The perfect, simple dinner, 5-Ingredient Lemon Herb Roast Chicken is easy to make with just a handful of ingredients, and yields delicious results every time.
Let’s talk about roasting a whole chicken for a minute, shall we?
Have you tried it?
If you’ve never roasted a whole bird, you might think it’s little intimidating and fancy. It’s not, though, I swear.
Roasting a chicken is incredibly easy, requires no special equipment other than a shallow roasting pan, and a just a bit of prep time. You can totally do it. I promise.
Once you give it a try you’ll be rewarded with a tender, juicy, and incredibly delicious meal that your family will flip over.
Roasted chicken is such an essential in our house that I use my slow cooker for Slow Cooker Garlic Whole Chicken when I’m at work or running errands.
When we’re home, though, nothing beats the aroma and flavor of a beautifully roasted chicken with plenty of veggies. Round out the meal with green tossed with lemon juice and olive oil, and you’re good to go.
I usually roast a chicken as part of my weekly meal prep, as the shredded meat works in all kinds of different recipes throughout the week. I particularly like using leftovers in One-Bowl Harvest Chicken Salad.
If you’re feeding a big family you might even want to roast two birds at once so you’ll be sure to have enough leftover.
Roasting a whole bird works if you’re feeding a couple or a single person, too. Simply shred or dice the leftover meat and use in salads, soups, or bowls throughout the week. And if you get tired of eating chicken, freeze what’s left in individual portions for a night you don’t feel like cooking.
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon. Now, let’s make some 5-Ingredient Lemon Herb Roast Chicken!
RECIPE & KID-FRIENDLY ADAPTATIONS
1 | Use whatever type of citrus you like to flavor the chicken: lime, orange, or tangerine all work well.
2 | Roast any type of sturdy root vegetable or winter squash with the chicken, or on a separate rimmed baking sheet. Waxy red potatoes, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash–whatever you like and have on hand.
THIS RECIPE IS . . .
Naturally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo and Whole30 Friendly
Yield:
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The perfect, simple dinner, 5-Ingredient Lemon Herb Roast Chicken is easy to make with just a handful of ingredients, and yields delicious results every time.
Scale
Ingredients
1 (4-5 pound) whole roasting chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 medium or 1 large sweet potato, cut into 2-inch pieces (optional)
1 large red onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425F.
- Remove the giblets from the chicken. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan.
- Gently slide 2-3 lemon slices under the skin of each chicken breast. Tuck any remaining lemon slices or ends into the chicken cavity. Arrange the sweet potatoes and onions around the chicken (if using).
- Drizzle the chicken (and veggies, if using) with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt and Italian seasoning.
- Roast the chicken for 1-1 ½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh and the internal temperature reaches 165F. If the skin starts to brown too much during the roasting process, cover gently with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken and serve with the roasted sweet potatoes, red onion (if using), and any juices that accumulated in the pan.
Notes
Use whatever type of citrus you like to flavor the chicken: lime, orange, or tangerine all work well.
Roast any type of sturdy root vegetable or winter squash with the chicken, or on a separate rimmed baking sheet. Waxy red potatoes, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash–whatever you like and have on hand.
