One of my favorite ways to prepare a whole chicken is with lemon. I started with an 8.36 Lb Perdue Roaster (on sale for $0.88/Lb, with a $2.00 coupon, so $5.11 total). Whole chickens aren’t difficult to cook, but they do require a little extra care.

Assemble 2 lemons, kosher salt, lemon pepper seasoning, and a serrated grapefruit spoon.

Start by trimming off any visible fat and rinse in cold water. I then scrape out the cavity with a spoon. Is this step required? No….but I find that it makes for a much better taste. If the mere thought grosses you out, use some disposable gloves. I’ve cleaned so many chickens and turkeys in my life, nothing bothers me anymore.

After you’ve thoroughly scraped, sprinkle the entire cavity with kosher salt. Let sit for 5 minutes, then rinse again with more cold water. Put it into a 9X13 glass Pyrex. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice all over the chicken, both inside and out, then stuff them into the cavity. On just the outside, add the lemon pepper seasoning. (This may seem like overkill, but I promise it’s not).

Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Don’t rely on the pop-up; I always check by cutting in. A meat thermometer is also really helpful. Hopefully, you have something resembling golden brown perfection!

To carve, start by removing the wings, then legs, then the breasts. Lemon chicken can be plated in a few different ways. You can simply use whole pieces like these, with or without skin.

If you want to get fancy, or you’re serving company, cut up the breast meat in thin slices with some additional lemon pepper on top.

I’ve made this many times, for many guests, and everyone always loves it! If you have any leftovers, it makes a great chicken salad, too.

Do you like lemon?