Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken (Printable)
Tender roasted chicken with zesty lemon and garlic, paired with crispy golden potatoes for comforting flavors.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1 whole chicken (approximately 3.3 lbs), patted dry
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 lemon, halved
04 - 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1 teaspoon paprika
→ Potatoes
10 - 1.75 lbs baby potatoes, halved
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
→ Garnish
15 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
16 - Lemon wedges (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Combine olive oil, salt, black pepper, oregano, thyme, and paprika in a small bowl.
03 - Rub the spice mixture over the entire chicken, inside and out; stuff the cavity with lemon halves and smashed garlic cloves.
04 - Place the chicken in the center of a large roasting pan.
05 - Toss halved baby potatoes with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and rosemary; arrange them evenly around the chicken in the pan.
06 - Roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes, basting the chicken with pan juices halfway through, until skin is golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
07 - Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
08 - Carve the chicken and plate with roasted potatoes; garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- One pan means minimal cleanup, which honestly might be the best part of a weeknight dinner.
- The chicken stays incredibly moist while the skin gets crackling and golden, and the potatoes roast in all those delicious pan drippings.
- Lemon and garlic do the heavy lifting on flavor, so you can skip complicated techniques and just let the oven work for you.
02 -
- A meat thermometer is genuinely your best friend here, because guessing leads to either dry chicken or undercooked poultry, and neither is worth the risk.
- Basting halfway through is the difference between a decent chicken and an unforgettable one, so don't skip that step even if it feels fussy.
- If your potatoes aren't getting crispy enough, spread them out in a single layer instead of piling them around the chicken, giving them more contact with the hot pan.
03 -
- Bring your chicken to room temperature for 20 minutes before roasting, which helps it cook more evenly and ensures moist meat even if you accidentally overcook by a few minutes.
- Save those pan drippings after serving, they become liquid gold for soups or gravy and taste like pure umami concentrated down.