Juicy lemon roasted chicken flavored with thyme and garlic is the most delicious, easiest way to cook a whole chicken.
Ingredients
Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Whole chicken.
- Lemons.
- Whole garlic bulbs.
- Fresh thyme.
- Olive oil.
- Salt and pepper.
- Chicken stock.
How to make lemon roasted chicken
- Season the chicken: Drizzle the chicken with olive oil then season generously with salt and pepper all over. Make sure to season the cavity of the chicken as well. Place lemon slices and thyme inside the cavity of the chicken and sprinkle thyme leaves over the chicken.
- Roast the chicken: Slice the lemons and the tops off of the garlic bulbs. Place them in a roasting dish then place the chicken on top. Pour the chicken stock around the chicken then cover with foil. Place in a preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes then remove the foil and roast for another 15-30 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
- Allow to rest then serve: Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes then slice and serve, drizzled with the pan juices.
What temperature is chicken done?
Chicken is cooked when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165ºF/74ºC. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, make a cut between the drumstick and chicken breast, if the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked and can be removed from the oven.
What to serve with lemon roasted chicken
Roast chicken recipes

Easy lemon roasted chicken
Juicy lemon roasted chicken flavored with thyme and garlic is the most delicious, easiest way to cook a whole chicken.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 6
Calories: 281kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (approximately 1.5kg/3lbs)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp flaky sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 lemons
- 2 garlic bulbs
- small handful thyme
- 1 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil then season generously with salt and pepper all over.
- Make sure to season the cavity of the chicken as well.
- Place lemon slices and thyme inside the cavity of the chicken and sprinkle thyme leaves over the chicken.
- Slice the lemons and the tops off of the garlic bulbs. Place them in a roasting dish then place the chicken on top.
- Pour the chicken stock around the chicken then cover with foil.
- Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes then remove the foil and roast for another 15-30 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes then slice and serve, drizzled with the pan juices.
Nutrition
Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg
Where are all the carbs coming from?
From the lemons. A whole lemon has 10g of Carbs and as there are 3 used, the total recipe has around 30g of carbs but of course, since you won’t be eating the lemons your intake of carbs will be much less.