# Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

> Lemon tenderises chicken, but **too much time ruins it**. The acid breaks the proteins down, and past **4 hours** the texture turns grainy. Marinate for **two to four hours at the very most** — not overnight, as is often repeated.

**Greek Cuisine · 200 min · 5 servings · 460 kcal per serving**

Lemon and garlic chicken is a Greek one-tray dish where the potatoes underneath catch all the juices. The most common mistake is marinating it from the night before.

## Ingredients

- 1 — chicken, jointed
- 1 kg — potatoes
- 3 — lemons
- 1 head — garlic
- 1/3 cup — olive oil
- 1 tbsp — dried oregano
- 1 tsp — dried thyme
- 1 tsp — paprika
- 1 cup — chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tsp — salt
- 1/2 tsp — black pepper

## Method

1. **The marinade** — Mix the juice of two lemons with the olive oil, crushed garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Oregano is the essential Greek signature here.
2. **Marinate, but briefly** — Rub the chicken with the marinade and refrigerate for **two hours** — **not overnight**. Prolonged acidity breaks the protein down and leaves the texture mealy.
3. **Prepare the potatoes** — Quarter the potatoes, toss them with some of the marinade and spread them across the base of the tray. The potatoes underneath catch all the chicken juices.
4. **Arrange** — Set the chicken pieces **skin side up** on the potatoes, tuck slices of the third lemon between them, and pour the stock into the base from the side.
5. **Start hot** — Roast at **220°C for 20 minutes** first so the skin browns and tightens. Starting at a lower heat leaves the skin soft and steamed.
6. **Drop and finish** — Lower to **190°C** and roast **35 minutes** more until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes tender. Baste with the tray juices twice.
7. **Final browning** — If the skin is still pale, run the **grill for 4 minutes**, watching closely. Rest the tray 10 minutes before serving.

## Tips

- Two hours of marinating at most — overnight breaks the meat down.
- 220°C for the first 20 minutes to crisp the skin, then lower it.
- Potatoes underneath the chicken so they catch the juices and fat.
- Lemon slices between the pieces perfume it without over-acidifying.

## FAQ

### Why not marinate overnight?
Lemon acid breaks down the meat proteins, and past 4 hours the texture turns grainy and loose. Two to four hours at most — salt alone can sit longer without any problem.

### Why isn't the skin crisp?
The heat was too low from the start, or the skin was wet. Dry the skin before marinating and begin at 220°C for 20 minutes before lowering — that thermal shock is what crisps it.

### Why are my potatoes still hard?
You cut them too large, or added too much liquid so they boiled instead of roasting. Cut them into even quarters and keep the stock to one cup in the base, no more.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/greek-cuisine/lemon-garlic-roast-chicken
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-25