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Lemon and Herb Roast Chicken

Simple, delicious and the most flavorful roast chicken

Course Main Course
Keyword chicken, baking, lunch, dinner,
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6
Author Sandra | Sandra's Easy Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole Chicken
  • 1/2 Lemon + its juice
  • Olive Oil

Seasoning and Herbs

  • 2-3 generous Pinches of Salt
  • 1/4 Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon Dried Parsley
  • 1/4 tablespoon Sumac
  • 2-3 sprigs Lemon Thyme

Instructions

  1. Get a sharp paring knife and a pair of kitchen scissors and butterfly your whole chicken. Place the chicken on a cutting board with chicken breast-side-down. Working from the cavity opening up to the neck, cut down each side of the backbone with a pair of kitchen shears. Discard the backbone. I do not discard backbone, but if you wish you can.
  2. Add all the seasoning and herbs on the chicken inside and out, then drizzle a bit of oil and squeeze half of the lemon. Massage the chicken all the seasoning and herbs could marry together.
  3. Cover the chicken and place in the fridge for at least 10 hours. Do not leave chicken on the countertop for more than 15 minutes.
  4. Before starting to roast the chicken, preheat over to 375F.
  5. Place in the oven-safe dish, even on a roasting rack would be okay, maybe even the best, but since I didn't have a roasting rack I made it in the regular baking pan.
  6. Roast chicken for about 50-60 minutes, depending on your oven. Make sure to drizzle chicken with chicken drip just to keep it more flavorful.
  7. When the internal temp of the chicken measures 165F it is done and cooked through.
  8. Turn the Broiler on high for a minute just to make crunch the skin even more.
  9. You can add some potatoes in the chicken drip or save it for the next time you make roasted potatoes and chicken. It produces the most flavorful taste.
  10. I served the chicken with roasted potatoes. I baked potatoes between 25-30 minutes at 400F or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Dried thyme and fresh thyme are interchangeable with some difference in flavor. The standard ratio is 3 teaspoons fresh = 1 teaspoon dry, but this is often hard to measure. Figure 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaf is equivalent to a fairly large sprig. If you use powdered thyme, use 3/4 as much as you would dried leaf.