Garlic and Lemon-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
Fragrant with lemon and garlic, this comfort supper is truly economical. A whole chicken is surprisingly easy to prepare, requires little prep yet is impressive when on the table and makes 6 servings. If you have fewer to feed, you can save some of the chicken for other meals (try our Green Chili and Lime Chicken Stew, Chicken and Corn Pie, or our Lime-Coconut Green Curry with Chicken)—and use the bones to make chicken broth (see our Homemade Chicken Broth or Quick Chicken Broth), the key to economizing on your meals and maximizing your ingredients. You can remove any remaining meat from the bones and freeze it and the bones (separately) for later use.
Makes 6 Servings - $2.70 per serving Show Detailed Pricing
- 1 whole 5-lb chicken
- 1 lemon
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 6 sweet potatoes large sweet potatoes
- * 2 tablespoons butter
- * 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Prep Time: About 15 minutes
Cook Time: About 60 minutes
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. With wet paper towel, wipe the chicken clean and pat it dry. Remove any extra chicken parts from inside the chicken and discard. Place breast-side up on a roasting pan.
- Slice 6-8 small strips of the yellow peel from half a lemon (the white pith is bitter), then cut small slits in the flesh of the chicken and insert the garlic cloves and lemon strips into the chicken. Save this lemon half (to squeeze over the chicken before serving). Slice the other lemon half into rounds and place them decoratively on top of the chicken; they will caramelize deliciously as the chicken cooks.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and pour about 1/4 cup water and half the oil (about half a tablespoon) into the pan to prevent the juices from burning. Place chicken in the oven. Spooning the remaining oil (another half a tablespoon) over the chicken after 30 minutes will help it brown. Roast for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is golden brown and cutting into the thickest part yields juice that runs clear. You can also test the chicken with a meat thermometer, which should read at least 165ºF.
- While the chicken roasts, poke holes in the skin of the sweet potatoes with a fork (to prevent a potato explosion), and place them directly on the oven rack. Bake about 40 minutes or until they feel soft to the touch or a fork can easily be inserted to the center of the potato.
- To serve, cut sections of the chicken and place them and a caramelized lemon slice on each plate, spoon pan juices and the juice of the remaining half lemon over the servings. Cut the potatoes open, season with salt, pepper (and butter if you like) and serve them alongside. Optional: garnish with fresh herbs or greens you may have on hand.
