ROASTED ROSEMARY LEMON CHICKEN
When we were young, my mom used to roast chickens in a roasting bag all the time. She would stuff
them with onions and rosemary and bake them in these plastic bags. I remember growing up with
rosemary being one of my favorite smells, mainly from when she used to use it on her roasted chicken.
To this day, I absolutely love the smell of rosemary with its soft smell and pungent leaves. I love that
it’s such a strong smell but the taste is not overpowering.
She would roast her Roasted Rosemary Lemon Chicken and then make a sweet honey lemon sauce to
pour over the chicken when it was finished baking. That piece of gold is what I am sharing with you today.
This chicken is stuffed with a little more than just fresh rosemary sprigs and halved lemons. Get this: it
is stuffed with a mashed garlic rosemary paste.
Yes. I know.
The garlic is smashed and smooshed until it is doesn’t look like garlic anymore (with a mortar & pestle
preferably) then it is whipped to a paste with olive oil and rosemary.
I could spoon this paste into my mouth, but I didn’t.
The garlic paste is then tucked under the skin and roasted smothered in olive oil at super high temperatures.
The skin becomes crispy and succulent while the inside of the chicken remains moist and flavorful as
the garlic paste seeps into the chicken meat.
Do you love garlic as much as I do? I looooove garlic.
I think I might be salivating for this as I tell you about it.
Roasting chickens always seemed like a hard task to me, let me show you the light…
It’s SO easy! Once it’s bathed in olive oil, seasoned, and popped in the oven, you don’t have to do a thing
(except maybe prepare the rest of your dinner- unless it is just this entire roast chicken, I’m not judging).
ROASTED ROSEMARY LEMON CHICKEN
Ingredients
- CHICKEN
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- rosemary sprigs
- 1 large onion cut into fourths
- 4 small lemons cut in half
- S&P
- SAUCE
- 1 lemon half
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons chicken juices
- 1 sprig rosemary
Instructions
- CHICKEN
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Split the chicken with a knife down the back on it bone, open out flat and place in a roasting dish.
- Use a small bowl to crush and smash the garlic (mortar & pestle) or a knife, which is what I used. Sprinkle with a little salt and add half a teaspoon of olive oil. Mix well until it is a whipped consistency.
- Lift the skin of the chicken and smear the paste with a knife, place a few pieces of rosemary with the paste. Rub the entire chicken with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Put the chicken into the roasting pan. Tuck the lemon halves, onion pieces, and rosemary springs underneath the chicken and around it.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 500 degrees F, then turn down to 450 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.
- Roast the chicken until it is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove and let rest for 5 minutes, carve and serve.
- SAUCE
- Mix the lemon juice, honey, and chicken juices together. Mix with the rosemary sprig.
This has got to be my favorite roasted chicken recipe.
And yes, I made this in the middle of summer, I know it’s grilling season but sometimes I’d rather the
oven do all the work for me instead.
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