This Whole Roasted Lemon Chicken is the best kind of comfort food. Always juicy, perfectly cooked skin with the light flavor of lemon throughout. It’s a family loved recipe you’ll love.
Having a whole roasted chicken recipe is a staple everyone needs. It’s great on its own but also for making chicken for other recipes (think chicken salad).
It’s a great Sunday dinner type recipe but also easy enough for a weeknight. The flavor never disappoints and it’s always juicy.
Serve it up with some Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Garlic and Lemon Garlic Broccoli for an incredible meal. Don’t forget to use the pan juices!
Jump to:
- Delicious Lemon Chicken
- Recipe Ingredients Notes
- Why Trussing a Chicken is Important
- How to take the internal temperature of the whole chicken?
- How long should the whole chicken cook?
- Cooking Chart – Room temperature chicken
- Cooking chart – Chilled chicken
- How to Make it – Step-by-Step
- Pro Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Recipe
Delicious Lemon Chicken
This is the only way we make roasted chicken in my household. And we’ve made it this way for more years than I can count.
The recipe is easy. Salt and pepper are the only seasonings needed.
Punctured lemons inserted into the cavity of the chicken flavor the meat oh-so-gently with lemon.
The chicken is flipped in the middle allowing it to cook perfectly on all sides.
The last segment of cooking is done with the temperature increased to 400 degrees. This finishes it off and crisps the skin beautifully!
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Whole Chicken. Select between a 3 1/2 to 5 pound whole chicken. Remove the giblets before starting the recipe.
Lemon. Depending on the size of your chicken one large lemon halved or two small lemons can be used. They’ll be punctured multiple times before being inserted into the chicken.
Salt and Pepper. A generous amount is used to rub into the inside cavity of the chicken before adding the lemon. It is also rubbed all over the skin outside.
Why Trussing a Chicken is Important
What is trussing a chicken?
It’s a means to secure the wings and legs of a chicken (or any poultry) usually with kitchen twine.
Why should you truss a chicken?
It helps the chicken hold its shape while roasting. In this recipe adding the lemons to the chicken’s cavity also helps with this.
It helps prevent burning of the wing tips and legs by keeping them close to the body.
The chicken also will finish the roasting process in an appealing form.
How to truss a chicken?
Kitchen twine is wrapped around the ends of the legs to hold them in place. Then it is wrapped to the front of the chicken to secure the wings.
Photos 3 and 4 below illustrate this.
It’s important not to over tighten the string or pull on the legs. They should just be held in a natural position.
This step-by-step guide with photos is very helpful if you have not trussed a chicken before.
How to take the internal temperature of the whole chicken?
The temperature should be taken in the thickest part of the meat. In a whole chicken this is usually the thigh.
However the thigh can be difficult to locate depending on the orientation of the chicken.
I usually take the temperature in the breast. In this recipe the final cooking stage has the chicken breast facing up. It’s easy to locate and take a temperature reading.
If the breast reads 165 degrees it’s done.
If the breast is at 165 degrees the thigh might be higher, but that’s ok. The thigh being more muscular can reach a higher temperature and still be succulent and tender.
Be sure not to touch the bone when taking the temperature for the most accurate reading.
How long should the whole chicken cook?
There is a bit of math involved with estimating the cooking time. In the end the instant read thermometer will verify it’s done but you’ll need to estimate the time.
The whole chicken cooks in three segments:
- Breast down for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Breast up at 350 degrees. This is where you’ll adjust the time.
- Breast up for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
The chicken will cook 20-25 minutes per pound.
If it has been out of the refrigerator before roasting, use the 20 minute guide.
If the chicken is coming from the refrigerator directly to roast, use the 25 minutes as a guide.
We’ve done some math for you.
These charts are estimated times as ovens can cook differently and other factors can come into play. Calculate the time for the exact weight of the chicken being cooked.
Always use an instant read food thermometer to verify the chicken has cooked to 165 degrees F.
