Roasted Half Chicken
A simple roasted half chicken that is packed with flavors. The half chicken is oven-roasted to perfection, seasoned with lemon thyme spice rub! Golden brown on the outside, tender, and juicy on the inside.
Equipment
- baking dish, baking sheet, or oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- 4 pounds whole chicken, (about 4 pounds or use pre-cut half chickens, 2 pieces)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorn
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeeze lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme , (about 1 ½ tablespoon fresh thyme)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, (use less or more according to your liking)
Optional:
- 1 pound baby potatoes
Instructions
Preparation:
- Remove the chicken giblets and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken in half. Set aside.
- Wash, scrub, dry and cut the baby potatoes in half. Set aside.
Mix the Seasoning Blend:
- In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, garlic, peppercorn, salt, thyme, paprika, kosher salt, and oil.
- Rub the seasoning all over the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Roasting:
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Place the chicken, breast side up in an oven-safe skillet or baking pan then put it on the low rack in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, basting the chicken once with the drippings. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, add halved potatoes onto the bottom of the chicken. Brush the chicken and halved potatoes with some dripping juice. Transfer the pan back to the oven.
- Reduce the temperature to 425°F and continue cooking for about 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
- Test the potatoes to make sure they are done. If not, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and return the potatoes into the oven until cooked through.
Notes
If the skin gets too dark, cover it up with baking paper or foil.
You can use an oven-safe skillet (like cast iron), roasting pan, or deep baking sheet. Just make sure to use the right size of a pan. It shouldn't be too small or too large but of course big enough to hold the chicken and potatoes.
The nutrition facts are for chicken and potatoes.
If you scroll down you can view nutrition facts for the chicken only.
If you scroll down you can view nutrition facts for the chicken only.
Nutrition
Calories: 572kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 41gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 1026mgPotassium: 466mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 752IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 3mg
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