When you taste this Simple Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken you will know that you found the ultimate chicken recipe. Lemon, rosemary and onion subtly flavor the chicken, the meat is moist and the skin is perfectly crispy. This chicken recipe has become one of my all time favorites along with Agrodolce Chicken and Chicken with Spinach and Tomatoes
What I love about this recipe
My sister in law recently spent a few days with us and I wanted to make a nice dinner but did not want to spend hours in the kitchen preparing a meal. This whole roasted chicken recipe was perfect! In the time that it took to preheat the oven, the chicken was prepped and ready for roasting. It was so easy and the result was so impressive that you would have thought that I had slaved over this dinner.
This recipe also fits into various diets. It is the perfect main course for a low carb, whole 30, gluten free or dairy free meal. Don’t you love when you find a recipe that can meet so many dietary needs?
How to make Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken
There is a reason why Simple is in the recipe title.
To prepare the chicken, remove the gizzards and any other parts that are stuffed in the cavity. Dry the chicken with paper towels, inside and out. Generously salt and pepper the inside of the bird first, then turn your attention to the outside.
Lift the skin on the breast and massage some olive oil on the breast meat, then rub it with salt and pepper. Next, massage olive oil on the skin of the chicken making sure to grease the whole chicken including the bottom.
Quarter an onion and two lemons and stuff them into the cavity along with 3 sprigs of rosemary. Generously salt and pepper the skin, place it in a roasting pan fitted with a rack and transfer it to the oven.
For this recipe I set the oven at 425 degrees and rely on the internal temperature of the bird to dictate when to remove it from the oven. Start checking the internal temperature of the chicken after about 45 minutes of roasting.
Enjoy your dinner!
FAQ
There is no right or wrong temperature for cooking chicken. You can roast a bird at any temperature between 350-425 degrees. At a lower temperature of about 350 degrees it will take about 20 -25 minutes per pound to cook a chicken. But if you are looking for crispy skin then you will want to cook at a higher temperature. This also means that the chicken will be done sooner and you will want to make sure that you don’t overcook the bird. At this temperature you will need to rely on a meat thermometer to help you cook the perfect bird.
I recommend using an instant read thermometer to check your bird for doneness. When the internal temperature of the thermometer, inserted in the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees it is time to remove the chicken from the oven and tent it with foil. The chicken will continue to cook while it rests and after about 10-15 minutes the chicken will have reached about 175 degrees. At this temperature the meat will be juicy and tender and the skin will be nice and crispy.
There is no need to cover chicken when roasting it. Cooking it uncovered will crisp the skin and turn it an appealing golden brown. If the skin starts to get too dark before the chicken is done, you may want to tent a piece of foil over it to keep it from getting any darker.
What to serve with Roast chicken?
- The Best Cranberry Orange Chutney
- Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
- Simple Italian Scalloped Potatoes
- Butternut Squash Risotto
- Must Try Authentic Banana Cream Pie
Simple Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 3½-4 lb Whole Chicken
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1½ tsp Salt Kosher
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper Ground
- 2 Lemons Quarterd
- 1 Onion Large, quartered
- 3 sprigs Rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° and prepare a roasting pan fitted with a rack.
- Remove the gizzards and packing from inside the chicken cavity. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, then carefully lift the skin from the breast and back end of the chicken by sliding your hand between the skin and the breast. Rub a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper under the skin.
- Rub the remaining olive oil all over the skin of the chicken. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken liberally, including the bottom of the chicken. Stuff the cavity of the bird with the onion, lemon and rosemary sprigs.
- Place the chicken on the roasting rack and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast the chicken for 50-60 minutes depending on it's size. Check for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. The chicken is done when the thermometer registers 165°and the juices run clear.
- Remove the pan from the oven, tent it with foil and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes.
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Great flavor 😋