Try Roasted Chicken with lemon, thyme and shallots for dinner tonight, it’s a quick and easy recipe you can prep in five minutes and forget it. A healthy and fabulous weeknight dinner.

I wanted to make a simple roasted chicken dish to go with my decadent corn pudding recipe. Since the pudding is so rich and not exactly healthy, I wanted the chicken to be a little less caloric.
I found the idea for this recipe from a new cookbook that Santa brought, The Yellow Table. I’ve been following her blog and hearing about her adventures in self publishing this cookbook for some time.
This easy chicken dish is not only crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside but it looks so elegant with crispy lemons on top. I first made it when we had a neighbor for dinner and it looked so impressive. It was super easy to make and I could do the prep work in advance so all I had to do was put it in the oven, great when you’re having friends for dinner.
The flavors from the shallots, thyme and lemon are just the right combination and the chicken itself is incredibly tender and juicy.
Ingredients you’ll need
- chicken thighs
- lemons
- shallots
- garlic
- thyme
- white wine
How do you make this easy roasted chicken recipe
Step 1: All you have to do is throw chicken, garlic, lemon juice, thyme and shallots into a ziplock bag, let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Step 2: Place the chicken, skin side up in a roasting pan and pour the marinade on top. Top with sliced lemons.
If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can use a large casserole dish.
Step 3: Roast at 450º for 30 minutes and then turn on the broiler and broil for a few minutes to make the skin even crispier.
The chicken is great served just like this but you can make it even better by adding a white wine gravy to the top.
Step 4: If using a roasting pan, remove the chicken, shallots and lemon and cover with aluminum foil. Place the roasting pan directly on the stove over high heat. Add white wine to the chicken juices and cook until reduced. Add butter and drizzle over the chicken.
If you’re using a casserole dish, pour the juices into a skillet and add wine and cook down. It will take a little longer to reduce.
The buttery lemon sauce is worth the extra step.
So when you’re tired at the end of the day and are thinking, I don’t have the energy to come up with something to fix for dinner, this simple, easy amazing dish is just what you need.
When planning a dinner for friends, this is a recipe that turns out perfect every time. You don’t have to spend any thought or time on the main dish and can focus on homemade yeast rolls instead.
While roasted lemon chicken is an amazing dish right out of the oven, somehow, it makes the BEST LEFT-OVERS. The lemon soaks into the chicken and this is even better the next day. Double this recipe and freeze what’s left for the best left-overs you can imagine.
What can you serve with roasted chicken
Appetizers
Sides and Salads
Bread
Desserts
If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.
Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Shallots
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken thighs with skin and bones
- 2 lemons lemons juiced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 shallots halved lengthwise and peeled
- 8 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 10 sprigs thyme
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Place the chicken, lemon juice, olive oil, shallots, garlic and thyme in a large resealable bag. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450º.
- Spread chicken pieces in a roasting pan, drizzle with the marinade, including the shallots, garlic and thyme. Add the lemon slices and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast until the skin is golden and the internal temperature is 165º, about 30-35 minutes. Raise the temperature to broil and broil the chicken until the skin is golden brown and slightly crisp, 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken, shallots and lemon slices to a platter and cover with foil.
- Add white wine directly to the roasting pan and place over high heat. Let the pan juices and the wine simmer until reduced to about ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter and season with salt and butter. Drizzle over the chicken.
- If cooking in a casserole dish, drain the juices from the pan into a skillet and cook over high heat with white wine until reduced. This will take longer in a casserole dish than in a roasting pan.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
Recipe Tips
- Make sure you marinate for at least 30 minutes
- You can assemble this in advance, just cover with plastic wrap so the chicken does not dry out.
- This will freeze well and makes great leftovers.
- Check the temperature as the cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken thighs.
- You can make this in a roasting pan or any other oven proof casserole dish.
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