Skip to content

Baked Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

📍 Spain
⏱️Prep: 15 min
🔥Cook: 55 min
Total: 70 min
🍽️4 servings
Difficulty: Easy

Lemon and garlic roast chicken is one of the simplest and most satisfying dishes in Mediterranean cooking. Chicken pieces are marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, generous garlic, and fresh herbs, then roasted at high heat until the skin is crisp and the meat stays juicy. The pan juices reduce into a natural sauce that needs nothing else.

🛒 Ingredients

4 servings
  • 1.5 kg chicken, cut into pieces
  • 3 lemons
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • Fresh rosemary and thyme
  • 100ml olive oil
  • Coarse salt and pepper
  • 100ml chicken broth

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

  1. Marinate the chicken with juice from 2 lemons, crushed garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and thyme for 2 hours.

  2. Preheat oven to 200°C.

  3. Place chicken in a baking dish with the marinade's garlic and lemon.

  4. Add broth and slices from the third lemon.

  5. Roast for 50 minutes, basting every 20 minutes.

  6. Increase temperature to 220°C for the last 10 minutes for crispy skin.

💡 Chef's tip

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven before carving.

📝 Our take

Baked chicken with lemon and garlic is the fail-proof Sunday recipe. The skin crisps up beautifully when the oven is hot enough (200°C), and the lemon juice deglazes all the roasting juices into a natural sauce. Let it rest 10 minutes before carving—that's non-negotiable if you want juicy meat.

🍷 Wine & food pairing

Full-bodied white wine: a Rioja Viura or Rueda Verdejo hold up well against the chicken fat. If you prefer red, a young Garnacha from Navarra.

Suggested wine: Verdejo de Rueda

⭐ Have you tried this recipe?

Select a rating

🍳 Did it turn out well? Share it in the chat!
Share your version, tips or questions with the cooking community.
Enter chat →