There is nothing better than a perfectly cooked roast for a large family dinner. And this traditional Greek lemon chicken recipe never fails to impress! ‘Kotopoulo lemonato’ is a traditional Greek recipe for oven roasted chicken or let me rephrase.. This Greek lemon chicken recipe is with no doubt the most delicious roast chicken you have ever tried!
It’s simple preparation and presentation, which is part of the Greek cuisine, takes nothing out of it’s exquisite taste. To prepare this super easy Greek lemon chicken recipe all you have to do is just put all the ingredients together and let the oven do the rest!
Perfectly moist and succulent roast chicken combined with fluffy potatoes, garnished with fresh herbs and baked in a delicious lemony flavoured sauce to form an amazing full of Mediterranean flavours hearty dish.
This amazing traditional Greek lemon chicken recipe is the brightest example of how Greek cuisine takes the simplest ingredients and with literally no effort transforms them into a finger licking dish!
To prepare this Greek lemon chicken recipe select some good quality chicken. Start with the best available bird, free-range or organic. (Watch out for the labels. The best choice, for the best-tasting roast chicken with no unnatural additives, is to go for the ‘USDA Organic Certified’. Next best thing ‘No Antibiotics Used’, ‘Certified Humane’ and ‘Pastured Poultry’).
How to cook the potatoes for your Greek lemon chicken (kotopoulo lemonato)?
In Greece when preparing ‘kotopoulo lemonato’ (Greek lemon chicken) it is almost a rule to add the potatoes in the same pan with the chicken, so that they get all the juices and aromas from the meat. But, the main drawback is that the potatoes are not that crispy as when baked on their own. So, it’s up to you to decide if you want to sacrifice a little crispiness for extra flavour.
If you choose to roast your potatoes on their own then try these extra delicious crispy Greek lemon potatoes. Don’t forget to top with some salty crumbled feta cheese for extra flavour! Enjoy!
To prepare this Greek lemon chicken recipe, divide the chicken into 8 portions and wash thoroughly. Peel the garlic and rub on the chicken. Place on a large baking tray and season well with salt and pepper.
Cut the potatoes into wedges and place them between the chicken. Pour in some water, enough to cover half the chicken and add the lemon juice, the white wine vinegar, the olive oil, the chopped garlic and the peppercorns. Season with salt and pepper and add a good pinch of oregano. (Tip: sprinkle the potatoes with 1 tsp semolina for crispier results)
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven 180C / 350F for 60-75 minutes in total. 50 minutes into the bake remove the aluminum foil and top the chicken with some feta cheese. Bake for another 15-20 minutes (the remaining time), until your Greek lemon chicken is nicely coloured and crispy on the outside.
This Greek lemon chicken is ideally served with a refreshing Greek feta salad and lots of sourdough bread aside to dig into all the delicious sauce!!
Measurements ARE in english. The US is the only country that doesn’t use he metric system. THERE are many websites that you could check to get the US equivalents to the metric measurements the rest of the world uses.
I need to know in ENGLISH what temperature the chicken needs to cook in the oven . I do not know what 180 is .. would apprecciate an answer cause i really want to make this . Thank you !!!!!
The recipe calls for one clove of garlic. In step one, it says rub the garlic on the chicken. But in step two, it says add the chopped garlic. I didn’t see any chopped garlic in the ingredient list. How much chopped garlic?
I made this for the first time, and it turned out wonderfully. Here are a few tweaks. First, I wash the chicken. The only reason that it is not recommended by some health authorities is that it could contaminate surrounding surfaces. Well, just wash it in a bowl of water or a tap running slowly. Avoid any spray or splash-back (be careful, right?!). I also pan-seared the skin of the chicken until well browned, then briefly seared the non-skin side, and set it aside. I roasted the garlic briefly, and used stock rather than water to deglaze. It all went into a shallow roasting pan. Otherwise, I made the dish exactly as per the instructions and it turned out perfectly. The extra-crispy skin was great. Perfect, well balanced dish, which went perfectly with a side of greek salad and some grilled zucchini.
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Are the potatoes peeled or unpeeled?
Hi Jennifer, the potatoes are peeled 🙂
Hi Eli, how many does this serves please?
Measurements ARE in english. The US is the only country that doesn’t use he metric system. THERE are many websites that you could check to get the US equivalents to the metric measurements the rest of the world uses.
I need to know in ENGLISH what temperature the chicken needs to cook in the oven . I do not know what 180 is .. would apprecciate an answer cause i really want to make this . Thank you !!!!!
Letizia, 180C is 360F.
The recipe calls for one clove of garlic. In step one, it says rub the garlic on the chicken. But in step two, it says add the chopped garlic. I didn’t see any chopped garlic in the ingredient list. How much chopped garlic?
Alexis – have you tried chopping the garlic clove once you’ve rubbed it over the chicken? Otherwise, you could try using a second clove of garlic.
I love ths dish and it is perfect. However it is a known fact that you should NOT wash chicken.
Sorry, but it is a k nown fact that there is no harm I washing chicken, and most cultures wash whole chicken before cooking and pat dry.
I made this for the first time, and it turned out wonderfully. Here are a few tweaks. First, I wash the chicken. The only reason that it is not recommended by some health authorities is that it could contaminate surrounding surfaces. Well, just wash it in a bowl of water or a tap running slowly. Avoid any spray or splash-back (be careful, right?!). I also pan-seared the skin of the chicken until well browned, then briefly seared the non-skin side, and set it aside. I roasted the garlic briefly, and used stock rather than water to deglaze. It all went into a shallow roasting pan. Otherwise, I made the dish exactly as per the instructions and it turned out perfectly. The extra-crispy skin was great. Perfect, well balanced dish, which went perfectly with a side of greek salad and some grilled zucchini.
can I cook this a day ahead. I am cooking for 30 guests.