Need a delicious and easy meal for tonight? There’s nothing like a roasted chicken! Try my absolutely sensational Lemon Roast Chicken and Potatoes for a sophisticated weeknight or weekend dinner.
Comfort food is a language. I consider myself fluent in its art. That’s because I grew up in a family where its language was considered as important as English. A dinner filled with warmth and love speaks volumes, even when healthy.
Flavor and emotion is what has always determined comfort food to me. What makes this Lemon Roast Chicken and Potatoes so special is that it is a meal I make time and time again for my husband and I. Who doesn’t love a roasted chicken recipe especially when its a lemon chicken recipe? We devour it as we catch up with each other on how our days went. It tastes divine with hardly a lick of fat (just 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil). You could even add additional flavors and make this a rosemary chicken or a lemon garlic chicken or just a lemon herb roasted chicken.
The chicken pieces are insanely juicy and moist, and the drippings of flavor soak into the caramelized potatoes and onions on the bottom of the pan. Everything is liberally seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon pepper, garlic powder and a bit of paprika. Lastly, I squeeze lemon juice over the entire dish and threw the used lemons into the pan. Once baked, the entire dish is just insatiable. I guess you could call this a Garlic Lemon Chicken too! It is just filled with amazing flavor.
I have served this Lemon Roast Chicken dish using a whole chicken for company and for a mid-weeknight dinner using pieces. The results are the same, and the feedback is the same. The comfort and love is always felt. And if you are looking for another roast chicken, try my Orange Honey Roast Chicken recipe. And if you are looking for something special to serve this with, try my easy homemade garlic bread recipe.
Some of the products I used for this recipe are:
Need a delicious and easy meal for tonight? There’s nothing like a roasted chicken! Try my absolutely sensational Lemon Roast Chicken and Potatoes for a sophisticated weeknight or weekend dinner.
- 6 medium potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, pepper and lemon pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pound chicken pieces
- 2 small lemons sliced in half
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Add potato slices and onions to the bottom of the dutch oven.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and lemon pepper to taste.
- Season with half of garlic powder and paprika.
- Season both sides of chicken pieces with salt, pepper and lemon pepper.
- Place chicken facing up on top of potatoes and onions.
- Season with remaining garlic powder and paprika.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice then add lemon slices to pan.
- Cover dutch oven and bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes and onions are tender and caramelized. If you want to brown the top of the dish further and add more color, place under a broiler for a few minutes until it reaches the color you prefer.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes and serve.
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You are so right! Flavor and emotion go hand in hand here. Love how juicy this looks!!
So true my dear, so very true!
if i use a whole chicken instead of cut pieces is the time the same for cooking ? chicken is about 3 pounds
Hi Yudi, you will need to bake the chicken much longer if you use a whole chicken but please play it by ear.
ah, comfort food. . yes, I love it. . and absolutely need some tummy-warming. . delicious looking, mouth watering, glorious food like this! love that you used all kinds of chicken pieces. . gimme the thighs and the legs, yo. love this! looks SO good!!
Hooray thanks so much! Girl you can have the thighs and legs too because the hubby loves white meat haha.
Oh my goodness! You’ve seriously outdone yourself! I’m full on amazed how juicy this chicken is and your pictures are stunning. I, too, would devour it… probably the whole thing!
I soooo devour the whole thing. Thank you so much boo!
I love a simple and classic dish! This looks amazing and a great weeknight dinner!
Thanks so much hon!!
That opening set of sentences is beautiful and could be the start of your next cookbook. You have a way with words, my dear! And clearly a way with food, too. Pass me a plate of this chicken!
Awww thank you so much my dear. Now that’s an idea haha! I might need to screenshot this for when I am ready to tackle another book!
This looks so good and so easy. I love dinners that you can just plop and leave.
Agreed! Same here Christine!!
I’m so pinning this! I love how fresh and light it looks and that it’s healthy comfort food!
Hooray thank you so much hon!!
This looks insanely good and soooo comforting! Just the kind of food I want to eat at this time of year 😉
Thank you so much Allie boo!!
This is definitely the ultimate comfort food! Love the flavors. This dish is also a great excuse to use of some of the fresh lemons from my backyard!
Ok I am seriously sooo jealous that you have lemons in your backyard!
Amen to comfort food. Cooking for people you love is one of the best things in the world! This chicken looks absolutely incredible! Pinned 🙂
Hooray thank you so much my dear!
There is nothing better than sharing a meal with your loved ones. This roasted chicken is the epitome of comfort food!
I agree, there is seriously nothing better!
I think comfort food is the best language that has ever been created!!!!!! This roasted chicken with the lemon and potatoes is making me drool!!!!!! So perfect for winter!
I think I might make it again today since it is freezing here!
