Roasted Chicken with Lemon Herbs (Printable)

Comforting roasted chicken with zesty lemon, herbs, and feta atop buttery potatoes

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 1 whole chicken (approximately 3.3 lbs), patted dry
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 lemon, zested and quartered
04 - 4 garlic cloves, smashed
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ For the Potatoes

09 - 2.2 lbs small new potatoes, halved
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon salt
12 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

→ To Finish

14 - 3.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped
16 - Extra lemon wedges for serving

# How to Prepare:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and allow to fully preheat.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper into a paste consistency.
03 - Rub the herb mixture evenly over the entire chicken, both exterior and cavity. Stuff the cavity with lemon quarters and smashed garlic cloves.
04 - Place chicken breast-side up in a large roasting pan. Arrange halved potatoes around the chicken. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, tossing gently to coat evenly.
05 - Roast for 1 hour, basting chicken and potatoes with pan juices twice during cooking. If potatoes are browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
06 - Check internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken thigh, which should reach 165°F. If needed, continue roasting for an additional 10-15 minutes.
07 - Remove pan from oven and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Sprinkle crumbled feta and fresh dill or parsley over potatoes and chicken. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly juicy while the skin crisps up, and you barely have to do anything once it hits the oven.
  • Those potatoes roast right alongside in all that golden chicken fat, so they're essentially doing the work for you while tasting like pure comfort.
  • Lemon and feta together create this bright, salty contrast that makes your mouth water before you even take a bite.
02 -
  • Patting that chicken dry is non-negotiable, because even a little moisture will steam the skin instead of crisping it, and you'll have a sad, pale bird instead of a golden one.
  • Don't skip the resting time after roasting, even though it feels like the hardest part, because that's when the chicken actually becomes tender instead of just hot and firm.
03 -
  • A meat thermometer is your best friend here because chicken thighs cook slower than breasts, and the thermometer tells you exactly when everything is done without having to guess.
  • Don't baste the chicken more than twice, because opening the oven too many times lets the heat escape and just makes the whole process longer.
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