Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs- As a chef, simplicity becomes of more central importance as time goes by. It's a common phrase in the industry that young chefs always try to focus on how much can be done to something, whereas an older, wiser cook thinks of how little needs to be applied to an ingredient to help coax out its distinctive enjoyable properties.
I've always found recipes like this one to be somewhat seminal to the process of learning to cook properly. "Season and roast a whole bird, leaving you with meat to eat, as well as leftovers to make more meals from, and the bones for stock.", what could be a simpler starting point? It is simply a springboard for more enticing creations.
This specific recipe takes full advantage of the fantastic aromatic and flavor properties that citrus and fresh herbs bring, filling your kitchen with a veritable cloud of exquisitely yummy smells. The comforting feelings that flood into my senses upon encountering this familiar environment always bring a grin to my face.
Jump to:
What You're Going to Need!
- Chicken - a whole roasting chicken will work here.
- Onion - yellow or sweet onion will work for this recipe.
- Lemon - fresh lemon juice can't be beat!
- Tarragon - fresh herbs add so much flavor.
- Thyme - works so well with chicken.
- Parsley - the flat leaf variety is what we used.
- Chives - fresh are so delicious!
- Olive oil - we used an olive oil blend because it has a higher smoke point for roasting.
- Butter - unsalted is always a good idea, that way you can control the salt in your recipe.
- Garlic - granulated garlic works the best for this recipe.
- Salt - we like to use kosher salt.
- Black pepper - we always grind our black pepper fresh; it really makes a big difference in the flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe
Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- season the cavity of the chicken with ½ of the salt, pepper, and garlic salt
- chop the onion into large dice
- slice half of the lemon (saving the slices for later)
- squeeze the unsliced half of lemon into the chicken cavity, then place the lemon into the chicken cavity
- add the cut onion into the chicken cavity
- preheat the oven to350℉
- chop the herbs and mix together
- in a small pan melt the butter and remove from heat
- add the olive oil and herbs to the butter
- pour the butter, olive oil and herb mixture onto the chicken making sure to coat it well
- season the chicken with the remaining salt ,pepper, and garlic salt
- place the lemon slices onto the chicken breasts
- place the chicken into the oven to roast, basting occasionally with the pan juices
- after 2 hours use the kitchen probe thermometer to take a temperature at the thigh joint of the chicken
- once the temperature reads 165℉ the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes
- if the temperature does not read 165℉ then return it to the oven for the remaining 25-30 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165℉
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!How to Roast the Perfect Chicken!
- Cut the onion and half the lemon, season the chicken inside and out with salt and black pepper. Place the onion pieces and the juiced lemon half into the cavity of the chicken.
2. In a small saucepan melt the butter. Add the remaining salt & black pepper, the herbs, garlic salt, and olive oil. Pour the mixture over the chicken and place it into a preheated oven to roast.
Variations For Roasted Chicken with Lemon
This preparation can be made to creatively tackle any type of tastes. If you would like to use a different citrus fruit, or different herbs, or even omit those entirely, go for it! The basic salt and pepper is all that is really indispensable, the rest is just a suggested path to take, not a requirement at all. Try stuffing the bird with carrots and celery along with the onions for a different flavor. Try using different herbs, or a spice blend to change the recipe entirely. The only thing that's important is that you enjoy!
Storage & Helpful Hints
As we were talking about earlier, this is a great meal to make based on all of the other meals that can be prepared from it. Set aside any whole pieces that you would like to re-heat as is, of course. Remove the skin and pull the meat from the bones to make chicken salad for sandwiches, casserole, soup, or pasta. Use the bones to make a delicious chicken stock. All of the above will last in the fridge, tightly sealed, for 3 to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Newest Recipe!
Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Mushroom Vinaigrette
Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
is one of our absolutely favorite things to eat! This hearty salad is full of flavor and the perfect way to combine healthy kale leaves, pomegranate seeds, and salty bacon.
More Inspiration
- White Balsamic Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
- Spicy Turkey Cocktail Meatballs With Red Pepper Sauce
- Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole with Almonds Recipe
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken Grilled Kabobs Recipe
Jason says
love a roasted chicken