Description
This Whole Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe offers a juicy and flavorful poultry dish perfectly seasoned with lemon, garlic, and fresh thyme. Roasting in a cast iron skillet ensures a crispy skin and tender meat, served warm and juicy for a delicious family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 5 pound whole chicken
- 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425℉. Lightly grease a large cast iron skillet and set it aside to prepare for roasting.
- Prepare Chicken: Remove the bag of innards from the chicken cavity and discard. Drain any excess liquid from the chicken, then pat the chicken skin dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure crispiness.
- Place Chicken: Position the whole chicken in the prepared cast iron skillet, breast side up.
- Make Lemon Butter Mixture: In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter, and minced garlic, stirring well to blend the flavors.
- Initial Seasoning: Brush half of the lemon butter mixture evenly over all exposed areas of the chicken. Then season the chicken with half a teaspoon each of lemon pepper seasoning and kosher salt. Sprinkle one teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme over the chicken.
- First Roast: Put the skillet with the chicken in the oven and roast for 25 minutes at 425℉.
- Brush and Season Again: Remove the chicken from the oven and brush on the remaining lemon butter mixture. Add the remaining half teaspoon each of lemon pepper seasoning and salt, spreading evenly over the chicken.
- Final Roast: Return the chicken to the oven and bake for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken registers 165℉.
- Garnish and Rest: Remove the chicken from the oven and garnish with the remaining teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme. Let the chicken rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.
- Serve: Carve the chicken and spoon any excess pan juices over the pieces. Serve warm with your favorite side dishes for a complete meal.
Notes
- Ensure the chicken skin is fully dry before roasting to achieve crispiness.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness to avoid undercooking or overcooking.
- Resting the chicken after roasting helps keep it juicy and tender.
- If you prefer, fresh herbs like rosemary or oregano can be added along with thyme for more aromatic flavor.
- Butter can be substituted with olive oil for a lighter option.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: whole roasted chicken, lemon pepper chicken, roasted chicken recipe, easy roast chicken, cast iron chicken
