Skillet Roasted Lemon Chicken
Few things give me greater joy than roasting a chicken. Just imagining it now gives me all the feels. From the physical act of prepping the bird for roasting, to smelling the aromatics, to seeing the beautiful, crispy, golden brown skin glisten on the finished product. Swoon!
While there are infinite reasons why I love roasting chicken, allow me to just name a few reasons why it's a staple in our house. The first is that it's one of the cheapest yet most impressive homemade meals out there. Even if you're buying organic chicken (highly recommend) you are never spending more than $10 for some beautiful protein. A whole chicken is also a blank canvas when it comes to flavor creation. A little lemon, herbs and fat is all it takes to make a moist, flavor-packed meal. It also goes without saying that there is quite possibly nothing more perfect and decadent than crispy, salted chicken skin. I mean, it's like nature's candy!
My favorite way to roast chicken as of late is inspired by the one and only Ina Garten. Ina’s foolproof way to roast chicken comes from spatchcocking or butterflying the chicken to help even the cooking time. Seasoned simply with lemon, onion, fresh thyme, olive oil and a bath of white wine in a cast iron skillet, the chicken comes out juicy, flavorful and succulent every single time.
Whether you take it from me or Ina, this method pretty much tops them all for a dish that is utterly timeless. Make it the star of your next Sunday night dinner with a side of roasted vegetables and revel in the perfection that is a good roasted chicken.
Skillet Roasted Lemon Chicken
Inspired and slightly adapted by Ina Garten’s Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup "good" olive oil
1 lemon, halved and sliced
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 4-pound chicken, backbone removed and butterflied
1/2 cup dry white wine
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the oil and thyme leaves in a glass measuring cup and set aside. Distribute the lemon slices, onion and garlic in a cast iron skillet. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion, lemons and garlic and brush with about half the oil and herb mixture. Turn the chicken skin side up and brush it all over with the rest of the oil and herb mixture.
Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan (not on the chicken!) and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the chicken in quarters or eighths and serve hot with the pan juices, cooked lemon, and onion.
