Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Onion

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Happy Sunday! Today’s recipe is my favorite way to roast a chicken. Stated plainly, this is a very simple preparation for chicken. I rely on nothing but lemon, onion and salt for flavoring. We will add a little fresh cracked black pepper at the end, but that’s it. I had some potatoes and carrots that needing using, so I added those to the sheet pan, but you can use any vegetables you like. Green beans would be a great summer option. Also, summer squash or zucchini added at the end of roasting would be fantastic. For the veggies, just follow my steps for seasoning, and then add them in halfway, or three-quarters of the way through roasting. So let’s make a Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Onion! 

The Summary

  Today we are making a simple an delicious roast chicken

  Be sure to find the shoppable key ingredients and equipment at the end of the post

Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Onion

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1. Spatchcock the Chicken

First of all, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. To get an evenly roasted chicken, and to prevent the breast from drying out and overcooking, I like to spatchcock the bird. This is a simple procedure that involves turning the bird breast side down, and then using Poultry Shears to cut the spine out of the bird. This allows you to spread and flatten the chicken on the sheet tray. 

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Cut along both sides of the spine, from the tail to the neck. Discard the spine.

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2. Seasoning the Chicken

 Once the spine is removed and discarded, arrange the thick-cut onion and lemon slices in the center of the Half Sheet Tray. Then, take the chicken and place it breast side up on top of the onion and lemon slices. 

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Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and season all over with a couple big pinches of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, about 2 teaspoons. Slide the sheet pan into the oven and roast for 30 minutes. 

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3. The Veggies

While the chicken is roasting for 30 minutes, prepare the veggies. Add your selected veggies to a medium or large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Then season with about ½ teaspoon each: kosher salt, black pepper and, (if desired) red pepper flakes. Toss to coat the veggies in the seasoning and set aside. 

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I have carrots, potatoes, and whole garlic cloves. Green beans and corn, or other summer vegetables work just as well.

After the chicken has roasted for 30 minutes, pull it from the oven and reduce the oven temp to 375 degrees F. Then spread the seasoned veggies around the chicken. If you’re using green beans or soft veggies like zucchini or squash add these to the tray at the 45-minute mark, but still turn the heat down at the 30-minute mark.

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4. Finishing Touches

Place the tray back in the reduced-heat oven and roast for another 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees F. When the chicken is cooked through, transfer the roasted chicken to a serving plate and let rest for 10 minutes. At this point, if your veggies need a little more time, continue roasting them for the 10-minute chicken-rest time.

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After the 10-minute rest, season the chicken with black pepper. Carve the chicken and serve with the roasted veggies, onions, lemons, and a side salad, if desired. Sprinkle chopped Parsley over the plated dish.

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This Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Onion is so simple. And it’s simply delicious! So easy to customize with whatever veggies you like. The magic is the lemon and onion. The bottom of the chicken takes on the flavor of lemon and since it's seasoned with only salt and pepper, the flavor is clean and bright. The skin is light, crisp, and salty. This simply prepared chicken is a perfect base for making chicken salad too! 

Key Ingredients and Equipment

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Nested Mixing Bowls | Poultry Shears | Half Sheet Tray | Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

 

Be sure to visit Beth’s Amazon Shopfront for more recommended items – from tabletop and kitchen, to travel and home essentials.

Print

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Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Onion

  • Author: Kelly Djalali
Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 Large Yellow or White Onion, sliced into thick rounds

2 Lemons, sliced into thick rounds

1 Whole Chicken

Olive Oil

~1.5 tsp. Kosher Salt

~2 cups Cubed Potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

10 Whole Garlic Cloves, Peeled (optional)

~2 cups Chopped Carrots, cut into 1.5-inch pieces

Olive Oil

~half teaspoon each: Red Pepper Flakes, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper

Chopped Fresh Parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Arrange onion and lemon slices in the center of a half sheet pan and set aside.

Spatchcock the chicken by cutting along either side of the spine and removing the spine. Press the thighs down and flip the bird skin-side up onto the bed of onion and lemon slices. Coat the bird with a thin layer of olive oil and evenly coat with Kosher salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, season the potatoes, carrots and garlic cloves with a drizzle of olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat and Set aside. 

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes and then add the potatoes and carrots to the sheet tray. At this point, reduce the temp to 375 degrees F. 

Continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. About 30 more minutes.

Pull the chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Place the sheet tray with the veggies back in the oven to roast for 10 more minutes.

After 10 minutes of resting, carve the bird by removing each thigh and drumstick as whole pieces. Then remove the wings.

Gently slice down the center of the breasts and remove each whole breast.

Remove the veggies from the oven and give them a stir. 

Plate each serving with a helping of roasted vegetables, onions and lemon slices.

Serve with side salad. 

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Kelly Djalali

is our 40s+ fashion & food contributor. She posts a Daily Look on Tuesdays, writes about Fashion on Thursdays, joins Beth for Fridays with Oscar and shares a new recipe Sunday evenings.

She’s 47, 5’0, and a petite 0/XS.

Kelly also has a food blog called Djalali Cooks, which you can find by clicking the world icon below.

See author's posts

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