Some of the best recipes are simple, not only simple to prepare but simple in ingredients. Lemon Roasted Chicken is such a dish.
The prep time is about five minutes and the cooking time is less than an hour, so how simple can it be? And it’s delicious.
There are a number of variations to this recipe but the best results come when the bird is cooked quickly in a relatively hot oven.
Here’s how I do it.
Buy a whole chicken from the grocery store and rinse it, then dry it thoroughly with a paper towel. I prefer smaller fryers, 4 to 5 pounds. They have less fat and I believe a better flavor. Rub the bird with olive oil outside and in, then coat heavily with kosher salt. I add a touch Sauer’s Chicken Rub and some freshly cracked black pepper on the skin and it’s ready for the lemon. Cut a fresh lemon in half, insert it in the cavity and cook for approximately 45 minutes in a 425 oven. Make sure the bird is done by wiggling a drumstick. If it’s wobbly, the bird is usually done, but make sure the juices run clear, not pink. This is company-worthy chicken and simply delicious.
Lemon Roasted Chicken
1 chicken fryer 4-5 pounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Sauer’s Chicken Rub
1 fresh lemon