Lemon Herb Roast Chicken with Garlic

A whole chicken roasted with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs is one of the simplest and most rewarding dinners you can cook. Here the bird is seasoned well in advance, stuffed with lemon halves and herb sprigs, and roasted at high heat until the skin is crisp and the meat stays juicy. The pan juices, sharpened with a little more lemon, become an easy sauce.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 30

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 lemons one zested and halved, one cut into wedges for serving
1 head garlic halved crosswise
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil or softened butter
1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 large onion cut into wedges
1/2 cup chicken broth or water

Method

At least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours) before cooking, pat the chicken dry and season inside and out with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate uncovered.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the onion wedges in a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet.
Mix the lemon zest with the olive oil and rub over the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, half the garlic and the herb sprigs. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under.
Place the chicken breast side up on the onions. Put the remaining garlic half beside it and pour the broth into the pan.
Roast for 60–75 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C) and the juices run clear.
Rest the chicken for 15 minutes before carving. Squeeze the roasted lemon from the cavity into the pan juices, stir in the parsley and spoon over the carved chicken.

Notes

Seasoning ahead and leaving the chicken uncovered in the fridge dries the skin, so it crisps better.
Do not rinse raw chicken; it spreads bacteria around the sink without making the chicken any safer.