Roasted Chicken with Lemon Herbs Feta (Printable)

Comforting roasted chicken with zesty lemon, herbs, and creamy feta served with buttery potatoes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 whole chicken (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 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper

→ Pot Potatoes

09 - 2.2 lbs small new potatoes, halved
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon salt
12 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

→ Finishing

14 - 3.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped
16 - Extra lemon wedges for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and allow it to fully preheat.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper until well blended.
03 - Rub the herb mixture thoroughly over the entire chicken, inside and out. Stuff the cavity with lemon quarters and smashed garlic cloves.
04 - Place the prepared chicken breast-side up in a large roasting pan. Scatter halved potatoes around the chicken, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper. Toss potatoes gently to coat evenly.
05 - Roast for 1 hour, basting the chicken and potatoes with pan juices once or twice during cooking. If potatoes brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
06 - Verify the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest part using a meat thermometer. If needed, continue roasting for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
07 - Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Sprinkle crumbled feta and fresh dill or parsley over the potatoes and chicken. Serve with extra lemon wedges.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • One pan means one cleanup, which honestly matters more as you get older and tireder.
  • The potatoes soak up all that herby, lemony chicken fat and become impossibly buttery without any extra butter.
  • Feta at the end feels fancy but takes literally thirty seconds, making weeknight dinner feel like you tried.
02 -
  • A meat thermometer is worth its weight in gold because chicken that looks done on the outside might still be raw inside, and nothing kills a dinner party vibe like food poisoning.
  • Don't skip the rest period—ten minutes feels short but it's the difference between chicken that shreds beautifully and chicken that dries out the second you carve it.
03 -
  • If you marinate the chicken for even thirty minutes before roasting, the flavor deepens in ways that feel almost impossible for such a short time commitment.
  • The skin on a roasted chicken crisps up best when you let it sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking, something I learned by accident and now do on purpose.
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