This easy and delicious Jamie Oliver Lemon Chicken is a simple yet flavorful roast meal, perfect for any occasion. With crispy potatoes, aromatic garlic, and zesty lemon, this dish is both hearty and refreshing. You can customize it with the ingredients you have on hand, making it a flexible, crowd-pleasing choice.
Ingredients Needed
- 1 x 2kg/4½lb free-range organic chicken
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1.5kg/3⅓lb potatoes peeled
- 1 large, preferably unwaxed, lemon
- 1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
- A handful of fresh thyme
- Olive oil
- A handful of fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
- Optional: 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon (optional: 8 slices of smoked streaky bacon)
How To Make Lemon Chicken
- Prepare the chicken: Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If possible, do this in the morning, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
- Boil the potatoes: In a large pan, bring salted water to a boil. Cut the potatoes into golf-ball-sized pieces (about 1-inch/2.5 cm cubes), add them along with the whole lemon and garlic cloves, and cook for 12 minutes.
- Drain and fluff the potatoes: Drain the potatoes and steam dry for 1 minute to help them crisp up. Remove the lemon and garlic. Toss the potatoes in the pan while still hot to fluff up their outsides.
- Stab the lemon: Stab the hot lemon about 10 times.
- Prepare the chicken for roasting: Remove the chicken from the fridge, pat dry with kitchen paper, and rub with olive oil. Insert the garlic cloves, whole lemon, and thyme into the cavity. Place the chicken in a roasting tray and cook for 45 minutes.
- Prepare the potatoes: Remove the chicken from the tray and toss the potatoes into the rendered chicken fat with the rosemary leaves. Shake the tray, then create a gap in the potatoes and return the chicken to the tray.
- Add bacon (optional): If using bacon, lay the rashers over the chicken breast. Cook for another 45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are golden.
- Check for doneness: To check if the chicken is done, ensure the thigh meat pulls easily from the bone and the juices run clear.
- Final touches: Remove the bacon, crumble it over the potatoes, and squeeze the garlic from the skin into a paste. Spread the garlic on the chicken, discard the lemon and rosemary, then carve and serve at the table.
Recipe Tips
- Season the chicken early: Rub the chicken with salt and pepper in the morning and leave it in the fridge. This will help the meat absorb the seasoning and become more flavorful when cooked.
- Don’t skip the steaming step: After boiling the potatoes, let them steam dry for 1 minute. This helps them become extra crispy when roasted.
- Use a hot lemon: Stabbing a hot lemon before putting it inside the chicken releases more flavor. Make sure it’s still warm when you insert it.
- Toss potatoes in chicken fat: When the chicken is cooked, use the fat in the roasting tray to toss the potatoes. This makes them golden and crispy.
- Check for doneness carefully: Ensure the chicken is fully cooked by checking that the thigh meat pulls away easily from the bone and the juices run clear.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover Lemon Chicken cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: To freeze, let the chicken cool completely before placing it in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Place the chicken and potatoes in a baking dish, cover with foil, and heat for about 20-25 minutes, or until fully warmed through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (200g)
- Calories: 340
- Total Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
- Sodium: 540mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 47g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 31g
- Protein: 21g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Greek Chicken Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Nuggets
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Piri Piri
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta
Jamie Oliver Lemon Chicken
Description
This easy and delicious Jamie Oliver Lemon Chicken is a simple yet flavorful roast meal, perfect for any occasion. With crispy potatoes, aromatic garlic, and zesty lemon, this dish is both hearty and refreshing. You can customize it with the ingredients you have on hand, making it a flexible, crowd-pleasing choice.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If possible, do this in the morning, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
- Boil the potatoes: In a large pan, bring salted water to a boil. Cut the potatoes into golf-ball-sized pieces (about 1-inch/2.5 cm cubes), add them along with the whole lemon and garlic cloves, and cook for 12 minutes.
- Drain and fluff the potatoes: Drain the potatoes and steam dry for 1 minute to help them crisp up. Remove the lemon and garlic. Toss the potatoes in the pan while still hot to fluff up their outsides.
- Stab the lemon: Stab the hot lemon about 10 times.
- Prepare the chicken for roasting: Remove the chicken from the fridge, pat dry with kitchen paper, and rub with olive oil. Insert the garlic cloves, whole lemon, and thyme into the cavity. Place the chicken in a roasting tray and cook for 45 minutes.
- Prepare the potatoes: Remove the chicken from the tray and toss the potatoes into the rendered chicken fat with the rosemary leaves. Shake the tray, then create a gap in the potatoes and return the chicken to the tray.
- Add bacon (optional): If using bacon, lay the rashers over the chicken breast. Cook for another 45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are golden.
- Check for doneness: To check if the chicken is done, ensure the thigh meat pulls easily from the bone and the juices run clear.
- Final touches: Remove the bacon, crumble it over the potatoes, and squeeze the garlic from the skin into a paste. Spread the garlic on the chicken, discard the lemon and rosemary, then carve and serve at the table.
Notes
- Season the chicken early: Rub the chicken with salt and pepper in the morning and leave it in the fridge. This will help the meat absorb the seasoning and become more flavorful when cooked.
- Don’t skip the steaming step: After boiling the potatoes, let them steam dry for 1 minute. This helps them become extra crispy when roasted.
- Use a hot lemon: Stabbing a hot lemon before putting it inside the chicken releases more flavor. Make sure it’s still warm when you insert it.
- Toss potatoes in chicken fat: When the chicken is cooked, use the fat in the roasting tray to toss the potatoes. This makes them golden and crispy.
- Check for doneness carefully: Ensure the chicken is fully cooked by checking that the thigh meat pulls away easily from the bone and the juices run clear.
Jamie Oliver Lemon Chicken