Chicken In The Oven is my favorite way my mom made chicken growing up (besides cutlets, obviously). Chicken In The Oven is really just roasted chicken with lemon. But there is so much more to it. Fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice, crisping on the stove-top before it goes into the oven, and slow roasting for over an hour. I’m telling you, it’ll be your new favorite dish!
The Process
I start by seasoning the chicken. In a large bowl, add in the chicken and all your spices – salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, fresh herbs, your lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. You want to make sure everything is coated evenly.
I sear the chicken in a cast iron skillet before it goes in the oven, to ensure a real crispy skin.
*Side note: if you do not have a cast iron skillet, you need to invest in one! It will make your life a thousand times easier. You can go from stovetop to oven with no issues. You can also make, ANYTHING in it. Bacon, chicken cutlets, skillet chocolate chip cookie, pizza, biscuits, roast chicken…..you name it.
After you sear the chicken, I like to add the additional marinade, the juiced lemons, and a chopped onion (it gets so soft, it melts in your mouth). The longer you cook chicken on the bone, the better it gets. It falls off the bone, and it cooks in all those delicious lemony juices. This is not your boring, run-of-the-mill chicken, this is your elevated, flavorful next dinner meal!
Chicken In The Oven
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs. of drum sticks, breasts, thighs whatever part of the chicken you like. Make sure it is skin-on
- ¼ cup of olive oil plus some for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 whole lemon zested and juiced (and juiced lemons kept)
- 3 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme finely chopped
- Half of a white or Spanish onion roughly chopped
- Handful of fresh parsley chopped (garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, season your chicken. Add the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and rosemary and thyme. Mix to coat everything evenly.
- In a large cast iron, or oven-safe heavy bottom pan, drizzle some olive oil and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is slightly smoking, start searing your chicken, making sure it gets brown on all sides (you may have to work in batches). When the chicken is browned on all sides, turn off the heat, and return it all to the pan. Add in any excess marinade from your bowl, the juiced lemons, and the onion.
- Roast in the oven for at least an hour, an hour and 15 is better if you can wait! Half way through, turn the chicken to make sure it cooks evenly.
- Serve in the same skillet with all of the wonderful juices, garnish with chopped parsley.
- Enjoy! And use the leftover chicken for a chicken salad lunch!
