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A white plate filled with two roasted chicken pieces, a lemon slice, and mashed potatoes next a glass of white wine.

Lemon Roast Chicken

Course: Entree
Cuisine: American / French
Keyword: Lemon roast chicken, roast chicken recipe, roasted chicken thighs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 541kcal
This Lemon Roast Chicken is heavenly. Slow-cooked, covered, for 2 hours, and then uncovered at 400 F for 30 minutes. So amazing! Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and a crusty loaf of bread. French cooking made easy in your very own kitchen!
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Equipment

  • Roasting pan or large roasting dish (3 QT)

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken cut into pieces (or use a combo of bone-in breasts, thighs & legs)
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled and roughly sliced
  • 2 large lemons sliced
  • 1 tbsp thyme fresh, chopped
  • 1 tbsp rosemary fresh, chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 315°F.
  • Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and all other ingredients, except the parsley. Mix with two large spoons until the chicken is well coated.
  • Transfer to a large roasting pan or baking dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tops of the chicken pieces. Cover tightly with a lid, or aluminum foil, and place in the oven for 2 hours.
  • Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and raise the oven temp to 400°F.
  • Place chicken back in the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until nicely browned.
  • Remove from oven, and place baked chicken and lemon slices onto serving dish. Transfer the chicken pieces to a platter and then strain the sauce, discarding any solids. Pour into a fat separator, or use a spoon to skim off any fat that is on the surface. Pour sauce over chicken and pass the remaining at the table. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve at once!

Video

Notes

We love going with eight pieces from a whole cut-up chicken. But, we also often use whatever we have on hand.  We like using a combination of chicken legs and thighs, but breasts are great, too.  If purchasing a split chicken breast, we recommend cutting it into two pieces to allow for more even cooking across all chicken pieces.
Go with a good dry white wine.  We use a nice Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and love the taste it delivers. 
You can mix the chicken with the marinade ingredients up to 8 hours in advance. Simply cover the bowl that you mixed everything together in with plastic wrap and then place it in the refrigerator.  This will actually make the chicken taste even better.  But, marinating in the fridge is definitely not required. You can mix everything together, transfer immediately to your roasting pan, and cook the chicken, and the results will be amazing. 
The cooked chicken will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 427mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg