Roasted Chicken with Lemon Herbs Feta (Printable)

Comforting roasted chicken with zesty lemon, aromatic herbs, and creamy feta served with buttery potatoes.

# Components:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 1 whole chicken (about 3.3 lbs), patted dry
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 lemon, zested and quartered
04 - 4 garlic cloves, smashed
05 - 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
06 - 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
07 - 1 tsp salt
08 - ½ tsp black pepper

→ For the Potatoes

09 - 2.2 lbs small new potatoes, halved
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
11 - 1 tsp salt
12 - ½ tsp black pepper
13 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ To Finish

14 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
15 - 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, chopped
16 - Extra lemon wedges, to serve

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon zest, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the chicken, inside and out. Stuff the cavity with the lemon quarters and smashed garlic cloves.
03 - Place the chicken breast-side up in a large roasting pan. Scatter the halved potatoes around the chicken. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper. Toss gently to coat.
04 - Roast for 1 hour, basting the chicken and potatoes with pan juices once or twice. If potatoes brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
05 - Check the chicken for doneness (internal temperature should reach 165°F at the thickest part). If needed, roast for an additional 10–15 minutes.
06 - Remove the pan from the oven. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.
07 - Sprinkle crumbled feta and fresh dill or parsley over the potatoes and chicken. Serve with extra lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The feta melts into the pan juices creating an instant creamy sauce that you will want to spoon over everything
  • Those pot potatoes cook alongside the chicken soaking up all those rendered juices and herb flavors
  • Whole chicken looks impressive but requires almost zero active cooking time
02 -
  • That 10 minute resting period feels like forever when you are hungry but cutting too early will release all those juices onto your cutting board instead of keeping them in the meat
  • Feta varies in saltiness so taste a crumble before adding it all at once
  • The pan underneath those potatoes is liquid gold so do not scrape it down the drain
03 -
  • Bring the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting for more even cooking
  • Adding olives or capers during the last 15 minutes creates lovely pops of briny flavor
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