Best Simple Lemon Roast Chicken Recipes

LEMON AND GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.
• Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.
• Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450ºF with rack in center.
• Remove the giblets from the chicken then trim the excess fat from around the chicken cavity then rinse and thoroughly dry the chicken. (The drier the chicken, the crispier the skin.) Place the chicken in a roasting pan, baking dish or cast iron skillet.
• Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Brush the melted garlic butter all over the chicken. Season the chicken liberally all over (including inside the cavity) with salt and pepper. Place the two lemon halves and the sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. (Keep it simple with a loop around each leg and knotted in the center.)
• Roast the chicken for about 1 hour, basting it every 15 minutes by using a spoon and tilting the pan to collect the juices then spooning them atop the chicken, until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. (When testing the temperature with a meat thermometer, insert it into the breast but do not touch the bone for the most accurate reading.) Rotate the pan after every time you baste the chicken to guarantee even cooking.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

ROASTED LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut up 1 lemon into 8 pieces and rub the outside of the chicken with the peel side of the pieces and then put the lemon pieces into the chicken with the garlic.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour a mixture of half of the olive oil and half of the butter on top and pour the rest inside of the chicken.
• Roast for 1 1/2 hours in a preheated oven of 325 degrees.
• Half-hour before chicken is done roasting pour the juice from the second freshly squeezed lemon over the top and sprinkle the chicken with the chopped parsley and return the chicken to the oven to finish roasting.

EASY LEMON ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil then season generously with salt and pepper all over.
• Make sure to season the cavity of the chicken as well.
• Place lemon slices and thyme inside the cavity of the chicken and sprinkle thyme leaves over the chicken.
• Slice the lemons and the tops off of the garlic bulbs. Place them in a roasting dish then place the chicken on top.
• Pour the chicken stock around the chicken then cover with foil.
• Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes then remove the foil and roast for another 15-30 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
• Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes then slice and serve, drizzled with the pan juices.

LEMON-ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Rinse chicken thoroughly with cold water, empty the cavity, and pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Place chicken, breast-side down, into a roasting pan. Squeeze juice from 1 1/2 lemons over chicken.
• Mix salt and pepper together in a small bowl and spread mixture all over chicken using your hands.
• Roll 2 lemons on the countertop to soften them a bit. Puncture several times with a fork and cram into the cavity of the chicken.
• Place roasting pan in the preheated oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Pull out chicken and turn over using wooden spoons or tongs. Return to the oven and continue to bake until no longer pink in the center and juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Cut remaining lemon into slices. Transfer chicken to a serving dish and garnish with lemon slices and fresh rosemary. Pour juices from the roasting pan over the chicken to make it super juicy.

LEMON-PEPPER ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine lemon-pepper, garlic salt, black pepper, thyme, and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Slice 2 lemons into rounds for stuffing; reserve 1 for juice.
• Place both chickens in a roasting pan, not touching. Squeeze 1 lemon over both chickens, making sure juice coats evenly. Split sliced lemons, celery, green onions, and garlic in half and stuff each chicken. Use cooking string to tie legs together, making sure legs are facing up. Pat dry rub all over chickens.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Rotate the pan and baste chicken with juices. Continue to bake, basting often, for 50 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and continue to baste and bake until juices run clear and chickens are no longer pink in the centers, about 40 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

ROSEMARY & LEMON ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Very finely chop 2 sprigs of the rosemary and mix with 2 tbsp of the butter and the garlic, lemon zest and chilli. Gently lift the skin away from the breast of the chicken and press the butter underneath on both sides. Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. Stuff the lemon inside the cavity.
• Place the chicken on a wire rack along with the carrots in a medium roasting tin. Season, then scatter with the remaining rosemary leaves. Roast the chicken for 1 hr 10 mins or until the juices run clear, then remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 mins before carving. Serve it on a board with the carrots and a bowl of the roasting juices.

ROASTED LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Loosen skin around chicken breast, leg and thigh. Combine the seasonings; rub half under skin. Cut half of the lemon into quarters and place in the cavity along with rosemary sprigs. Skewer openings; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. , Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Squeeze the remaining lemon over chicken; rub with remaining spice mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until chicken juices run clear and a thermometer reads 180° (cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly). Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove and discard skin, and discard lemon and herbs from cavity before carving.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Working carefully to prevent tearing, loosen the skin over as much of the chicken as possible by slipping your hand under it. Rub the chicken flesh lightly with salt, and slide the herbs under the skin. (You should be able to see them through the skin.)
• Place all the lemon in the chicken's cavity, and cover the chicken in plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil. Unwrap the chicken and place it breast side up in the pan, surrounded by any vegetables to be roasted. Drizzle the vegetables with oil, turning them to coat well. Roast for 20 minutes, then baste the chicken and vegetables with pan juices. If there are no juices, add 1/4 cup water to the pan, scraping the bottom, and baste.
• Reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Continue basting every 10 to 15 minutes until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced at the thigh, about 20 minutes to a pound. Roast vegetables until browned and caramelized, removing when cooked to taste.
• Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Remove the lemon from the cavity and place in the roasting pan, mashing it a bit to release the juices. Place pan on low heat and add the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan. Carve the chicken, adding any juices to the pan. Pour the hot juices into a pitcher or gravy boat. Serve the chicken and vegetables, passing the juices separately.