Roast Garlic and Lemon Chicken (Printable Version)

Succulent roasted chicken with garlic and lemon, yielding juicy meat and crispy, flavorful skin.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 whole chicken (about 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)

→ Vegetables

09 - 2 large onions, quartered
10 - 3 carrots, cut into chunks
11 - 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

# How-To:

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 Tips:

01 -
  • The crispy skin alone is worth the wait but the juicy meat underneath is what keeps everyone coming back for seconds
  • Its one of those rare dishes that looks impressive but requires almost zero effort
02 -
  • Patting the chicken completely dry before starting is the secret to getting skin that actually crisps up instead of staying rubbery
  • Letting the meat rest before carving is non negotiable unless you want all those delicious juices to escape onto your cutting board
03 -
  • Invest in a good meat thermometer because guessing when chicken is done is how you end up with dry meat
  • Let the chicken sit on the counter for 30 minutes before roasting so it cooks more evenly

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