I might fix it TONIGHT! 🙂
This looks good! I love chicken and lemon together it's so perfect. I found your recipe over on blog hop on That skinny chick can bake! Can't wait to check out the rest of your recipes. Thanks so much for sharing. Come share some love over at my blog! http://bridgetbakes.blogspot.com/
IU love lemon roasted chicken, and it always comes out amazing when I use this recipe! Won’t be buying rotisserie chickens all the time now because I can make this!