Meyer Lemon Roast Chicken is a delicious way to perk up your weekly meal plan ~ the flavors are bright and sunny, and the whole dish looks as beautiful as it tastes!

This vibrant and citrusy roast chicken will make a regular old weekday meal feel special. It doesn’t take any more time than plain oven roasted chicken, but a quick sauce of Limoncello lemon liqueur, olive oil, lemon juice and stone ground Dijon mustard makes the whole thing sing.
what’s the deal with Meyer lemons?
Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons, and have delicate thin skins, so you can eat the roasted fruit right along with the chicken.
No one is exactly sure about the botanical origin of Meyer lemons, but they are probably a cross between a regular lemon and some type of orange. Cut the slices between 1/8 and 1/4 inch, and remove the seeds before adding them to the chicken…they become wonderfully tender in the oven.
I make it a point to get a bit of lemon with every bite of chicken. It’s fabulous.
the key to that crispy chicken skin
This chicken roasts at 475F, hence the gorgeous color and crispy skin.
I love cooking at high heats, it must be a primal instinct. I love the sputtering, sizzling sounds and smells, and it’s fun to watch all the action safely through the oven window. Taking food just to the brink of burning develops an alluring flavor, especially in meat. Be sure to cover your pan well, because the sauce will burn. I would actually recommend taking the foil and wrapping it up around the lip of the baking sheet to be extra sure. I used parchment paper and had a messy pan to clean up.
Other chicken recipes you might enjoy ~
- Lemony Chicken Soup with Orzo
- Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Apples and Brown Cabbage
- Thai Chicken Salad
- Firecracker Chicken
- Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms
Meyer Lemon Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut in pieces (I like to cut the breasts in half for more even cooking)
- 2 Meyer lemons, washed and cut in 1/4 inch slices
- a handful of fresh thyme sprigs
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
for the sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil, I like O Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Limoncello lemon liqueur
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp stone ground Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475F
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces liberally with salt and plenty of pepper.
- Line a baking sheet completely with foil or parchment paper and lay the chicken out, along with the sliced lemon and some of the fresh thyme. Make sure your pan is big enough so you don’t crowd the chicken.
- Pour most of the sauce evenly over the chicken pieces, reserving a little for basting later.
- Bake the chicken for about 35-45 minutes until golden and crisp on the outside. Baste the chicken with a little of the reserved sauce about 5 or 10 minutes before it is done.
- Serve hot with the lemon slices on the side.
Notes
This recipe was inspired by Yotem Ottolenghi
Now I know what I’m going to make when the kids come for Family Dinner night on Tuesday! Thanks. Can you get meyer lemons from the greengrocer or only home gardens?
And I happened to have some Meyer Lemons! Thank you!
Absolutely gorgeous.
Thanks, Adam! This is one of those recipes where the visuals really reflect the wonderful flavors. Thanks for stopping by.
This looks wonderful and I’m so glad it has limoncello. I’ve just found another way to use the bottle in my frig. Gorgeous photos as always.
Sam
Great recipe, I love meyer lemons and use them for many things. ๐
What a gorgeous chicken. Simplicity is perfection!
I love roast chicken with Meyer lemon, a perfect dinner!
OMG Sue!! I made the same thing to post next week only I used basic lemons…. But your’s looks and sounds so delicious with the Limoncello in there, great idea!!
I look forward to your recipe…I can imagine this would be equally as good, if a little more puckery (in a good way!) with regular lemons…
the picture of all of the roasted pieces of chicken? amazing!
beautiful.