
10 minutes
95 minutes
105 minutes
Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary - a classic oven roasted chicken recipe that is perfect every time. This baked whole chicken is very easy to prepare and bursting with flavour. Tender and juicy on the inside and crispy skin on the outside! The BEST roast chicken you'll ever try.
5 Stars (16 Reviews)
servings
Scale
Remove chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking it to bring it to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.
Mix together melted butter, juice from 1/2 the lemon, oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder and thyme in a small bowl.
Place the chicken in a roasting pan with a rack inside. Look for a spot at the chest cavity opening where the skin and meat of the chickens breasts are a little separated. Use a dessert spoon to gently seperate the skin from the meat of the chicken breast on both sides, keeping the skin intact in the middle. Prop chicken upright by its legs and pour the lemon butter evenly under the skin between the breasts.
Fill chicken cavity with lemon quarters (including the ones you used for the butter) and rosemary, then tie the legs of the chicken together at the ankle with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the chicken.
Lay the chicken down on the roasting pan, breast side up, and drizzle with olive oil, then season with paprika, remaining garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken, breast side up, for 10 minutes on 200C / 390F. Turn the oven down to 180C / 350F and roast, basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes or so for an additional hour and 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
To check if the chicken is done, simply use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is 75C / 165F or use a skewer to pierce the thickest part of thigh and the juices should run clear.
Remove the chicken from the oven, carefully move to a large plate and leave to rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Carve the chicken and serve!
TIPS FOR MAKING ROAST CHICKEN
INSPIRATION
RECIPE ADAPTED FROM BABY MAC and RECIPE TIN EATS.
Amount Per Serving:
calories
683kcalcarbohydrates
4gprotein
69gfat
42gsaturated fat
13gpolyunsaturated fat
25gcholesterol
235mgsodium
282mgfiber
1gsugar
1gCook It Real Good focuses on making the most of simple ingredients. Learn to cook fast, easy meals that don't sacrifice taste. Oh and the less washing up, the better!
November 28, 2019
March 24, 2020
Can you clarify what to cook the chicken at? You say to preheat the oven to 425 but then to cook at 390 and then 350. What is the 425 for?
March 24, 2020
Hey Jessica, good pick up - the preheat is supposed to be 200C / 390F. I'll go ahead and fix it now but this is all you'll need:
Roast the chicken, breast side up, for 10 minutes on 200C / 390F. Turn the oven down to 180C / 350F and roast, basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes or so for an additional hour and 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
May 4, 2020
How much lemon juice is mixed in the melted butter?
May 4, 2020
Also...how much rosemary do you put in the cavity?
May 4, 2020
Karol - Great pick up - no idea what happened there but I've fixed the recipe now. you'll want 1/2 a lemon juiced into the butter, and 2 rosemary sprigs. Thanks 🙂
May 22, 2020
The recipe says to stuff with lemons, but the picture looks like oranges. Did you do both? Or are we supposed to be using oranges (juice & pieces) instead of lemon?
May 22, 2020
No oranges - maybe my lemons were a bit on the darker side that day 🙂 enjoy!
June 28, 2020
Would it make my chicken more fragrant and tastier if I do the spicing and stuffing the previous evening and only roast it the next morning?
June 28, 2020
You could certainly do that Lee-Ann but honestly this chicken does not lack in the flavour department when made as is! So good 🙂 Enjoy!