In this recipe we marinate the whole chicken in lemon juice for a few hours, roast the chicken, then glaze it with honey the last few minutes in the oven.
Marinate in Lemon Juice for Tender, Flavorful Roast Chicken
The acidity of the lemon juice works like buttermilk to tenderize the chicken. The chicken is salted when it goes into the marinade so the marinade doubles as a gentle brine as well. Cooking with honey can be problematic because it burns so easily. So we wait until the chicken is almost done, then baste it with honey so it doesn’t burn, but still gives us some wonderful honey flavor. Place the bagged chicken in a bowl, so that if the bag leaks, it won’t leak all over your fridge, and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken occasionally so that all sides stay coated with the lemon juice. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Rub olive oil all over the exterior of the chicken. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, including the cavity. Place thyme sprigs and lemon wedges into the cavity. Want to learn how to prep that chicken for the oven? Check out our guide, How to Truss a Chicken! While the chicken is roasting, heat the honey in a bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan to make it easier to brush. After the chicken has roasted at 350°F (175°C) for 45 minutes, use a pastry brush to generously brush the top and sides of the chicken all over with honey. Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until an instant read thermometer reads 160°F (71°C) for the breast and 170°F (77°C) for the thigh, or when a sharp knife inserted into the breast and thigh releases juices that run clear, not pink. Honey will burn if it gets too hot, so watch the chicken at this stage. If the skin is getting too dark and the chicken still isn’t done, loosely tent the chicken with a piece of aluminum foil. Brush the chicken with honey one more time before taking it out of the oven. If you want to thicken the juices for gravy, create a slurry with a teaspoon of cornstarch or flour and a tablespoon of water. Add the slurry to the drippings, heat and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken with pan juices or thickened gravy.
