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This chicken is fancy enough to serve to guests with a side of cauliflower mash, yet easy enough for weeknight dinner! The garlicy, lemon and herb sauce is slightly sticky, incredibly flavourful and perfect for spooning over the sliced chicken before serving.

As someone who is incredibly squeamish around raw chicken, please trust me when I say that the extra 2 minute step of removing the backbone to spatchock or butterfly the chicken, is absolutely worth it. Spatchocking the chicken reduces the cook time, helps the meat cook more evenly and results in a lot more crispy skin, which truthfully is my favourite part!

Here are a few great sides dishes to serve with this Roast Chicken: 

 

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!

Garlic, Lemon & Herb Roast Chicken

5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Diets Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Keto, Paleo, Whole30
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pound whole chicken
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 onion
  • 1 leek
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
  • To spatchcock the chicken, place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board and use your fingers to locate the backbone which should run all the way down from neck to
    tail. Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to cut along the right side of the backbone, and
    then cut all the way along the left side of it so that the backbone can be
    removed. Now flip the bird over and press down firmly on the breasts to flatten
    the bird. Rinse the inside of the chicken out and pat the skin dry using a paper towel.
  • Cut the lemon in half lengthwise and then thinly slice both halves. Cut the onion and leek into thin slices. Place the slices of lemon, onion and leek in a large baking dish or cast iron skillet.
  • Place the chicken on top of the slices vegetables.
  • In a bowl whisk together the olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Brush the chicken all over with the herb oil and once well coated, drizzle any remaining oil over the vegetables. Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, stir the vegetables to ensure they don't burn and then spoon some of the sauce from the pan over the chicken. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes of baking, check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. The chicken is done cooking when the thermometer reads 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Leave the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the onions, leek and sauce spooned overtop.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!