Feb 1, 2010

Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon




Roasting a whole chicken is pretty simple to do, just season it, put it in the oven and walk away. As long as you have a thermometer you can't go wrong. The combination of rosemary and lemon has a wonderful Mediterranean flavor. Serve this with roasted vegetables. You can use the leftover chicken bones to make a wonderful stock.



Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: varies
Points+ with Skin: drumstick 2 pts, wing 3 pts, thigh 4 pts, 4 oz breast 5 pts
  • 1 (3 lb) chicken, washed and dried, fat removed
  • 1/2 onion, chopped in large chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2-3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 tbsp herbes de Provence (or dried rosemary)
  • salt and fresh pepper
Heat oven to 425°. Season chicken inside and out with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence. Squeeze lemon juice on the outside of the chicken and stuff the remains of the lemon along with onion, garlic, rosemary sprigs inside the chicken.

Roast the chicken until the internal temperature is 165°F, about 50-60 minutes (Insert thermometer between the leg and the thigh). Let the bird rest for 10 minutes before carving.
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38 comments:

  1. i love this recipe! i make this all the time, my sister gave me this recipe.. i usually make it with wings or legs. its good on the bbq if you let it marinade over night.

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  2. Hi Gina :) We just had this one for dinner and it was decreed AWESOME by the whole family. Thanks for a great recipe.

    Cait :)

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  3. Fabulous! I think you read my mind;) I have a chicken in my fridge and was thinking 1.easy, 2. lemon and 3. rosemary... thanks!!

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  4. What if I want to stick it in the oven on a Sunday morning; go to church and come back to a perfectly cooked chicken? What temp should I use for about 3 - 4 hours of cooking?

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  5. YUM! i'll definitely be trying this one out.

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  6. You can roast it at 300 degrees for 45-60 minutes a pound.

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  7. This is very similar to the way we do it, but I like the addition of the herbes de provence. You are amazing. I can't believe you can keep this up with a little baby. Congratulations and keep eating healthy for you and for her.

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  8. Can this just as easily go on low in a crock pot?

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  9. Thanks for the recipe. I always feel overwhelmed with an entire chicken, especially with WW, because I don't know what's what as far as points go.

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  10. hi gina :) I'VE JUST FOUND YOUR SITE
    & HAVE TOLD A FEW FRIENDS !!
    LOVE IT & AM GOING TO TRY YOUR CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS TOMORROW. I JUST JOINED WW THIS MONTH & I CAN SEE YOU ARE GOING TO BE A BIG HELP!

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  11. should i use a broiler pan or a heavy roasting pan?

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  12. My girlfriend is on this weightwatcher thing.
    i will have to show your blog to her.

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  13. I love roasted chicken! This looks delicious!

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  15. Thanks for all the comments!

    It's not easy keeping up this blog with a newborn!! But I find this therapeutic believe it or not. I like to keep busy and my husband is a big help with the baby!

    I've heard you can make a whole chicken in the crock pot, but I've never done it. I like my skin crispy, not sure how it would taste.

    A roasting pan or broiler pan are fine.

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  16. This is just the way I roast a chicken. You are so right... with a thermometer you don't have to waste time worrying.
    Thanks bunches~

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  17. @Sandi - yes, in fact I recommend everyone go out and buy one if you don't already have one because I can't make roast beef without one! Always comes out perfect!

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  18. How do you remove the fat on the chicken?

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  19. I basically cut out any visible fat I see.

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  20. Hi Gina... Just wanted to let you know... My husband says that this is the best thing I have EVER cooked :) Thanks for the constant source of new, delicious and HEALTHY food!

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  21. here's what i do. zest a lemon. make a loose paste using a bit of olive oil,some white wine, the lemon zest, and your herbs(i use thyme,rosemary fresh flat leaf parsley)plus chopped garlic, fresh ground pepper a pinch of salt. Carefully separate the skin from the chicken breast and rub paste underneath. chuck the lemon and onion into the cavity with fresh sprigs and roast.

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  22. Thanks Gabi! I love this chicken on a cold winter night!

    Thanks anonymous for your recipe! Sounds delicious!

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  23. Gina, I want to roast a chicken for 4 people. Is this large enough or do I need a bigger chicken? Can you give me cooking times on a larger chicken? Thanks so much!!

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  24. This would be plenty for 4 people.

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  25. Hi Gina. I am making this later in the week. The chicken I bought is 4 1/2 pounds. How much longer do you think the roasting time will be? Thanks!

    ~Nikki~

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  26. I would use a thermometer to be sure.

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  27. Hi Gina,

    What do you think about cooking this in a cast iron? Like a dutch oven or a shorter dutch oven, uncovered?

    We are thinking we could even do this camping, with a dutch oven over the fire, with coals on top... What do you think?

    Thanks so much for your awesome site!

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  29. Gina - i tired this one and it was so good. I have told so many people about this blog! It is the best.

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  30. Made this tonight and it was oh so good! I made a quick gravy with the drippings, lemony goodness! My husband loved it. I have the carcass in the crock pot now for broth.

    I know it's too late now, but for the post above with the 4 1/2 lb, mine took almost an hour and a half.

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  31. Hi Gina! Could you please update this recipe with the new Points + ? it also would be super helpful if you could include the calories for each peice (SUPER helpful if you also included points + and/cal for chicken withOUT the skin!). I know it's a pain and a lot of break down to do but it would mean a ton to my hubby and I. This is our favorite recipe and we'd like to make it weekly but we are both on different diets and he eats skin, i don't. Thank you SO SO much if you can do that for us. I've tried to look it all up online and have just found way too much variance in answers.

    -C

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  32. I know, on a whole chicken it's hard to list the n.i but just use the points for skinless chicken on your WW guide. :)

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  33. Made this tonight. LOVED it. Thanks for another great recipe Gina!

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  34. Made this tonight! It was OUTSTANDING...I'm loving all the recipes on your site. I'm so happy I found it!!

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  35. Would part of an onion inside mess with the flavors or enhance them? Thanks - love all your recipes I've made so far!!

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  36. Onions, garlic, shallots, all would be great with roasted chicken.

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  37. Can you use chicken breasts instead of the whole chicken?

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