Cooking Chart – Room temperature chicken
| Pounds | Breast Down – 350 degrees (minutes) | Breast Up – 350 degrees (minutes) | Breast Up – 400 degrees (minutes) | Total Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 1/2 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 70 minutes |
| 4 | 30 | 30 | 20 | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| 5 | 30 | 50 | 20 | 1 hour 40 minutes |
Cooking chart – Chilled chicken
| Pounds | Breast Down – 350 degrees (minutes) | Breast Up – 350 degrees (minutes) | Breast Up – 400 degrees (minutes) | Total Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 1/2 | 30 | 37 | 20 | 1 hour 27 minutes |
| 4 | 30 | 50 | 20 | 1 hour 40 minutes |
| 5 | 30 | 75 | 20 | 2 hours 5 minutes |
How to Make it – Step-by-Step
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
STEP 2. Prepare the whole chicken
Gently roll the lemon on the counter top and poke it with holes using a toothpick or knife (photo 1).
Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper the inside cavity and outside (photo 2).
Truss the chicken or secure the legs in a natural position (photos 3 and 4).
STEP 3. Cook the chicken
Place the prepared chicken in a roasting dish breast down. Cook for 30 minutes (photo 5 – photo 6 shows after cooking).
Flip the chicken over carefully to not puncture the skin (photo 7).
NOTE: I use a few paper towels and flip it with my hands avoiding the hot roasting pan.
Cook for the calculated time for the size of your chicken (refer to charts as a guide).
Increase the temperature to 400 degrees and cook for 20 minutes. This stage will crisp the skin.
Check the temperature of the chicken and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Pro Tips
Use an Instant Read food thermometer. This is the only way to determine if the chicken is cooked. They are an affordable tool that has many uses! It’s a kitchen staple.
Frequently Asked Questions
This step is really important. After cooking allowing meat to ‘rest’ or sit before it’s carved, allows the juices to redistribute. This makes the juiciest result in any type of meat from steaks to burgers to roast chicken!
Using an instant read food thermometer is the fastest and safest way to know chicken is done cooking. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F. Note: the chicken will continue to rise in temperature by a few degrees once it is removed from the oven.
Storing Leftovers
Allow the chicken to cool and store in an airtight container or bag for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
The lemon chicken can be reheated or served chilled.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Recipe
The Best Lemon Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 ½ to 5 pound whole chicken
- 1 large lemon cut in half or 2 small lemons
- Sea salt or kosher salt
- Pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove any giblets and rinse chicken inside and outside with cold water; pat dry. Liberally salt and pepper the internal cavity and outside (rub salt and pepper into the internal cavity).
- Puncture half lemon skins or 2 small lemons several times with a toothpick or thin skewer. Place lemons into internal cavity. Truss or secure the legs together with kitchen twine in their natural position (do not over tighten or close the opening to the internal cavity).
- Place chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish with breast side down. Place in upper third of oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn chicken over to breast side up, being careful not to puncture the skin. Cook an additional 30 minutes. Refer to the cooking time chart in NOTES or formula for exact time.NOTE: Total cooking time should be 20-25 minutes per pound of the chicken so lengthen time at this step to ensure that cooking time.
- Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Cook an additional 20 minutes.
- Chicken can be served immediately. Clip the trussing of the legs and quarter or carve the chicken. Also great chilled.
Betsy says
Perfect amount of lemon flavor! Super delicious! Delightfully moist, but that skin was so crispy! I’m putting this in the permanent rotation!
Emma Tryon says
This made me so hungry! I’m not a naturally good cook by any means, so love having it broken down this well! Great post 🙂
Renee Thiegpin says
Delicious! We made this for dinner last night and it was a hit with everyone. I am adding this to my regular rotation!
Natalie says
Love the hint of lemon!! Your tips are so helpful! This makes it so easy & foolproof!
Heather says
Printed this out to make it for dinner this week. This is exactly the type of recipe my family loves.
Mark says
This is our absolute favorite roasted chicken recipe. It always turns out with moist meat and great flavor.
Eileen Kelly says
Such a great recipe to follow for juicy and tender chicken. It came out perfect and everyone loved it. We will be using this recipe all the time.
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it does not disappoint! So tender and juicy; easily, the best way to enjoy chicken!
Emily Liao says
This recipe was on point! My chicken came out perfectly tender and juicy.
Ashley says
I love a *good* roasted chicken, and your trick of roasting the breast side down first, then flipping is genius!