Lemon-Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 95 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

This lemon-roasted whole chicken with fresh rosemary recipe is bursting with zesty flavor and sure to impress your guests or get you engaged in no time.

Ingredients

1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken
4 1/2 lemons, divided
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2 Place chicken, breast-side down, in a roasting pan; squeeze juice from 1 ½ lemons over chicken.
3 Combine sea salt and black pepper in a small bowl; rub all over chicken.
4 Roll 2 lemons on a cutting board to soften a bit; pierce several times with a fork then place into chicken cavity.
5 Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); bake for 20 minutes. Flip chicken using wooden spoons or tongs; continue baking until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near but not touching the bone, should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
6 Rest chicken before serving for 10 minutes. Cut remaining 1 lemon into slices. Transfer chicken to a serving dish; garnish with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs. Pour juices from the roasting pan over chicken to make it super juicy.