Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken is a main course everyone should know how to make! A whole chicken is stuffed with lemon, garlic, and rosemary, then seasoned with a fresh herb rub and roasted to tender perfection. Pair it with all your favorite sides for a wholesome mouthwatering meal.

Perfectly cooked, tender, juicy chicken filled with flavorful, fresh herbs? Yes, please! You can serve roast chicken with just about any of your favorite side dishes.

Pair it with any kind of Potato Side Dish like these or with a handful of Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks. Some more great choices for veggie lovers are Roasted Parmesan Broccoli or these tasty Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts!

Most of the time, we just toss together a simple green salad and rolls with this chicken, and we’ve got a simple meal the whole family will love!

This is a perfect recipe for learning how to roast a chicken too!
Once you master this method (it’s easy) you can experiment with your favorite blends of herbs and spices.

Ingredients for Herb Roasted Chicken 

Here’s what you need to make this delicious lemon chicken dinner:

whole chicken (5 – 6 pounds is perfect)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, quartered

1 lemon, cut into wedges

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram (sage also works here)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons canola or olive oil

See the recipe card below for detailed amounts and instructions.

How to Roast a Whole Chicken

Before you get started preparing your chicken, heat oven to 450 degrees F.

STEP 1. Clean out the chicken

Now, it’s time for the fun part: cleaning out the chicken!

Remove everything from the cavity of the chicken. You know, the heart, liver, etc. It’s not the most pleasant part of the process but it only takes a minute!

Now, rinse the chicken well and give it a good pat down with some paper towels. You want to make sure the skin is dry so that the canola oil will give the skin a good browning.

STEP 2. Stuff the chicken

Place the chicken on a cutting board. Insert one clove of garlic, followed by a quarter of both the onion and lemon into the cavity. Place a sprig of rosemary in as well.
 Repeat with remaining onion, lemon, garlic, and rosemary until you can’t fit anything else. You might use it all, you might not. It’s ok.

Now, it’s okay to be creative with this part. You can put the ingredients in the chicken in any order. We’re using the ingredients to add flavor to the bird as it cooks.

STEP 3. Rub the chicken with herbs

In a small bowl, combine chopped marjoram, rosemary, and thyme; add lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add canola oil and thoroughly combine.

Separate the skin from the chicken breasts by gently sliding your fingers in between the skin of the chicken and the meat. With your hands, distribute a couple of teaspoons of herb mixture all along the outside of the chicken.

Give that bird a good rubdown all over with the remaining herb mixture. Make sure you cover the bottom with it as well.

STEP 4. Roast

Transfer chicken to a rack placed in the bottom of a roasting pan. Bake the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the skin is a nice golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow your bird to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This will help to keep the meat tender and moist.

How to Store Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

Store your leftover chicken in the refrigerator within 2 hours of serving. Keep it in an airtight container and it should last 3-4 days!

Can you freeze Roasted Chicken?

Freezing your lemon roasted chicken is a great way to use it for those busy days when you don’t have time to cook a huge meal. 

Once the chicken cools to room temperature, cut the chicken into pieces, depending on what you might use your chicken for. Flash-freeze the chicken pieces on a baking sheet for one hour, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag.

Roasted chicken lasts up to six months in the freezer when stored properly. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using it in your recipes as desired.

Leftover Recipes with Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

One huge reason to make a whole roast chicken for dinner: you’ll have leftovers for the rest of the week! This delicious chicken recipe is flavorful but not spicy or overpowering. That makes the leftovers perfect as a starter for other quick and easy meals like these:

Easy Chicken Salad – a perfect fast and filling lunch! Serve it on bread or butter lettuce for a low-carb option!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – warming and comforting on a chilly day, this classic soup is a winner!

Loaded BBQ Chicken Nachos – amazing for game day or a family appetizer.

Greek Quinoa Chicken Salad – packed with protein and greens, this is one of my favorite versions of chicken salad!

Chicken ‘N’ Dumplins – the ultimate comfort food, made easy!

Chicken Recipes

Never have a boring chicken dinner again with these deliciously easy family-friendly recipe ideas.

Chicken Enchilada Bites

Artichoke Tomato Chicken

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Buffalo Chicken Spinach Alfredo

Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

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This post has been updated in format and with photos on 8/9/21 and republished on 4/3/24. It was originally published 1/6/12.

The post Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.