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Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken

This recipe features a simple yet flavorful skillet-roasted butterflied chicken. It's seasoned with an herb and lemon-infused oil, roasted over a bed of lemon slices, onion, and garlic, and finished with white wine for a succulent result. The resting period ensures a juicy bird.
Print Recipe
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 3 people
Calories 2022.4 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Mini Food Processor Or mortar and pestle
  • 1 12-inch cast iron skillet Or other large oven-safe skillet
  • 1 Meat Thermometer
  • 1 Aluminum Foil For resting
  • 1 Paper Towels Essential for drying skin

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup good olive oil
  • 1 lemon halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 yellow onion halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1 4-pound chicken, backbone removed and butterflied
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Place the thyme, fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground. Pour the olive oil into a small glass measuring cup, stir in the herb mixture, and set aside.
  • Distribute the lemon slices in a 12-inch cast iron skillet and distribute the onion and garlic on top. Place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion and brush with about half the oil and herb mixture. Turn the chicken skin side up, pat it dry with paper towels (very important!), and brush it all over with the rest of the oil and herb mixture.
  • Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan (not on the chicken!) and roast for another 10 to15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle it with the lemon juice, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the chicken in quarters or eighths, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with the pan juices, cooked lemon, and onion.

Notes

Ensure the chicken skin is thoroughly patted dry before the final oiling and roasting; this is crucial for achieving a crispy skin. Resting the chicken after cooking allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in moist and tender meat. Don't skip adding the wine to the pan juices – it adds depth of flavor. The cooked lemons and onions in the pan are delicious and can be served alongside the chicken or used to flavor rice or couscous.