Ina Garten's Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken
sandravalvassori.com
Ina Garten's Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken is made with a minimal amount of prep and yields a succulent bird that is crisp-skinned and exceptionally tender. Roasted on a bed of aromatics and lemon, the chicken is infused with flavor while simultaneously creating a mouthwatering lemony sauce. Few of her dishes as beloved as this one.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lemon, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt, or less to taste (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 1 4-pound chicken, backbone removed and butterflied
- 1 lemon, halved
- ½ cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- flaky salt, such as Maldon, to finish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Place the sliced onion, garlic, and lemon slices in a large, cast-iron skillet and spread them out evenly.
- In a mini chopper, blender, or mini food processor, combine thyme leaves, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Process until ground and place in a small glass measuring cup or bowl. Pour in the olive oil and whisk to combine.
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat it with paper towels all over until very, very dry. *If your chicken isn't spatchcocked, see notes in post for how to do this.
- Brush the underside of the chicken with about 1/3 of the oil and herb mixture then place it in the skillet over top of the onion mixture, breast side up. Once again, pat the top dry with paper towels, then brush the top and sides of the chicken with all of the remaining oil and herb mixture. Make sure to get all the nooks and crannies.
- Nestle the lemon halves around the chicken. Roast for 35 minutes (or 40 minutes if it's more than 4 1/2 pounds).
- Remove the skillet from the oven and pour the wine around the chicken (not on the chicken!). Place back in the oven and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F to 165ºF. The temperature will continue to rise as the chicken rests.
- Squeeze the juice from the roasted lemon halves all over the chicken and sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. TIP: Don't cover the chicken if you like crispy skin.
- Cut the chicken into desired pieces, it will be a breeze to carve because the backbone has been cut out. Sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky salt, if using, and serve hot with all the pan juices.
Notes
Lemon: Ina's original recipe calls for one whole lemon sliced in half lengthwise, then each half sliced thinly crosswise. This amount of lemons could cause the sauce to be a bit bitter so I only slice half of the lemon. The other half I don't slice but place it alongside the chicken. I also roast two other halves of a lemon alongside the chicken to use for drizzling. (See photo of ingredients in post for a visual on the lemons used.)
Salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because the coarse grains make it the best all-purpose salt for cooking. If you're not using kosher salt, or a different brand of kosher salt, err on the side of caution and reduce the amount by half. You can always add more to taste, if needed.
Sandra's Tips
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- For crispy skin, pat the chicken dry. It is super important you pat the chicken with paper towels until it is very dry. You do not want to skip this step or your chicken will not get crispy, golden skin.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking it. Fridge-cold chicken will not cook as quickly or evenly.
- Use a meat thermometer. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, the pan you use, and how hot your oven runs. Use a reliable meat thermometer to ensure you don’t over cook or under cook the chicken. An instant read thermometer such as this one, works great. When inserting the thermometer into the meat, make sure it is not touching the bone to get an accurate reading.
- Season generously. Don't skimp on the salt and pepper. Chicken needs to be seasoned generously or it will be bland.
- This recipe is adapted from Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook