Lemon Chicken

This delicious chicken served as the main dish for a summer dinner party.  The flavors were perfect, especially for warm weather.  The lemon came through beautifully, the chicken was perfectly moist, and the skin was golden and crunchy.  The best part of it all, though, was how easy it was to make, particularly for a dinner party.  I put the chicken in the marinade that morning and had it in the oven before the guests even arrived.  It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Lemon Chicken

from Annie’s Eats

printer-friendly recipe

Ingredients:

2 TBSP lemon zest
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
2-3 TBSP melted butter
thinly sliced lemons, for garnished

Directions:

1.  In a large plastic bag with a zipper top, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Seal the bag and shake well to blend.  Put the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, press out the excess air, and seal again.  Refrigerate and let marinate for at least two hours and up to eight hours.

2.  Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade.  Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

3.  Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.  Return the chicken to the oven and bake 15-20 more minutes for light meat and 20-25 more minutes for dark meat.  

4.  Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest ten minutes before serving.  Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.