Lemon Rosemary Chicken decorated with edible nasturtiums.
Prep 15 mins Marinate 4+ hours Cook 30 mins Rest 10 mins Eat 4:55
GRILL SOME LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN
Memorial Day weekend is the official start of summer and grilling season. What are you going to grill? I love this simple Lemon Rosemary Chicken recipe. It’s a toss-up between the Lemon Rosemary Chicken and my Best-Ever Barbeuced Ribs. They are both evergreen recipes I turn to over and over.
Fresh lemon, rosemary, garlic and shallots make a big difference.
First make the Lemon Rosemary marinade. Use fresh ingredients…lemon, rosemary, garlic and shallots. Zest the yellow part of peel first with a microplane or grater before juicing the lemon.
Lemon Rosemary marinade is ready in no time.
Mix in the mustard, wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper
Two whole chickens ready to be cut up.
HOW TO CUT UP A WHOLE CHICKEN.
I never see cut up chicken in the supermarket anymore. There are breasts, thighs, wings and drums, but sometimes I want them all. So I purchased two whole chickens and cut them up. The most important step is to choose a sharp knife, poultry shears or scissors. Poultry shears are super handy and look like long bladed scissors. I realized half way through that I needed to sharpen mine, so I stopped to use a knife sharpener, which simplified the job immensely.
First cut the leg quarter from the bird.
The easiest thing to cut out first is the leg quarter. There is a thin piece of skin between the leg and the breast. Cut there first and then the line along the backbone to cut off the thigh. Next cut the joint between the leg and the thigh. After an initial cut, you will be able to crack open the ball and socket and then finish cutting the leg and thigh apart.
Cut the breast along the backbone.
Cut along each side of the backbone to release the wing and breast quarters. Once removed separate the wing by making an initial cut and then snapping the ball and socket from the breast. By the way, hold onto the backbone and the giblets and any bones you can for use in making fresh chicken stock. I have a great tutorial here for turkey stock and more.
Next, cut the breasts.
Separate the breast halves.
Finally, cut the breast in half down the center. If you are using a knife, the best way is to place the knife over the center from the inside and use the pressure from your body to push down. This was a 6-pound chicken and the breasts were very large, so I cut them crosswise again, so I had four separate breast pieces. For the Lemon Rosemary Chicken, I cut a few slits in each chicken piece so that the delicious marinade could make its way into all the crevices.
Marinate the chicken for four hours + or overnight.
Pour the marinade over the chicken, pushing it into every spot and crevice. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of four hours or overnight,
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Cooking chicken on the grill can be tricky, as the fat that releases from the chicken can cause flare-ups. Cook on medium heat or indirectly (on the grill, but not over the heat source). When you have a flare-up, move the meat away from the heat source or onto a platter until it dies down. If you prefer, bake the chicken on a baking sheet in a 375″ for about 30 minutes. On the grill, cook chicken on both sides for about 25-30 minutes total or until the chicken is medium soft, but not hard to the touch. Thicker pieces will take longer. Breast meat generally cooks faster. Remove individual pieces from the grill before they are completely cooked (or hard), as they will continue to cook on the platter. Cover the chicken with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Veggie Platter from Heidi
Invite your friends to bring some sides and you’ll have a wonderful party! We served our Lemon Rosemary Chicken with this Veggie Platter sprinkled with parmesan from my friend Heidi.
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens 5-6 lbs each cut into pieces
Marinade
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Make Marinade: Chop shallots and rosemary. Mince garlic. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Cut chickens into 8 pieces each. Make a few slits in each piece so that the marinade can get into the meat.
- Pour marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Prepare outdoor grill for barbecuing or preheat oven to 375°. Grill chicken, using an indirect method or over medium heat. Cook chicken on both sides for about 25-30 minutes total or until the chicken is medium soft, but not hard to the touch.Thicker pieces will take longer. Breast meat generally cooks faster. Remove individual pieces from the grill before they are completely cooked (or hard), as they will continue to cook on the platter.
- Cover the chicken with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
- ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FRESHFOODINAFLASH.COM
Nutrition
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
2 whole chickens (5-6 lbs each) cut into pieces
Marinade
1/2 cup chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1. Make Marinade: Chop shallots and rosemary. Mince garlic. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Cut chickens into 8 pieces each. Make a few slits in each piece so that the marinade can get into the meat.
3. Pour marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. Prepare outdoor grill for barbecuing or preheat oven to 375°. Grill chicken, using an indirect method or over medium heat. Cook chicken on both sides for about 25-30 minutes total or until the chicken is medium soft, but not hard to the touch. Thicker pieces will take longer. Breast meat generally cooks faster. Remove individual pieces from the grill before they are completely cooked (or hard), as they will continue to cook on the platter.
5. Cover the chicken with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Servings: 16 chicken pieces – 347
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Looks like the makings of a great party!