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Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken is the ultimate comfort food meal for your next dinner gathering or to include in your weekly meal plan. It is full of flavor and will be the perfect meal to share with family after a long day.

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Oven Roasted Chicken

Menu planning for this week, I made sure this house would welcome all with the cozy aromas of slow-roasted foods, soups, stews, and baked treats. One of my favorite comfort food meals is roasted chicken. It is an easy dish to prepare for the whole family and economical too.

I had a few lemons left over and a lot of fresh rosemary sprigs so I decided to make this easy lemon rosemary chicken recipe for Sunday dinner. 

This recipe is so delicious it even caught the eye of one Food Network chef, by the name of Alton. Yes, Mr. Brown seemed to like it and pinned it to his Pinterest Board.

I normally don't pay attention to that kind of stuff, but I will admit, I do like his cooking style and miss his show Good Eats, so that was a little bit of a fan-girl moment.

Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

?This easy recipe will be one of your favorite chicken recipes. The tangy lemon and fresh herbs are so good together and create a crispy skin and juicy chicken. Simple ingredients and a little cooking time will give you a delicious meal that tastes way better than a store-bought rotisserie chicken! 

lemon rosemary on cutting board

Helpful Roasting Items to Make Rosemary Roast Chicken

  • Roasting Pan– You can use a metal roaster or a glass baking dish. Either will work for this easy chicken dinners. 
  • Roasting Rack– This can be used in metal or glass pan. This raises the chicken so juices will be able to drip to create a delicious gravy.
  • Instant-read Thermometer– Use this to ensure proper cooking temperature by sticking in the thickest part of the thigh. Temp should read 180 degrees

Ingredients:

  • 8 lb. roasting chicken
  • 1 lemon, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 medium carrots, cut in half
  • 2 stalks of celery, cut in half
  • 1 onion, cut in wedges
  • 4 garlic cloves, whole & unpeeled
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup water

How to Prep Roasted Chicken recipe:

  • Remove the bag of giblets from inside the bird. This is the small paper-like item that holds the neck, heart & liver.
  • Rinse out the cavity of the chicken with water and blot dry the outside of the bird with paper towels.
  • Place a small roasting rack inside a roasting pan; I used a glass 10″x13″ pan
  • Then put the chicken on top of the rack
  • Cut 3 medium carrots & 2 stalks of celery in half and place in the bottom of the pan with 4 whole, unpeeled cloves of garlic and 1 onion cut in wedges. Slice one medium lemon into 1/4 inch slices.
  • Inside the chicken cavity, add a teaspoon of salt and black pepper and 2-3 lemon slices with 1 whole rosemary sprig. (You can substitute rosemary with fresh thyme).
  • Rub olive oil over the outside of the chicken and generously top with salt and pepper. Add a little bit of garlic powder and top with 2 slices of lemon and a second sprig of rosemary. 
  • Pour 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan and place uncovered in a preheated 350 degrees f oven.
  • Roast 2 1/2 hours or until the meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees when stuck in chicken thighs.
Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken

Once the chicken is cooked and removed from the oven, let rest in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to the cutting area. Remove veggies and pour liquid pan drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup or bowl for the gravy.

Related Chicken Recipes: Easy Chicken Pot Pie, Make Ahead Chicken Enchiladas, Crockpot Chicken Chili, Buffalo Wing Chicken Dip

lemon rosemary chicken (3)

How to Make Roasted Chicken Gravy

To make gravy, I know you are supposed to separate the fat from the rest of the liquid, but you know what? I don't. I guess I live on the edge when it comes to gravy. The more fat the better- I only eat it a few times a year and by golly, I'm going to enjoy it.

To make the gravy:

Make a roux by melting 4 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 4 Tablespoons of flour to melted butter, and whisk until this mixture is smooth and golden brown. 

Add pan drippings, 1 cube of chicken bullion, and a cup or two of chicken stock or chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn to simmer until you are ready to use.

What to Serve with Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken Recipe

Lemon Rosemary Chicken Roasted

What to Do with Leftover Chicken

?This flavorful recipe is perfect for leftover dishes. One of my favorite things to make is chicken salad. This is the best way to use up breast meat and adds a bit of protein to healthy meals like our Chicken and Apple Waldorf Salad. 

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

lemon rosemary chicken main

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken is a delicious and satisfying meal option for a dinner gathering or as part of your weekly meal plan. It is a flavorful way to cook a whole chicken with minimal effort with fresh lemon and savory herbs.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 lb. roasting chicken
  • 1 lemon, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 medium carrots, cut in half
  • 2 stalks celery, cut in half
  • 1 onion, cut in wedges
  • 4 garlic cloves, whole & unpeeled
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Remove giblet bag from cavity of bird. Rinse bird and dry with paper towels.
  3. Place small roasting rack inside 10" x 15" pan.
  4. Place chicken on top of rack.
  5. Salt and pepper inside cavity.
  6. Place 3 - 4 slices of lemon and 1 sprig of rosemary inside chicken cavity.
  7. Pour 2-3 tablespoons olive oil over top of bird and rub all over skin.
  8. Salt & Pepper generously.
  9. Add garlic powder.
  10. Top with remaining 2-3 slices of lemon and rosemary sprig.
  11. Place all vegetables around the roasting rack and add 1/2 cup water.
  12. Roast for 2-1/2 hours or until thermometer inserted in thigh reads 180 degrees.
  13. Let chicken stand for 15 minutes before carving.
  14. Pour drippings through fine mesh strainer into another bowl to use for gravy if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 Servings

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 744Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 266mgSodium: 286mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 83g

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Original post: 1/9/2015, Updated 11/9/23

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Holly

Saturday 10th of January 2015

Hey Kelly - two quick questions about this recipe. Your recipe was for an 8 lb bird but the biggest bird I could find at Whole Foods was 3 lbs so I'm going to roast for an hour (20 min per pound) - does that sound right? Also, some sites say its done when thermometer is 165 but you suggest 180. Why is 180 better? Just curious - thanks so much for posting this! I saw your pick and wanted to make it :)

Kelly Pugliano

Thursday 15th of January 2015

Yes- that sounds about right. With the 8lbs, it seems when the temp reaches 165, it doesn't always cook the bird all the way, so I know when it hits close to 180 (175 even) when I take it out of the oven it will continue to cook for a little bit. The thighs still stay juicy and I was pouring gravy over the white meat anyway! So glad you made it and happy to hear it came out good! :)

John (Daddy Runs a Lot)

Friday 9th of January 2015

To think, I was kind-of a Social Media Celebrity for a day when a retired porn star & I had a conversation . . . but an Alton Brown pin? You win. Hands down.

This looks quite yummy.

Kelly Pugliano

Saturday 10th of January 2015

You crack me up! It really was a fan girl moment... When that came through the email I was all shades of happy. As I'm sure you were with your convo! ;)

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