Roasted Chicken Lemon Potatoes Feta (Print Version)

Crispy Mediterranean chicken with herb potatoes, lemon, and feta

# Ingredients List:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 1 whole chicken (approximately 3.3 lbs), patted dry
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 lemon, zested and quartered
04 - 4 garlic cloves, smashed
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ For the Potatoes

09 - 2.2 lbs small new potatoes, halved
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon salt
12 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

→ To Finish

14 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped
16 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to create a cohesive paste.
03 - Rub the herb mixture generously over the entire surface of the chicken, covering both exterior and interior cavity. Stuff the cavity with lemon quarters and smashed garlic cloves.
04 - Position the chicken breast-side up in a large roasting pan. Arrange halved potatoes around the chicken. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Roast for 1 hour, basting the chicken and potatoes with pan juices once or twice during cooking. If potatoes begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
06 - Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh without touching bone. Internal temperature should reach 165°F. If not reached, roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
07 - Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese and fresh dill or parsley over the potatoes and chicken. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly juicy while the skin turns golden and crackling, thanks to one small trick with the cavity stuffing.
  • Those potatoes roast in all the savory chicken drippings, so you get restaurant-quality results without any extra steps.
  • Feta and fresh herbs at the end feel like a flourish, but they're actually what transforms this from nice to memorable.
02 -
  • A dry chicken is the difference between skin that's crispy and skin that's rubbery—spend those extra seconds patting it down before you season it.
  • Basting matters more than you'd think; those pan juices keep the breast meat from drying out and coat the potatoes in pure umami flavor.
  • Letting the chicken rest for 10 minutes isn't just tradition; it actually gives you meat that stays juicy when you carve it rather than bleeding onto the plate.
03 -
  • Room-temperature chicken cooks more evenly than cold chicken straight from the fridge, so pull it out about 20 minutes before you plan to start cooking.
  • Save every drop of those pan juices—spoon them over the chicken and potatoes as you serve, or use them as a simple sauce that tastes like pure, distilled flavor.
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