Best Lemon Chicken With Croutons Recipes

LEMON CHICKEN WITH CROUTONS

Steps:

• Remove the giblets from the chicken and wash it inside and out.
• Remove any excess fat and pinfeathers.
• Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan.
• Place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the salt and pepper inside.
• Place the lemons inside the chicken.
• Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towel, brush with the melted butter, and sprinkle with more salt and pepper.
• tie the legs together with kitchen string, and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
• Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
• cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes (the onions may burn, but the flavor is good).
• meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 TBs of olive oil until very hot.
• Lower the heat to medium low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add more olive oil as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
• Place the croutons on a serving platter.
• Slice the chicken and place it, with all the pan juices, over the croutons.
• Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

LEMON CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.
• Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Squeeze the lemon half into the chicken cavity then generously salt and pepper cavity, sprinkle in the thyme, and place the lemon half inside.
• Roast chicken, breast side up, at 450 degrees F in a large baking dish for about 50 minutes or until golden and almost cooked through, basting a couple of times.
• After 50 minutes, add the bread cubes and garlic to the roasting dish and stir around in the drippings a bit; roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken drumstick is easy to move around.
• Remove chicken from the baking dish, salt and pepper it to taste, and let it rest on a warm platter, breast side down (to allow juices to settle).
• Stir croutons and garlic together again (mashing the garlic as little as you go) in the chicken juices/drippings, and return to the oven for another 5 or 10 minutes until they are a deep golden color and crispy.
• Carve chicken and serve on a platter; surround with the crouton/garlic mixture and drizzle any remaining chicken juices onto the croutons.
• Croutons are AWESOME served warm on a cool green salad!