I’ve spent a while testing this recipe, and the last time I made it was easily the best. Juicy, succulent chicken paired with lemon potatoes, rocket salad and a garlic aoili make for a perfect Sunday summer dinner.

The sexiest roast chicken

I love nothing more than a Sunday roast. But chicken roasts have always been my least favourite. I always found them really tasteless and dry. But when your girlfriend doesn’t eat red meat, chicken becomes one of the few options for a roast. And turns out, I do love a chicken roast – when it’s cooked like this!

This recipe came about when I wanted to roast a chicken, but really didn’t want all of the stodgy accompaniments. I wanted something fit for Spring/Summer – that would still be rich and delicious but not quite so heavy. And this recipe was born. The juicy chicken pairs so well with lemony potatoes that have been cooked in the chicken juices. Serving it with a fresh rocket salad on the side topped with your favourite ingredients such as olives, sun dried tomatoes, parsley, spring onions, parmesan etc… makes this dish truly special. And, because I love a sauce, I make a confit garlic aoili to go with it – *chef’s kiss*.

Cooking chicken – it’s all about the timing

Chicken is a tricky meat to cook. Cook it too much, and you’ll end up with a dry piece of meat that takes hours to chew. Cook it too little, and you’ll give yourself food poisoning. It’s a tricky tightrope to walk – and most of the time, I’ve erred on the side of caution and ended up overcooking the meat.

I have done a lot of research on the best way to cook a roast chicken and everyone has a different method. But if you want crispy skin and juicy meat, the trick is to cook it in a hot oven for a shorter amount of time. 40-45 minutes might not be enough time to cook a large chicken – but for a small chicken, it absolutely is. But – it’s always important to check that the juices run clear before you take the bird out of the oven.

Another thing that will really impact the flavour of your chicken is your marinade. Some people say a dry rub is best, but I love this marinade. For the best results, make the marinade in advance and let your chicken marinade in it for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight if you remember to do it the night before!

A boiled lemon – the secret ingredient

In the reel for this recipe, you’ll see that when I par-boiled the potatoes I also boiled a lemon with it. This wasn’t my idea, I got it from Jamie Oliver. But not only does it help to infuse a lovely lemon flavour into the potatoes, you can then pierce the hot lemon and stuff it in the chicken. The hot lemon juice will then impart its flavour into the chicken.

This really is a gorgeous meal – I really hope you enjoy. Please do let me know your thoughts.

Best roast chicken with lemon potatoes recipe

Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 45 mins plus 20 mins resting time

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 small, high-quality whole chicken
• 1 tsp dry basil
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp tarragon or rosemary
• 2 tsp garlic granules/powder
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 a red onion, for stuffing

For the potatoes

• Enough potatoes to fill a large baking tray (about 600 grams at an estimate)
• 1 lemon
• Salt
• 1 head of garlic, chopped in half

1. Begin by marinating your chicken. The longer you leave the chicken, the better the flavour. Start by adding all dry seasonings in a large bowl, then the lemon juice and soy sauce. Slowly add the oil, mixing while you do. Season to taste.
2. Add the whole chicken to the bowl, and coat it well with the marinade. Leave in the fridge to marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight if you have the time!
3. While your chicken is marinating, prep your potatoes by chopping them into roastie sizes. Add them to a pan of hot water with a lemon. Boil until the potatoes are partly cooked through. Strain, then shake the strainer so the potato edges break a little and go fluffy.
4. Pour the potatoes onto a baking tray and add one head of garlic – chopped in half, sideways – to the pan. Season well with salt and pepper.
5. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes, then pour the rest of the marinade over both the chicken and the potatoes. Taking the lemon you boiled in the water with the potatoes and pierce all over, then stuff into the cavity of the chicken. Add 1/2 a red onion to the cavity.
6. Heat your oven to 220 degrees C. Pop the chicken and roasties in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes for a small chicken, or until the juices run clear.
7. Take out of the oven, then leave the chicken to rest for at least 20 minutes. This will help lock in the juices and make for a super succulent chicken! Your potatoes may need a little more time in the oven, so leave them in there while the chicken chills out.
8. Serve, when ready, with the roast potatoes, a rocket salad and garlic aioli.

Tips:

I’ve not included a recipe for the rocket salad, but here are my recommendations: add rocket, olives, parsley, spring onion and parmesan and top with a basic mustard, honey, vinegar and oil dressing. The rocket salad in my reel contains sun dried tomatoes instead of olives, which was just as lovely.

For the confit garlic aioli, add 6 or so garlic cloves to a little ramekin and cover with oil. Roast in the oven unti the garlic is soft, golden but not brown! Squish then mix with mayo – simples!

If you’re looking for more chicken recipes, try my Yoghurt-Marinated Chicken Kebab, Chicken in White Wine Sauce or Chicken with Romesco Sauce.