Roasted Chicken Lemon Herbs (Printable View)
Tender chicken roasted with lemon and fresh herbs for crispy, flavorful skin and juicy meat.
# Ingredient List:
→ Poultry
01 - 1 whole chicken (about 3.5 lbs)
→ Fresh Produce
02 - 1 large lemon, halved
03 - 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
04 - 1 large yellow onion, quartered
→ Herbs
05 - 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
06 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
07 - 4 sprigs fresh parsley
→ Spices & Seasoning
08 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
09 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
→ Fats
11 - 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted unsalted butter
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat your oven to 425°F.
02 - Remove the chicken giblets if present and pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels.
03 - Season the cavity of the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stuff with lemon halves, halved garlic head, and half of each herb.
04 - Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil or melted butter. Sprinkle remaining salt, pepper, and paprika evenly over the skin.
05 - Tuck the wings under the chicken and tie the legs together with kitchen twine, if desired.
06 - Place onion quarters and remaining herbs in a roasting pan. Set the chicken breast-side up on top of the onions and herbs.
07 - Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh, and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F.
08 - Remove chicken from the oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.
09 - Carve and serve with pan juices and roasted onions.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The lemon keeps the meat incredibly juicy while the skin gets perfectly crispy
- It comes together with just 15 minutes of hands on time
- The aromatics create their own pan sauce without any extra work
02 -
- Patting the chicken completely dry before seasoning is the single most important step for crispy skin
- Letting the meat rest after cooking prevents all those delicious juices from escaping onto your cutting board
03 -
- Invest in a good meat thermometer, it takes all the guesswork out of poultry
- Saving the chicken carcass for homemade stock transforms this meal into two