One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken
Get ready for the easiest one pot dinner around. I’m talking crispy, golden, lemon pepper butter chicken with beautifully caramelized roasted vegetables underneath. You can throw all of the ingredients into one pot and set it and forget it. Let the oven do all the work, then just slice it up and drown it in the delicious sauce from the bottom of the pot.
If you’re a fan of other one pot/one pan dishes you might want to check out these! One Pan Creamy Boursin Chicken, Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, One Pan Garlic Ginger Chicken, Caramelized Lemon Chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-pot convenience: Everything cooks together in one dish, making cleanup a breeze. You’ll love how easy it is to prepare and clean up afterward.
- Bursting with flavour: The combination of lemon zest, cracked black pepper, and buttery goodness underneath the chicken skin gives you a succulent, flavour-packed meal with minimal effort.
- Customizable veggies: While this recipe calls for sweet potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, and onion, you can easily substitute them with your favourite seasonal vegetables.
- Perfect for meal prep: The leftovers taste just as good the next day, making this dish a great choice for meal prep.
How to Truss a Chicken (and Why It Matters):
Trussing is the technique of tying a chicken with kitchen twine to keep it compact while roasting. Trussing helps the chicken cook evenly, prevents the wings and legs from overcooking, and gives the bird a beautiful, restaurant-quality presentation.
How to Truss a Chicken:
- Cut a piece of kitchen twine about 3 feet long.
- Position the chicken breast-side up and tuck the wings under the body.
- Place the middle of the twine under the chicken’s tail.
- Cross the ends of the twine over the legs and tie them together tightly at the base.
- Finally, wrap the twine around the chicken to secure the legs and hold everything in place.
This simple step ensures that the chicken cooks evenly, creating a juicy center with crispy, golden skin! And who doesn’t love crispy, golden skin!
How to Make it Step by Step:
Prepare the Chicken and Vegetables:
Take your chicken out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before cooking. Pat it dry with paper towels to ensure crispy skin. Meanwhile, chop your sweet potatoes, leek, carrots, celery, and onion.
Season the Veggies:
Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Toss everything together to coat evenly.
Make the Lemon Pepper Butter:
In a small bowl, mix softened butter with lemon zest, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of salt. This butter will infuse the chicken with so much zesty flavour!
Prepare the Chicken:
Place the whole chicken on top of the vegetables in the pot. Use your fingers or a spoon to create space between the chicken’s skin and breast, and spread the lemon pepper butter underneath the skin. Spread any leftover butter on top of the chicken.
Roast the Chicken:
Place the pot in a preheated oven at 400°F. Roast for about 1 hour, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the juices run clear. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve and Enjoy:
Spoon the roasted vegetables onto your plate, slice the chicken, and top with pan drippings and fresh herbs for extra flavour. I like using fresh dill, basil, Italian parsley or chives!
Substitutions for One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken:
This recipe is easily adaptable, allowing for substitutions based on your dietary preferences or available ingredients:
- Vegetables: Swap the sweet potato, leeks, and carrots for parsnips, brussels sprouts, or even butternut squash for a seasonal twist.
- Butter: If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, use plant-based butter or olive oil for a similar result.
- Seasoning: Experiment with different herbs like thyme, rosemary, or smoked paprika to add depth of flavour.
If you’re looking for other Chicken Recipes:
As always, if you try this recipe out, please tag me on social (@britacooks). I absolutely LOVE seeing your recreations!
One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 2-4 lbs
- 1 sweet potato chopped
- 1 leek chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 head of garlic cut in half
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 3 carrots chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 lemon
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Fresh herbs for garnish optional
Instructions
- ake your chicken out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before cooking. Pat it dry with paper towels to ensure crispy skin. Meanwhile, chop your sweet potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, and onion, and place them in a large Dutch oven or baking dish.
- Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Toss everything together to coat evenly.
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter with lemon zest, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of salt. This butter will infuse the chicken with zesty, savory flavors.
- Place the whole chicken on top of the vegetables in the pot. Use your fingers or a spoon to create space between the chicken’s skin and breast, and spread the lemon pepper butter underneath the skin. Spread any leftover butter on top of the chicken.
- Place the pot in a preheated oven at 400°F. Roast for about 1 hour, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the juices run clear. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
- Spoon the roasted vegetables onto your plate, slice the chicken, and top with pan drippings and fresh herbs for extra flavour. I like using fresh dill, or basil, Italian parsley, chives.
Hi I’m Brita!
The recipes you’ll find here are designed to be approachable, yet elevated, and a whole lot of fun to make.
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