Do you think a good roast chicken can only be found at the rotisserie? Well, you’re wrong! Preparing a roast chicken at home is very easy, and today I’m sharing this recipe for chicken with rosemary and lemon, which is very flavorful with succulent and tender meat.
Of course, the quality of the primary ingredient also plays a crucial role, so if you have the opportunity, choose a high-quality chicken. When I prepare it, I always use an organic chicken, raised and butchered at a farm in South Tyrol. This way, I am certain of its origin and quality. Believe me, you can taste the difference, as the meat is particularly tender and succulent.
Once you have your quality chicken, simply make a mince of rosemary and garlic, mix it with butter, as well as salt, pepper, and lemon zest, spread it all over the chicken, and bake. It’s really easy and the taste is amazing! Try it!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4-6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 chicken (about 4.5 lbs)
- 6 tbsp butter (soft)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 10 sprigs rosemary
- 1 lemon (untreated)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Steps
To prepare the oven-baked chicken with rosemary and lemon, preheat the oven to 410°F (fan) and prepare a pan or baking dish large enough to hold the whole chicken.
Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, place it in the pan, and tie the legs together at the ends with kitchen twine. Gently run your fingers between the skin and the breast to detach it, creating a sort of pocket where you will place the seasoning.
Place the soft butter in small pieces in a bowl.
Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Finely chop 20 g of rosemary needles. Add both to the butter, along with the grated zest of the previously washed lemon, about a teaspoon of salt, and about a teaspoon of ground pepper. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
Cut the lemon into slices.
Spread a generous teaspoon of flavored butter on each half of the breast, between the skin and the meat. Then spread the remaining butter over the entire outside surface of the chicken.
Lightly salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, then fill it with some lemon slices and a few sprigs of rosemary.
Place the chicken breast side up in the pan, lay the remaining rosemary sprigs on top, and bake at 410°F for 30 minutes, basting the chicken every 10-15 minutes with its cooking juices.
Then flip the chicken, baste with the cooking juices, and cook for 30 minutes on this side, still basting it with the cooking juices every 10-15 minutes.
Flip the chicken again so that the breast is facing up, baste with its juices, and finish cooking for another 20 minutes, still basting it with the juices occasionally. If you have a food thermometer, use it to check the chicken’s doneness: it will be cooked when it reaches 165°F and can be taken out of the oven.
Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the weight of the chicken and your oven; mine weighed 4.6 lbs and took 1 hour and 20 minutes to cook.
Serve your oven-baked chicken with rosemary and lemon accompanied by roasted potatoes and its very flavorful cooking juices.
