Juicy roast chicken - Real Recipes from Mums

This juicy roast chicken is sure to be a hit at any dinner table!

Ingredients (serves 8)

2 Chickens
2 Lemons, cut into quarters
4 Thyme sprigs
Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 240°C. Place a rack over a deep baking tray and fill tray with water until just below the rack (make sure the chickens are not touching the water). Place a small strip of baking paper down the middle of the rack to stop the chicken skin from sticking.
Fill the cavities of the chickens with the cut lemon and thyme and place chickens (starting breast side up) on the rack. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in oven for 20 minutes.
Take the chickens out of the oven, remove from the tray, turn them over and put them back on the paper over the rack, breast side down. Then reduce the temperature to 190°C and cook for a further hour or until the juices run clear. When cooked remove from oven, cover and rest for 10 minutes.
This method will produce the juiciest roast chicken you have ever tasted. If you wish, serve with some gravy using the juices from the tray, with its subtle lemon flavour.

95 Comments

- - cassy26 said
  - 28 Aug 2024
    9:04 am
Sounds amazing. Love a good roast chook.

- - ella12 said
  - 08 Aug 2017
    4:02 pm
Sounds rather delicious, thank you for sharing.

- - Stef said
  - 07 Feb 2017
    1:10 am
I’ve noticed that rubbing butter on the chicken, keeps it moist and tastes delicious. I’m going to try it your way. Lemon and chicken would taste great, for sure!

- - mom117082 said
  - 31 Oct 2016
    2:17 pm
juicy roast chicken I love chicken make it all the time but like different recipes from other people

sam1949@rogers.com

- - Melissa89 said
  - 30 Jul 2016
    3:07 pm
I love cooking and eating roast chicken

- - yoyo70 said
  - 29 Jun 2016
    1:42 pm
Oh yum, this sounds delicious. My chickens generally turn out quite dry, so I love the idea of adding water – of course! Why didn’t I think to do that?? Now I know. Thanks for sharing.

- - rachelvk said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    10:41 am
As roast chook is always a family favourite and generally much yummier and more satisfying than a store bought one!

- - mom165081 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    12:49 am
We do a similar thing with whole fish – yum!

- - Nas01 said
  - 28 Feb 2016
    4:36 pm
Love how simple this is. Thanks for sharing!

- - youngoldlady said
  - 20 Jan 2016
    5:30 pm
Must try this as the only way chickens cook for me is in an oven bag.

- - ella12 said
  - 05 Jan 2016
    12:21 pm
I this would be lovely and light.

- - mom64736 said
  - 02 Jan 2016
    3:12 am
I love to add some seasoning to the skin too. I love roast chicken. yum.

- - mom101628 said
  - 23 Dec 2015
    5:32 pm
This is such a simple recipe but the chicken looks so juicy and moist – better than a turkey for Christmas.

- - Samiaye said
  - 17 Dec 2015
    9:07 pm
Just like mumma used to make

- - paulah2 said
  - 10 Dec 2015
    1:14 am
Yummmmmmo another one to try for the holidays. I dont even open my cook books any more….just MoM is all I need

- - mom160421 said
  - 29 Nov 2015
    2:52 pm
Sounds delicious. I don’t have much luck with roasts turning out right, so I’m eager to give your method a try. Wish me luck.
- Summer TABLE replied
  
  16 Dec 2015 , 8:13 am
  Good luck mum160421. Although with this method you don’t really need luck. I cook a roast chicken at least once every 2 weeks. So easy and delicious. Make sure you tell us how it went.
  - mom134803 replied
    
    24 Dec 2015 , 12:26 pm
    
    Success mum160421 !!
- - mom94378 said
  - 08 Nov 2015
    9:14 am
Mouthwatering.

- - mom113055 said
  - 10 Oct 2015
    6:06 pm
hit at a dinner table

- - levismumma said
  - 09 Oct 2015
    8:06 am
We cook our chook like this.
But also add some garlic. And pop in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours then under grill to crisp skin so tastey.

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 04 Oct 2015
    12:10 pm
every time this comes up on my wall it freaks me out…. I do same, but have never thought to photograph the poor old chook at this angle lol