Roast Garlic and Lemon Chicken (Printable)
Succulent roasted chicken infused with aromatic garlic and zesty lemon, featuring juicy meat and crispy, flavorful skin ready in 90 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1 whole chicken (approximately 3.3 lbs), giblets removed
→ Marinade
02 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
03 - 2 lemons (1 zested and juiced, 1 sliced into rounds)
04 - 3 tbsp olive oil
05 - 2 tsp salt
06 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
07 - 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
08 - 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
→ Roasting Vegetables
09 - 2 large onions, quartered
10 - 3 carrots, cut into chunks
11 - 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
# Directions:
01 - Preheat your oven to 425°F.
02 - In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary to make the marinade.
03 - Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and rub half of the marinade directly onto the meat under the skin. Rub the remaining marinade all over the outside of the chicken.
04 - Stuff the chicken cavity with the lemon slices and a few sprigs of extra thyme or rosemary, if desired.
05 - Arrange the onions, carrots, and celery in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side up.
06 - Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
07 - Let the chicken rest for 10–15 minutes before carving. Serve with the roasted vegetables and pan juices.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The skin gets impossibly crispy while the meat stays tender and juicy every single time
- The roasted vegetables underneath soak up all those delicious pan juices and become the best part
- It looks impressive but requires almost zero active cooking time
02 -
- Always let the chicken rest or all those wonderful juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in the meat
- A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out and guarantees perfectly cooked chicken every time
03 -
- Pat the chicken completely dry before applying any marinade for the crispest skin possible
- Tuck the wing tips under the bird so they do not burn while the rest of the chicken cooks