Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

One of my favorite meals that brings in all the cozy is roast chicken. The fragrance while it roasts is just enough to make me impatiently anticipate dinnertime. I recently came across a recipe for roasted chicken thighs that sounded like a quick{er} version of roasted chicken and I had to try it. It comes from the Mozza at Home cookbook by Nancy Silverton, a genius in the kitchen, and credit is due to the chef at her restaurant in Los Angeles who makes it for their staff meals.

One thing I learned from this recipe is the technique to put the chicken pieces uncovered on a pan in the refrigerator for at least eight hours or even overnight. This dries the skin out and gives a wonderfully crispy roasted skin that you simply can't resist crunching on. The preparation couldn't be simpler. Just layer onions, garlic, lemon slices, and herbs of your choice on a baking sheet, season the chicken with salt and pepper, lay it on top, and pop it into a 500 degree oven for about 45 minutes while you get your side dishes or salad ready. There are members of my family that prefer white meat to dark so I cut bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in half and bake them right along side the thighs. The time in the oven is perfect for both of them to get done in the same amount of time.

Just look at that beautiful, golden, crispy, perfectly seasoned chicken!

Recipe

Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

from Mozza at Home by Nancy Silverton

Give yourself a heads up when you want to make this because drying the chicken pieces out in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours is the secret to the super-crispy skin! 

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Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

• 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
• 1 medium yellow onion peeled and sliced
• 1 cup medium-large garlic cloves
• 1 large lemon sliced 
• thyme sprigs
• rosemary sprigs
• salt and pepper to season

Instructions

 

• Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and lay them, skin side up, on a baking sheet. Place the cookie sheet, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Take the chicken out 45 minutes before baking to bring them to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Separate the layers of the onion and distribute them across the baking sheet. Add the garlic cloves, lemon slices, and finally the herb sprigs. Nestle the chicken pieces on top and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Roast for 45 minutes or until the juices are running clear.
• I don't mind serving straight from the baking sheet, but it's beautiful to spoon the onions, garlic, lemons, and herbs onto a gorgeous platter and put the chicken pieces on top.