Easy Lemon Dijon Roast Chicken

Easy Lemon Dijon Roast Chicken

Nothing creates a vision of Sunday dinner like a beautifully roasted chicken and this recipe is a complete winner. It's very simple to prepare and once in the oven there's practically nothing left to do but wait for the heady aroma to fill the house and get all appetites whetted for a great sit-down family meal. A heated lemon along with more herbs gets added to the chicken cavity to infuse the juicy meat with even more delicious flavor.

We served the chicken with some very complimentary Lemon Herb Roasted Potato Nuggets, steamed green beans and Apricot Hazelnut Sausage Stuffing Balls for an incredibly satisfying comfort food family dinner. Check back tomorrow when we will feature both of those side dishes in time for you to make the complete meal this weekend.











UPDATE! We have now posted all the recipes in our Sunday Dinner Menu. You can find links to them all right here: http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2013/01/a-sunday-dinner-menu.html

• One 3 to 4 pound roasting chicken, cleaned and patted dry with paper towels.
• 1 lemon4 sprigs fresh herbs (cilantro, rosemary or oregano make good choices, or a combination)

Using a fork, stab the lemon several times all over it's surface. Microwave or boil the lemon for about 30 seconds to a minute to heat it up then add it to the cavity of the chicken along with the herbs.

Mix together:

• 4 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp finely minced herbs ( you can use dried herbs here)
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic

Slather the mixture evenly over the entire surface of the chicken. Place on a roasting rack and roast at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to roast for about another 1 1/2 hours for a large chicken until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reads 185 degrees F on a meat thermometer. I ALWAYS use a meat thermometer for all roasted meats, including chicken. Not only is it the best way to ensure safe cooking but also, almost as important, to know that you are not overcooking the meat.

DO NOT cover the chicken at all during the cooking time. When fully cooked, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.