READY IN 2 hr

Succulent Roast Chicken

Read Reviews (26)

"A moist, garlicky-lemony, easy roast dinner. Serve with roast potatoes and veggies, and you've got yourself a wholesome and impressive meal!" — MBLASSNIG

Directions

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Combine the lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, and minced garlic in a small bowl; stir in the olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Separate the skin around the breast and thighs from the meat. Rub the herb mixture onto the meat, underneath the skin. Cut the zested lemon in half, and place half of the lemon into the cavity of the chicken along with the whole garlic cloves. Place the chicken into a roasting pan, and squeeze the remaining lemon half evenly over the skin of the chicken.
Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour, 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 1 hr 35 mins
READY IN 2 hrs

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

May 17, 2010

For me this is a pretty basic recipe which I do with a few variations of my own, like massaging the chicken with lemon rind and butter. One tip that I must insist on never, never cover the bird with foil or anything else while it rests or you will just steam the beautiful golden crust. It needs no coverng.

—Harriet Green

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 05, 2011

Used 2t rosemary & 1t thyme; soaked in 1T lemon juice & 1T olive oil. Put 1t rosemary, 1/2t thyme inside. Girl, 11, ate it. Boy, 13, didn't. Very rosemaryish, rotisserie-like scent. Not a rotisserie fan.

—BOOKMARKER

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31 Ratings

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Nov 11, 2010

The perfect roast chicken – tender, juicy and SO flavorful. True to its name, this really was succulent. I stuck to the recipe fairly closely, although I rubbed the herb/olive oil mixture all over the chicken rather than just underneath the skin. I also stuck extra sprigs of rosemary and thyme and a good chunk of onion in the cavity along with the lemon. I roasted the chicken at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduced the heat to 375 degrees and roasted for another 20 minutes per pound. (I had a 5-1/2 pound chicken so it was in the oven about 2 hours) I poured about a cup of chicken broth into the pan at the beginning, and the resulting juices made for a rich and delicious pan gravy, thickened just slightly with a little cornstarch and more chicken broth. I served this with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes (in the same pan last 40 minutes of cooking), Cauliflower with a Kick, Easy Garden Green Beans, Pumpkin Soup and a tossed green salad with Creamy Peppercorn Dressing, all recipes also from this site. With only six reviews, this recipe is not receiving the attention it should.

—naples34102

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Feb 03, 2011

Great flavor combination. The lemon, rosemary and garlic complement each other well. I only had skinless chicken breasts on hand, so just put them on top the sliced lemon, spread the chopped garlic, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil mixture over the chicken and baked it for about 45 - 50 minutes. Probably should have baked them for a little less time. 40 minutes probably would have been about right for two chicken breasts that were almost 2 pounds. Be sure to scoop up some of the juices from the pan and drizzle on top the chicken before serving, for extra flavor and moisture (if you over cook your chicken like I did). Will definitely use this flavor combination again.

—Lori

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Feb 07, 2011

This is very good. I did change a few things though... I used dried herbs (about 1/2-1 teaspoon each), skipped stuffing the bird with garlic and used margarine instead of the olive oil. I combined the margarine, herbs, 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, lemon zest and salt & pepper in a food processor to get it mixed really well. Rubbed this under the skin and all over the chicken. I did add 1/2 cup of water into my baking dish to avoid burning. I used a 2lbs. bird so I cooked it for a little less time.

—RMSR

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May 17, 2010

it was crisp from outside tender from inside,iam only added an onion inside the cavity

—heba

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Mar 07, 2011

This is the best chicken I have ever cooked!! The only thing I did different is I put the chicken in the crock pot instead of he oven. This will be a recipe that we use often!

—elysia.jackson

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Mar 09, 2011

I always make another whole chicken recipe from here but I think Ill start swapping it up with this one. A beautiful bird and smelled so good. I did shove both lemon halves into the cavity. Served with broc cheese rice and a green salad and french bread. It didnt feel like a weeknight meal!

—soupisgoodfood33

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Nutrition

Calories
450 kcal
22%

Carbohydrates
4.5 g
1%

Cholesterol
145 mg
48%

Fat
26.9 g
41%

Fiber
1.5 g
6%

Protein
46.5 g
93%

Sodium
221 mg
9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Succulent Roast Chicken

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 450
Calories from Fat: 242

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26.9g 41 %
Saturated Fat 7.3g 37 %
Cholesterol 145mg 48 %
Sodium 221mg 9 %
Potassium 466mg 13 %
Total Carbohydrates 4.5g 1 %
Dietary Fiber 1.5g 6 %
Protein 46.5g 93 %
** Sugars 0g
Vitamin A 4 %
Vitamin C 38 %
Calcium 6 %
Iron 37 %
** Thiamin 13 %
Niacin 110 %
Vitamin B6 47 %
Magnesium 16 %
Folate 7 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.