This lemon roast chicken is one of our favorites! It’s a versatile meal too because it’s easy to prepare in advance and take out to cook when ready, so it’s perfect for busy homeschool days or work nights. But bonus points for this dish because it’s also a pretty meal, so it’s perfect for company too!
The first thing I like to do is get my pan ready. Here’s my set up (above). There is 1/2 cup water in the pan. This pan does have a lid-that’s important.
Next, I start with garlic cloves. We like a lot, as you can see! But you can adjust the quantity to your family’s garlic taste! I also used the zest from one entire lemon. This gives the chicken such a fresh, springy taste!
Next, mix into a paste the following;
- tablespoon of olive oil
- tablespoon of pink Himalayan salt
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 minced springs of rosemary
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Now here’s the tricky part. You want to coat the chicken with this paste BUT the trick is you want to coat UNDERNEATH the skin. So you want to carefully use your fingers/hand to separate the chicken from the skin while leaving the skin intact. It takes a little practice. Once done take the leftover paste and rub it on the outside of the chicken skin as well.
Lastly, I squeezed 2 lemons and poured the juice in underneath the chicken skin, into the cavity and over the top.
Next is another little trick I’ve learned that the family loves. I flash broil the chicken to give the skin a kick start at getting crispy! You’ll want to watch it closely while you broil. Mine got away from me just a little this last time, but that didn’t slow the family down! It usually only takes 3 to 5 minutes to flash broil it.
After that lower the temperature to 300, cover, and let roast until it’s almost done. I started checking my chicken at 1.5 hours. Once the chicken got to about 155 F I took the lid off.
Mine took around 2.5 hours but of course all that will depend on how many lbs your chicken is.
Lemon Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- tablespoon of olive oil
- 6 or more cloves of minced garlic
- tablespoon of pink Himalayan salt
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 minced springs of rosemary
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- whole chicken
- 2 lemons, juiced
Instructions
- Mix first 7 ingredients into a paste and rub underneath and over the separated chicken skin.
- Pour lemon juice between skin and chicken and into chicken cavity.
- Place chicken into roasting pan with 1/2 cup water.
- Flash broil until skin begins to brown, then reduce heat to 300 degrees F, cover and roast until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F.
- Remove lid and finish cooking until internal temperature reaches 165F.
If you try this recipe please come back and tell me what you thought in the comments below! Click HERE for more recipes.
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Looks so good I just love lemons, have to give your recipe a try !!
I hope you love it, Cynthia!
Oh my gosh this looks so yummy! chicken is my fav.
It truly is yummy, Bella! I’m not crazy about chicken overall, it’s not my favorite unless it’s very good recipe, I think this one is one of the best though!
Yes! I love roasted chicken. The more simple the better!
Love it! I’m always making lemon roasted chiciken. Keeping it simple is always a great way to go.
I love that you are a homeschooling family! I was homeschooled growing up! Also, this chicken looks amazing! I haven’t attempted to cook an entire whole chicken before, but I may need to give it a try!
Thank you, Reese!
YUM, love a good roast chicken.
Me too! Thank you for your feedback!