When I saw this on Instagram today I was swooning! What a perfect dinner night recipe!
Thank you so much Pamela!!
Just looking at this chicken gives me so much nostalgia! And now I want to change my dinner plans, too. What a beautifully classic recipe!
Sometimes classic is all you need.
Love the simplicity of this, looks amazing!
Hooray thank you so much Jehan!
Chicken and potatoes is definitely comfort food to me…love this meal!!
Thanks so much Meghan!
Love the flavors! Perfect comfort food to share with family and friends!
Agreed, this is a great family for friends and family.
Happy New Year, lovely lady! I go wild looking at your lemon roasted chicken. And I can’t imagine how juicy and flavorful this chicken is. Sooo wonderful and comforting. Yum!
Gosh it is sooo juicy. Isn’t juicy moist chicken the very best?!
WOW! This looks great, and now I’m salivating and ready for lunch. I need to make a special meal this week, and this looks divine and easy peasy! 🙂
Yep girl sooo easy haha.
Absolutely awesome, Jocelyn, love the flavors!!!
Thanks so much Matt!
I love making roast chicken — it’s so comforting and is always a hit! I love that this is one pot with those lovely potatoes and that citrus pop. Pinning to try VERY soon! 🙂
Hooray thanks Marcie!
This lemon chicken dinner sounds great. I never cooked chicken over bed of potatoes. Dying to give it a try! My potato-loving heart is begging for it. 🙂
It is classic and you probably won’t stop making it!
This is comfort food at its finest, Jocelyn! Love a good roasted chicken, and this one looks amaze-balls!
Thanks so much Chris!!!
comfort food=the best of life! This roasted chicken is completely the kind of thing I’d fall in love with
The best of life. I love that!
That’s the sort of dish you want to serve to your best friends because it’s wonderful as they are.
Agreed. Best friends deserve this haha.
What a gorgeous recipe, Jocelyn!! I love easy one-pot chicken recipes. I am in love with this recipe and I haven’t even tried it! Can’t wait to make this recipe!
Hooray I am big on one pot chicken dinners too!
I’m totally drooling over this recipe, Jocelyn! I wish I had a huge plate of it right now. Wait, never mind the plate, just give me the entire skillet!
Agreed, a whole skillet is absolutely necessary!
I’m going to leave this recipe open on my husband’s computer to suggest that he should make it for me for Valentine’s Day 🙂
Agreed girl. I think he can do it too! I might do the same haha.
I love a lemon roasted chicken. Concentrated flavor and easy to make. Your recipe looks great. Pinned.
Thanks so much Chineka!
I need to eat more chicken this year! This is a beautiful looking dish!
I wonder if I can eat more chicken than I already do!
I think I could eat this chicken for dinner every night! Love that it’s low on fat and so simple to prepare. Yum!
Umm one word. Incredible!
Lemon chicken is my Hubby’s favorite! This is one gorgeous dish, Jocelyn! Pinned!
Beautiful!! I don’t know what it is about lemon and chicken, but the combo is like magic. Pinned on my dinner board!!
Love how simple and easy this recipe sounds, plus it’s a perfect family meal! A+
I agree…comfort food is a beautiful thing, best enjoyed surrounded by family and those who bring out all your happy emotions. This does definitely look flavorful and that lemon and yellow makes me smile. I know 2015 is off to a great start for you! : )
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! I don’t know if I have a Dutch oven, is there anything else I can cook it in?
Hi Andrea, you can cook this in any pot or large pan you have. It will all work.
Thanks that’s the question I wasee going to ask. I haven’t invested in a Dutch oven yet. I’m making this tonight!
Too cold to do anything other than eat…this looks like a fine thing to eat!!!
This is an interesting recipe.I would have never thunk to add lemon and potatoes together but your recipe looks amazing.
Thanks so much April! I am super in love with it and make it all the time.
Big fan of roast chicken and one-pot-wonders! You have the perfect comfort food here today.
Thanks so much Suzy!
We would absolutely devour this up as well! Looks amazing!
This looks amazing! I’m going to make it this weekend for my sisters birthday!!! One question…skinless or skin-on? Can’t tell in the pic & the recipe didn’t say….
Thanks mucho!!!!
This has the skin on.
So happy I found you <3 Perfect for this weekend!!
Indeed super perfect for the weekend!
I have got to try this wonderful dish, I just hope it comes out as pretty as this.
Thx for sharing.
Absolutely! I hope you enjoy!
This looks like dinner to me Jocelyn! Gorgeous!
This is definitely a comforting dish.. easy but so delicious. Love the add of lemon, brings such a wonderful flavor to the entire dish, will have to try it soon.
Thanks so much Ella!
This is definitely going on the dinner menu sometime soon. I love simple, flavorful and healthy dishes like these (especially when there is enough for leftovers!)
