American
Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken
A whole chicken is rubbed with lemon, garlic, and butter, then roasted on a rack until the thigh is cooked through and the skin is browned. It tastes savory and bright, with crisp skin and juicy meat.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Drying the skin helps it brown instead of staying pale.
- Butter under the skin bastes the breast while the thigh catches up.
- A hot oven renders the skin without a long low roast.
- Resting the bird keeps the juices in the meat when it is carved.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry. Season the cavity and the skin with the salt and pepper.
- 2
Mix the butter, garlic, and thyme. Rub half of it under the skin of the breast and the rest over the outside.
- 3
Halve one lemon and tuck both halves into the cavity. Rub the skin with the olive oil.
- 4
Set the chicken breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 70 to 75 minutes.
- 5
If the breast browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil and keep roasting until the thigh hits 165°F.
- 6
Rest the chicken 10 minutes. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and serve them with the carved chicken.
Pro tips
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before roasting so it cooks more evenly.
- Do not truss it so tightly that the thighs stay tucked in a cold pocket.
- Check the thigh, not the breast, for the 165°F reading.
Easy substitutions
- butter
- olive oil for a different richness
- fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- whole chicken
- bone-in chicken pieces roasted until 165°F, about 40 minutes
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate carved chicken in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat covered at 325°F until the meat is hot, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 418
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Moderate · Oven · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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