Easy Greek lemon garlic whole roast chicken is tender, juicy and succulent with the crispiest golden skin. It is so flavourful and seasoned with a delicious and bright lemon garlic sauce. This fancy one pan meal with potatoes and carrots can be prepped in just 15 minutes. It is the perfect showstopper for a holiday meal, or for any night of the week when you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
We love making a whole chicken every now and then like our dutch oven whole roast chicken, roasted spatchcock chicken, or slow cooker whole chicken. Making a whole roast chicken is so easy to prepare but it is such a delicious meal that looks like it took a much longer time to prepare. Dinner has never been easier, especially when it's a one pan meal like this, so you don't have to worry about making any other sides.
Ingredients
- whole chicken - one whole chicken, about 3 lbs.
- salt and pepper
- fresh thyme
- lemon - you will need the juice and zest for the lemon garlic seasoning, and you will stuff the rest of the lemon into the cavity of the chicken for extra flavour.
- olive oil
- garlic
- paprika
- potatoes
- carrots
You also need a cast-iron skillet or roasting pan and meat thermometer.
How to Make the Best Greek Lemon Garlic Whole Roast Chicken
- Prepare the chicken: Pat dry the whole chicken completely with a paper towel before adding seasoning. This helps create an extra crispy skin when roasting. In a small bowl, whisk together salt, pepper and thyme and generously rub all over the chicken, inside and out. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
- Make the lemon garlic seasoning: Grate the lemon and transfer lemon zest into a small bowl. Then, squeeze out 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into the same bowl, and add olive oil, garlic and paprika, and whisk to combine. Stuff the leftover lemon into the cavity of the chicken. Generously brush half of the lemon mixture over the whole chicken.
- Prepare the vegetables: In a large mixing bowl, toss to combine the remaining half of the lemon mixture with potatoes and carrots.
- Assemble the roasting pan: Spread the vegetables evenly on the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan. Place a roasting rack over the vegetables and place the whole chicken on top, breast side up. The roasting rack allows the heat to circulate evenly underneath the meat, as well as around the sides. If you don't have a roasting rack, you can place the chicken directly on top of the vegetables.
- Roast: Roast the chicken in a 375 F preheated oven for 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the size of the chicken, until the internal temperature reaches 165F. You can check the internal temperature by sticking a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
- Broil (optional): To make chicken skins extra crispy and browned, turn on the broil setting to high and broil for an additional 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the broiler because things can heat up and burn quickly.
- Rest: Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving (the chicken is still cooking gradually from the residual heat).
How to Serve Greek Whole Roast Chicken
Serve this Greek lemon garlic whole roast chicken with the roasted vegetables on the side, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra juices from the pan.
I also like to pair this with a rice pilaf with carrots or creamy mashed potatoes, and a fresh Greek salad or Mediterranean orzo pasta salad on the side.
How to Use Leftover Roast Chicken
There are so many ways to use up any leftovers, and you can use it in any recipe that calls for a rotisserie chicken. Try it in:
- pasta (baked pasta with chicken)
- salad (chicken can be added to almost any salad recipe)
- pizza (30-minute BBQ chicken pizza)
- baked potato (BBQ chicken stuffed baked potatoes)
- soup (lemon chicken orzo soup) or stew (Indian butter chicken)
Tips
- How to get extra crispy skin: There are two steps that can really help make the skin extra crispy. First, pat dry the chicken before adding any seasoning. Second, broil the chicken for 5 minutes after it is done roasting. But keep a close eye on the broiler because things can happen fast and you don't want to burn the skin.
- How to cook in a dutch oven: Once you have assembled the ingredients into a dutch oven instead, cover the lid and roast the chicken at 400F for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and continue to cook for another 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken breast.
- How to store: Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in the microwave, air fryer at 300F for 5-10 minutes, or in the oven at 300F for 10 minutes.
More Chicken Recipes
- Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
- One Pan Garlic Roasted Chicken and Baby Potatoes
- Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken
- Roasted Balsamic Chicken with Cranberries
- Skillet Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
- Sheet Pan Curry Chicken
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Recipe
Greek Lemon Garlic Whole Roast Chicken
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Easy Greek lemon garlic whole roast chicken is tender, juicy and succulent with the crispiest skin. Prep this flavourful one pan meal in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3 lbs.)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Pat dry the whole chicken completely with a paper towel before adding seasoning. This helps create an extra crispy skin when roasting. In a small bowl, whisk together salt, pepper and thyme and generously rub all over the chicken, inside and out. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Grate the lemon and transfer lemon zest into a small bowl. Then, squeeze out 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into the same bowl, and add olive oil, garlic and paprika, and whisk to combine. Stuff the leftover lemon into the cavity of the chicken. Generously brush half of the lemon mixture over the whole chicken.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss to combine the remaining half of the lemon mixture with potatoes and carrots.
- Spread the vegetables evenly on the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan. Place a roasting rack over the vegetables and place the whole chicken on top, breast side up. The roasting rack allows the heat to circulate evenly underneath the meat, as well as around the sides. If you don't have a roasting rack, you can place the chicken directly on top of the vegetables.
- Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the size of the chicken, until the internal temperature reaches 165F. You can check the internal temperature by sticking a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
- To make chicken skins extra crispy and browned, turn on the broil setting to high and broil for an additional 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the broiler because things can heat up and burn quickly.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving (the chicken is still cooking gradually from the residual heat).
- Serve with the roasted vegetables, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra juices from the pan on top.
Notes
How to get extra crispy skin: There are two steps that can really help make the skin extra crispy. First, pat dry the chicken before adding any seasoning. Second, broil the chicken for 5 minutes after it is done roasting. But keep a close eye on the broiler because things can happen fast and you don't want to burn the skin.
How to cook in a dutch oven: Once you have assembled the ingredients into a dutch oven instead, cover the lid and roast the chicken at 400F for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and continue to cook for another 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken breast.
How to store: Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in the microwave, air fryer at 300F for 5-10 minutes, or in the oven at 300F for 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Greek
Tee says
This was DELICIOUS!! My husband does not like white meat. And he kept saying this is sooo good. It’s easy, and delicious. Thank you for this family, go to, favorite chicken dish. To more well have chicken soup😀
Gina says
This recipe is so reminiscent of what my MIL makes and now I can recreate that for my husband 🙂
Suzy says
Love how well the lemon and garlic flavor the chicken! So tasty!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks so much Suzy! So glad you liked the recipe!