Agreed, I am the same way Nora!
There’s absolutely no way that dish is going to look like the picture by cooking it the way you are describing. It will look closer to boiled. Chicken releases so much water, and so do potatoes, and if you cover the Dutch oven, there’s nowhere for the vapors to escape. Unfortunately it seems like your readers can’t tell that the chicken in the photo has been been grilled a barbecue grill, and potatoes have been probably roasted in the oven separately…
Hi Curious George, thank you for your feedback however it is inaccurate. The food was cooked as described in the recipe. That’s the honest truth. Have a great day though and thanks for stopping by.
I too was skeptical but decided to try it anyway. Absolutely zero browning. I placed it under the broiler to brown. If I make again I will cook uncovered.
Just made this tonight and it turned out great! I was also unsure about all the moisture but it turned out just like in the picture. Very juicy and had great flavor! Husband loved it. Said he definitely wants me to make it again. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hooray it is one of my favorite recipes. Thanks so much!
Jocelyn, I made this tonight. Curious George is not only rude but he is dead wrong. I didn’t even have to put it under the broiler to brown it up. It was perfect. We are on Trim Healthy Mama so instead of potatoes I added radishes that I quartered along with carrots. It was delicious! I will be making this again. Thank you!
Thank you so much Sharon! I really appreciate your kind words. I love this dish and I am so glad it turned out well for you!
That is one more beautiful and bright skillet of roasted chicken! Love at first sight!
Looks like you added some type of herb to the top, rosemary or thyme maybe? Did you add prior to cooking or just to make pretty for photo?
I added it after to add some color to the images. A bit of rosemary or thyme is perfect with this dish.
The picture looks like that you are using almost a whole chicken, but the recipe calls for only one pound of chicken. A whole weights four to six pounds. Can we use as much chicken that will fit on one layer in a dutch oven or just one pound?
Hi Ben, you can use as much that will fit and it should be totally fine.
Can I use a normal oven? I don’t have a Dutch oven sadly
Hi Leila, a dutch oven is really just a large baking pot with a lid for cooking and braising. You can use any deep you pan you have and just bake in your regular oven. Thanks so much!
Can this be put together and put in oven on a timer to be done when I get home from worK
Sure! You can store it in the fridge during the day until you are ready to bake it. But sprinkle the whole thing with lemon juice so you won’t have the potatoes brown.
I’m making this in 5 minutes. Here goes nothing!
Hooray I hope you enjoy!
this is absolutely delicious! And so easy to make!!! This will be a new regular dish in our house. Thank you!
I’m so so glad you enjoyed this!
Outstanding Dinner! My only change was adding a couple of Bay leaves for aroma.
The potatoes were swimming in drippings, which I love. A cook could remove some of the chicken skin if they wanted, but say leave it!
I love the addition of the bay leaves! And the skin is pretty terrific!
I’m making this dish now, hopefully it comes out the way it looks. 30 minutes in and the aroma in my kitchen is devine. Mouth is watering! Can’t wait to eat!!!
Wonderful! Let me know how it turns out for you.
This has got to be the third time I’m making this recipe. (It’s extra special when I get Empire kosher chicken pieces on sale.). My teens love it, i love it, simple to make, delicious to eat!! Thank you for sharing!
Hooray absolutely! It is truly one of my fave easy meals to make too!
I made this last night for dinner. The potatoes came out great. They were tender and very flavorful. I had a couple of issues with the chicken. First, I didn’t read the part about broiling, so the skin wasn’t crisp. Next, I felt like the chicken was lacking flavor, probably because I didn’t want to eat the skin, which had all the flavor from the lemons and the seasoning. Next time I make this, and I will make it again because it was so easy, I’m going to remove the skin from the chicken before seasoning and placing in the dutch oven.
Hi CeeJayKay, yes if you want to remove the skin, definitely do that before making the recipe so all of the seasoning and flavors get into the outside. If you remove it after, you will be lacking that flavor. Otherwise, I am so glad you enjoyed the potatoes. Let me know how it turns out next time.
I’ve made this twice now and it is absolutely delicious! I added a little fresh rosemary because I love it with potatoes. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe- it’s a real winner. I know I will make it again and again! P.S. I have and love your Grandbaby Cakes Cookbook. Hope you publish a new book soon. All the best to you!
Hooray thank you so much Tonya! I am actually working on a new cookbook now. So happy you enjoyed the last one!
Just tried this tonight and the wife loved the chicken but found the potatoes had too much of a lemon bite : maybe because I used large lemons and juiced the heck out of them lol. Regardless, It was good eating. Thank you for the recipe.
I love this recipe! I tis easy to make, flavorful and delicious! This is my second time making it for my family- it will truly be a staple for family dinners.
Aww that makes me so happy! So glad you enjoyed it!