Community Pick
Engagement Chicken
"A chicken with ultracrisp skin and a subtle lemon flavor. Rumor has it that if you cook this for your boyfriend he will propose.. here's to hoping. :o)"
photo by CandyTX
- Ready In:
- 1hr 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 5
- Serves:
-
2-3
ingredients
- 3 lbs whole chickens
- 2 medium lemons
- 1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice
- kosher salt or sea salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
directions
- Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
- Wash chicken inside and out with cold water, remove the giblets, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander until it reaches room temperature (about 15 min) Pat dry with paper towels.
- Pour lemon juice all over the chicken (inside and outside) season with salt and pepper.
- Prick the whole lemons three times with a fork and place deep inside the cavity.
- (Tip: If lemons are hard, roll on the countertop with your palm to get juices flowing.) Place the chicken breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan, lower heat to 350 and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and turn it breast-side up (use wooden spoons!); return it to oven for 35 minutes more.
- Test for doneness - a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180, or juices should run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork.
- Continue baking if necessary.
- Let chicken cool for a few minutes before carving.
- Serve with juices.
- Serve with boiled new potatoes tossed with olive oil and fresh chopped parsley and/or steamed asparagus with butter.
- Enjoy.
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
This chicken recipe came out great, it's perfect!! Thanks for the tip on softening the lemons. Believe it or not my boyfriend proposed to me!!!!!!! The weekend after i made this chicken. Simple and Delicious!!!! Thanks Ashbabe! -
I told myself I wouldn't rate this recipe until I got engaged...and now I finally am engaged!! It did take me 2-3 times making a modified version of this dish before he proposed though :P Overall, this is a very nice base recipe. On its own, I think it would be too bland/simple for my tastes. To perk it up, I added some garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary to the cavity of the bird, and sliced almost all the way through the lemons. I also made small slits in the skin under the breast/thigh meat and rubbed a mixture of lemon zest/butter/garlic slivers/rosemary under the skin for more flavor. I also rubbed zest over the outside of the hen along with the salt and pepper. Instead of using a whole chicken, I used a Cornish Game Hen to split between the two of us, and covered the dish with foil during the first half of cooking to keep it from drying out too much. -
So simple and yummy! Next time I'll add garlic cloves. -
I have been making a similar recipe for over 30yrs now. The only difference is that I slice the lemons nearly through and add garlic cloves, peeled and also sliced nearly through, inside the chicken cavity with the lemons, salt and pepper. We love the lemon-garlic flavor, so I add 10 to 12 cloves and it's WONDERFUL!!!! I also roast breast down so that the juices gather in the breast and the meat is extremely flavorful and tender. Maybe this will flavor it up a bit for Tony :) -
This is one of the Best chicken Recipes I have ever made, it turned out absolutely Perfect, crispy skin, nice lemon flavor. I served it with steamed asparagus and herb roasted potatoes. Thank you Ashbabe for a Really special recipe.. This has already become a favorite in my home. If I could I would have given you **********10 stars!
see 24 more reviews
Tweaks
-
I told myself I wouldn't rate this recipe until I got engaged...and now I finally am engaged!! It did take me 2-3 times making a modified version of this dish before he proposed though :P Overall, this is a very nice base recipe. On its own, I think it would be too bland/simple for my tastes. To perk it up, I added some garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary to the cavity of the bird, and sliced almost all the way through the lemons. I also made small slits in the skin under the breast/thigh meat and rubbed a mixture of lemon zest/butter/garlic slivers/rosemary under the skin for more flavor. I also rubbed zest over the outside of the hen along with the salt and pepper. Instead of using a whole chicken, I used a Cornish Game Hen to split between the two of us, and covered the dish with foil during the first half of cooking to keep it from drying out too much.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Ashbabe
United States
