Garlic Lemon Chicken

This is a fabulously easy Garlic Lemon Chicken recipe and one that delivers a moist and delicious chicken dish with hardly any effort at all. Winner Winner.

I find this garlic lemon chicken dish absolutely perfect for a mid week meal as well as a fantastic weekend treat. Served with a salad, roasted new potatoes or good bread, things don't get much better than this on a plate.

Although it may take over an hour in the oven the preparation is mere seconds and totally doable at the end of the day if you don't mind eating a little later.

You can of course make this previously and reheat the carved chicken  in the gravy in under 30 minutes so with a little forethought you could cook this at the weekend for a super quick midweek meal.

The gravy is to die for. Spooned over your vegetables or sides the lemony juices take it all to another level. This simple roast chicken recipe is an outstanding one.

There is a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Garlic and Lemon Chicken Tips

It is also perfect for a midweek meal, especially if you make it  beforehand. I simply carve the chicken and place it in a roasting tray with the gravy to reheat until piping hot.

I use grease proof or baking  paper scrumpled up and run under the tap so that it goes soft and easily pliable to cover it all during reheating. This stops the chicken from drying out. 20 minutes at 180 C is usually long enough but it depends on your roasting tray/dish. Try to pick one that is smallish so that the gravy covers the chicken well.

I tend to add 250 ml of double strength chicken stock if I am reheating. This gives you a little extra liquid to cover the chicken. Even better is to reheat it in the slow cooker. The lid keeps it moist.

I like to use new potatoes when I add roast potatoes as a side for easiness but you can make actual roast potatoes too and parboil some peeled potatoes first.

You can roast the potatoes separately while the chicken is heating through if you are doing this midweek and have roasted the chicken beforehand. About 500 grams is sufficient for 4 people.

Method

The preparation is merely a chuck it all in the tray affair. Although if you are able to season the meat 12 hours or so before cooking that does help the flavour of any roasting meat.

Otherwise remove your chicken from the fridge and pat dry with a paper towel. I like to put my salt in the olive oil and give it a good stir.

I slice the lemon in half and push the lemon inside the cavity first, followed by the whole garlic bulb. It is a tight squeeze!

I have found that the lemon can burn if left in the tray and find that this way guarantees the lemon flavour without the bitterness and you get a heavenly lemony light gravy. I then tip the oil over the chicken and rub it in well.

I put the chicken in for 35 minutes or so at 190 C and by that time the fat will have begun to render out of the bird.

If I am roasting potatoes with it I remove the chicken to a board and quickly tumble in the new potatoes. I give them a season and a schmoosh in the chicken fat.

I make a space to put the chicken in and put the whole lot back in to the oven. Depending on the size of the chicken it may take another hour or more for the chicken to be cooked through.

I tend to rely on checking that the juices are running clear from the thickest part of the thigh but you can use a meat thermometer too.

You are looking for the temperature to be 75 C/165 C when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh but not touching bone.

So you may have to take either the chicken or the potatoes out and leave the other in. But generally they should be cooked at about the same time.

The chicken needs to rest for at least 20 minutes. I tend to cover with silver foil and set aside on a carving board. It will keep plenty warm enough.

Simply put the potatoes back in the oven five mins before you are ready to serve. I also like to push the soft garlic cloves from their hoods and smear it over the chicken. Jamie Oliver gave me the idea and it is lush.

To serve the delicious gravy I spoon off the excess chicken fat leaving about 2 tbsp behind. You can simply spoon over your sides and chicken or mop them up with some bread. It is absolutely divine.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve some sort of greens and carrots with this. I tend to always go for tender stem broccoli because I love the things and it's the same with carrots. But some peppery french beans would work well too.

In the week I like to buy the sticks of carrot in bags. I'm not into peeling in the evening.

I haven't but I would think that this would be fantastic with fresh egg tagliatelle. I find that a 300 grams pack feeds 4 about right.

In the warmer weather I love to serve it without the potatoes alongside a green salad and some good bread. I always put some parmesan shavings on the salad.That is a good option for a midweek meal too.

Equipment Required

• Roasting Tray big enough to fit the potatoes in if you are using. mine is 34 cm x 23 cm.
• Baking Paper and Silver Foil if reheating
• Slow Cooker if using
• Carving Board
• Carving Knife

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