Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken is juicy, flavorful, and so easy to make with just 6 ingredients! Roasting a whole chicken is a lot more simple than you may think. You only need your cutting board, a knife, and a skillet to make this easy chicken recipe!
Why We Love This Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe
When I have friends or family coming over that I want to impress, this is the recipe I use. Here’s why it’s so dependable:
- Simple: This easy roast chicken recipe only has six ingredients! SO easy and versatile.
- Garlicky: The roasted garlic adds the best flavor! Plus, you can use the roasted garlic to squeeze into some mashed potatoes for a seriously good side dish.
- Picturesque: Grab your phone, because you’re going to want to snap a picture of your gorgeous whole roasted bird.
Do I need to peel the garlic?
Nope! Leave the skins of the garlic bulb right where they are. There’s no need to peel the garlic. In fact, keeping the garlic cloves still in the skin is the best way to get soft, aromatic roasted garlic.
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How to Store and Reheat
For the best leftovers, I like to remove all of the chicken meat from the bones. Store the meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat by itself or toss the meat into chicken noodle soup!
How to Freeze
Freeze garlic lemon roasted chicken (just the meat, no bones) for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Don’t forget to date and label!
Serving Suggestions
The possibilities are literally endless, but here are some of our favorite side dishes to serve with this easy roast chicken with lemon and garlic!
- Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Lemon Butter Asparagus
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Cheesy Baked Tomatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Wanna try a fun sauce? Try this homemade Horseradish.
When the juices in the thigh joint run clear, the chicken is done. If you’re not confident that the chicken is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer! Once it reads 165°F inserted into a thick part of the meat, the chicken is cooked and safe to eat.
Make sure to thoroughly pat the skin dry with paper towels! That should be the very first thing you do when preparing this whole roasted chicken recipe.
More Whole Chicken Recipes We Love
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Lemon Garlic Spatchcock Chicken
- Honey Mustard Roast Chicken
- Crockpot Whole Chicken
Top Reader Review
“Juiciest chicken I’ve ever made! thanks for the recipe.” – Cheryl S.
Roast Chicken (Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4 lbs
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 1 head of garlic cut in half
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place the whole chicken on a cutting board, remove giblets, and pat dry with paper towels.1 whole chicken
- Season the entire chicken (inside and out) with salt, then sprinkle with pepper to taste.3 teaspoons kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Place the chicken in an oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron. Add lemon and garlic halves to the skillet, tucked next to the chicken.1 lemon, 1 head of garlic
- Pour the olive oil over the chicken and transfer the pan to the oven.1/4 cup olive oil
- Roast the chicken for 50 minutes, then start checking for doneness. Cut into the leg joint and look at the color of the juices–when done, the juices will be clear. If the juices are still pink, return to the oven for 5-10 minutes before checking again.
- Let the roasted chicken rest in the skillet for 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
How To Make a Whole Roasted Chicken Step by Step
Pat the chicken: Use paper towels to gently pat the chicken dry.
Season the chicken: Season the whole chicken (inside and out) with salt and pepper.
Prepare for roasting: Drizzle the chicken with 1/4 cup olive oil. Place 1 halved lemon and 1 halved head of garlic nestled next to the chicken.
Roast the chicken: Roast the chicken at 425°F for 50 minutes.
I love this roasted chicken recipe. Too often I opt for boneless chicken, which tends to end up dry…but this is DELICIOUS. Just how I remember grandma making it 🙂
Loved how juicy and tender this turned out!
Juciest chicken I’ve ever made! thanks for the recipe
HOORAY!
This is so good and super easy. Whole family loved it.
That makes me so happy!
Just made this recipe and my sweetie and I both went…wow, this has so much flavour. I did improvise on the veggies. Thanks for giving me the confidence to try.
I’m going to try a couple of other things next time.
By the way, my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter and I made cookies. Life doesn’t get much better than this. Marten
This makes me so happy to hear!!!! And that’s so special about your granddaughter. My son is two so I’m hoping he will start cooking with me soon 🙂 🙂
So quick and easy to make. Very little prep time and the results are fantastic.
I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Vera!