Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Thyme
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If you’re coming from Blessed Home Life where Larissa shared her delicious Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos recipe, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here for the Essentially Summer recipe series, where I’m going to share how to make my Mom’s famous roast chicken… which we’ve affectionately dubbed The Greek Chicken. The Greek Chicken and is our go-to comfort food and shows up in sickness and in health… and because I love you I’m sharing it today, with an essential oil twist.
Wait, essential oils, whaaaaat? So I’ll admit I’ve been holding out on you. I’ve just recently discovered these little gems and they’re kinda rocking my world. In fact, I’ve been so busy sharing them in real life that I haven’t even had time to write a post yet (but I do have an Essential Oil information page on my blog, including how I got my pharmaceutical research employed husband on board!) Yup, I’m the latest person to become obsessed with Young Living essential oils… and did you know you can COOK with some of them too?!
Thyme Essential Oil is one of the most powerful antioxidants out there, so it’s a fantastic oil to have in your oily arsenal. I grow fresh thyme on my deck but that season is short and sweet; having the oil on hand means I’ll never run out. And Lemon? Well, I can’t say enough about lemon oil. For me, it’s a great mood booster, detoxifier, and more. I carry this one around with me everywhere I go!
Please note that Young Living has recently changed the labeling for their oils that can be used internally, they are now called Vitality oils and they rock!
Here’s the recipe card, scroll down for the step-by-step:
Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Thyme Essential Oils
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 drops lemon Vitality oil
- 4 drops thyme Vitality oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- sprinkle dried oregano
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 onion sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the oils and salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Place whole chicken in roasting pan, breast side up, and remove giblets from cavity.
- Using silicone basting brush, cover the entire outside of the chicken with your oil mixture. If there's some leftover, pour some in the cavity of the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with a little dried oregano.
- Place lemon and onion slices in the bottom of the roasting pan and in the cavity of the chicken. Add a little water, just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan.
- Cook in oven until the button pops out AND the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees (about 1 hour 45 minutes, give or take depending on the size).
- Take it out and let chicken rest 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
That’s the short and sweet version. Here’s the play-by-play!
Start with a whole chicken.
Mix together the simple ingredients:
Spread the oil mixture all over the outside of the chicken– make sure you cover every inch! Sprinkle with dried oregano.
Place the chicken in the roasting pan, and stuff with lemon and onion slices both around it and in the cavity.
Place in oven at 350 degrees and roast until internal temps reach 180 (about 1 hour 45 minutes). Here’s a tip: check the chicken about 30 minutes into cooking and if the wings are turning brown loosely cover with tinfoil.
Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing and then serve. YUM!!!! This chicken is so delicious and moist, it’s really such an amazing comfort food and perfect in any season.
Whew, that was my FIRST time cooking with essential oils and I’m so glad I gave it a try. I love all the uses I’m finding for my oils, and cooking is just a bonus for me! There are 35 recipes in the Essentially Summer series, I know I’ll find many more to try and add to my regular rotation.
Want to learn more about cooking with essential oils? Head on over to Sondra Lyn at Home where you’ll learn how to make Veggie Lasagna with Basil and Oregano! If you’re interested in learning more about the oils, head over to my Young Living FAQ page. I’m happy to answer questions about essential oils and I’m BRUTALLY HONEST so ask away. 😉
I’m so happy to finally share our Greek Chicken recipe with you today, with that special essential oil twist. Go ahead and make it and let me know what you think– it’s the perfect comfort food, right? I hope it fills your soul as much as it does mine!
