Roasted Chicken With Lemon And Thyme

I love lazy Sunday afternoons watching movies and not standing over the stove all day. Roasted chicken with lemon and thyme is perfect for this sort of day.

This recipe is so full of lemon and thyme flavor you can’t go wrong. You prep the bird, pop it in the oven, and then all you have to worry about are the side dishes. Oh yeah, and the laundry.

The aroma wafting from the kitchen drives the family crazy. Makes for a hungry group. So you have been warned. There will be a lot of questions about when dinner will be on the table.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Whole chicken
  • Unsalted butter, fresh lemon, garlic cloves, onion, and dried thyme – All these seasonings add great flavor and aromatics to the chicken.

Tips

  • Feel free to add in some diced potatoes and carrots. Ensure they are cut to the size needed for baking simultaneously with the chicken.
  • Use an instant-read thermometer to be sure the chicken is at 165 degrees F.
  • This is a great recipe for those on a low-carb/keto diet. Serve with mashed cauliflower, and you have a meal.
  • You can use fresh thyme but cut it down to about 2 teaspoons.

How to Make a Whole Roasted Chicken

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place a roasting rack in the pan.

Zest, chop, slice, and dice. Mix lemon zest, garlic, thyme, and softened butter together. Add a little salt and pepper.

Lemon, Thyme, garlic, and butter combined in a white bowl.

Place chicken in the roasting pan.

Whole chicken rubbed with the compound butter on a rack in a roasting pan.

Stuff onion and lemon wedges into the cavity of the chicken.

Slip your fingers under the skin of the breast to separate. Smear the butter mixture under the skin on both sides of the breast and all over the outside of the bird.  Tuck the wings under and tie the drumsticks together if desired.

Roasted Chicken With Lemon And Thyme on a wooden cutting board.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hr and 20 minutes. Until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees and juices run clear.

Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken to a serving platter and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

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FAQs

How long do you roast chicken?

Approximately one and a half hours roasting at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the thigh.

Roasted Chicken With Lemon And Thyme Recipe

Roasted Chicken With Lemon And Thyme – Moist, tender chicken full of lemon and thyme flavors!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Entree, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 382kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 4 lb Chicken, cleaned and dried (whole chicken)
  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp dried Thyme
  • 2 Lemons, zested
  • 1 small Onion, cut into wedges
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425º F
  • In a small bowl, mix the butter, garlic, thyme, and zest from 2 lemons. Add a little salt and pepper.
  • Place chicken inside a roasting pan
  • Cut one of the lemons into wedges and place inside the cavity along with the onion wedges.
  • Tuck the wings under and tie legs together (optional) with water-soaked twine
  • Place some of the butter mixture under the skin of the breast and rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining butter mixture.
  • Squeeze juice from the remaining lemon over the chicken, then sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper.
  • Roast for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (using a meat thermometer test the temperature, when it reaches 165º F, the chicken is cooked through)
  • Remove from oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving
  • If skin starts to darken too much while roasting, lightly place aluminum foil over the chicken and leave in place for the remainder of the cooking time

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg

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