Lemon Pepper Roast Chicken

A roasted chicken in a cast iron skillet with lemons.

Lemon Pepper Roast Chicken

This 5-pound lemon pepper roast chicken is brushed with lemon garlic butter and roasted at 425°F in a cast-iron skillet. The chicken cooks up juicy with browned skin and plenty of buttery lemon pan juices for spooning over each serving.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

rest time 10

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 465kcal

Author Jere' Cassidy

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil for greasing the skillet
5 pound whole chicken
1 lemon zested and juiced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with the olive oil.
Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity, if included. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels.
Place the chicken in the prepared cast iron skillet.
In a small bowl, add lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter and minced garlic. Stir to combine. Brush half of the mixture over all exposed areas of the chicken.
Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon each of lemon pepper seasoning and salt. Then sprinkle with one teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme.
Roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and brush the chicken with the remaining lemon butter. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon each of lemon pepper and kosher salt.

Use care with the hot skillet. The cast-iron skillet will be very hot and heavy. Use sturdy oven mitts and set it on a heat-safe surface when basting.

Return the chicken to the oven and roast for another 25–35 minutes, or longer as needed, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh, without touching bone.
Garnish with the remaining teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken before serving.

Notes

Notes:

- Bake time may vary depending on the size of the chicken used. Plan for 15 minutes per pound of chicken at the temperature listed. (My 5-pound chicken takes about 50–60 minutes in my oven at 425°F, but whole chickens vary in shape and ovens vary, so use the temperature as your final guide.)
- If your lemon pepper seasoning contains salt, you may want to reduce the added kosher salt.
- The drippings add a lot of additional flavor - don’t discard! To use, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids and drizzle over chicken, mashed potatoes, or make gravy.
- You may use any large oven-safe skillet or roasting pan in place of a cast iron skillet.
- If the top of the chicken starts to brown too much, add a loose foil tent over the chicken and return it to the oven until it is completely cooked through.

Nutrition