Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken
Looking for that deliciously easy anytime roast chicken? Look no further! Try this lemon garlic chicken recipe. For extra juicy meat, bake in a covered casserole or Dutch oven for the first hour, then uncover for the remaining 30 to 45 minutes.
Ingredients
3 lemons
2 heads of garlic
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 pasture raised chicken
Kosher salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Have ready a 4qt Dutch oven and cotton string or butcher’s twine. Working on baking sheet, remove the giblets and neck from the cavities. Using a paper towel, pat the chicken dry. Rub the body cavity with 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the main cavity. Add the squeezed halves to the cavity along with half the thyme and 6 cloves garlic.
2. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wing tips underneath the body (this will prevent them from burning). Rub the chicken body with the oil, squeeze the remaining juice of the lemons over the top and season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
3. Place the chicken in a large Dutch oven or casserole. Scatter the remaining thyme and garlic around the chicken, cover and roast for 1 hour.
4. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Uncover, add 3/4 cup water the pan and cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, 30 to 40 minutes more. loosely with foil to keep warm (internal temperature will continue to rise).
5. Carefully tilt the chicken to empty the juices from the cavity into the pan. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
6. Transfer the garlic to a platter. Strain the pan drippings into a fat separator. Let stand for five minutes so the fat rises to the top. Carve and arrange the chicken as desired on the platter and pour the pan drippings from the bottom of the separator over the top.
