Are you looking for a flavorful roast chicken with crispy skin? This Oven-Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken is easy, packed with flavor, and has delicious crispy skin!
Oven-Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken
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After I made those delicious Lemon-Pepper Pork Chops, I just knew that I had to make a chicken version. Those pork chops were so fantastic. (And you guys loved them so much!) I know you’ll love this Oven-Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken just as much!
I usually brine my chickens before I cook them. It keeps them moist and gives them an extra punch of flavor. But, honestly, I just ran out of time to brine this chicken. We’ve all been there, right? Well, my family was hungry, and they weren’t about to wait another day to eat just so I could brine the chicken! So into the oven it went, without a brine.
And you know what? It was still moist and delicious! No brine necessary.
I will still continue to brine chickens. But maybe not every time. Because sometimes I forget to plan ahead, or I just plain run out of time.
How Do You Make Chicken Skin Crispy in the Oven?
I will tell you my secret to getting delicious, crispy skin on an oven-baked chicken! You need three things – oil, really high heat, and aluminum foil.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. I know, it seems crazy high. (Don’t forget, I start my turkeys at 500 degrees F for the perfect turkey every time!) Just trust me, you want to start the chicken at 450 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, brush the outside of the chicken with canola oil or vegetable oil, and don’t be shy! Use plenty of oil. Any extra will just drain off into the pan.
- Then take a sheet of aluminum foil and fold it into a triangle shape. (There are more details on that here.) Mold the foil triangle to the shape of the chicken breast, then set it aside. Brush the underside of the foil (the side that will touch the chicken) with more oil.
- When the oven is hot, put the chicken in the 450-degree oven for 20 minutes. When your timer goes off, take the chicken out of the oven, turn the oven down to 350 degrees, put the foil triangle on the chicken, and insert a probe-style meat thermometer into the center of a chicken breast. Put the chicken right back in the oven, even if it hasn’t “cooled down” to 350 yet.
- Then walk away, and let your chicken cook until it reaches 165 degrees F. When it’s done, the inside of the meat will be deliciously moist, and the skin on the outside will be deliciously crispy!
Enjoy!
Printable for Is This Chicken Done?
You can’t tell by looking at the outside of your chicken if it’s fully cooked or not. You need a meat thermometer. Here are our best tips to tell when your chicken is done, and a free printable cheat sheet for your kitchen!
4 Ways to Take the Fear Out of This Recipe
- Should I Use Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs? – free printable!
- What’s That Stuff Inside My Turkey? (it’s the same stuff inside your chicken!)
- What’s the Best Seasoning for Chicken? – free printable!
- How to Thaw a Whole Chicken
3 More Recipes to Try
- Fall-Off-The-Bone Roast Chicken
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings (great use for your leftovers!)
Printable Recipe Card for Oven-Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken
- ½ onion, cut in 3-4 pieces
- ½ apple, cut in 3-4 pieces
- 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Put the onion, apple, 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Place the chicken on a rack in a large roasting pan.
- Generously brushthe chicken with canola oil.
- Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, make a "breastplate" for the chicken. Fold a length of aluminum foil into a triangle, then press it to match the shape of the chicken breast. Remove the triangle, gently brush the inside with oil (the side that will touch the chicken), and set it aside.
- Sprinkle the 1 Tablespoon of lemon-pepper seasoning over the surface of the chicken.
- When the microwave is done, carefully remove the onion and apple from the hot water (use tongs), and place them inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Cook the chicken, uncovered, on 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, place the aluminum foil triangle over the chicken breast and insert a probe-style meat thermometer.
- Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and return the chicken to the oven. (Do not wait for the oven to cool down to 350 degrees.)
- Cook the chicken until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165 degrees F. (Total cooking time should be approximately 20-25 minutes per pound.)
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